Laughing, Sighing, Aching, Soaring

That--and more--is what music does to me.

Tonight, I had the immense pleasure of hearing the Concert Choir from Messiah College perform at a local church.  Messiah College is my college.  Concert Choir is my choir.  At least, it was a few years ago.  Well, OK, it's been 14 years since I graduated, to be precise; but I still feel a sense of kinship with the college and the choir.  It doesn't seem like it's been that long ago that my fingers were the ones zooming over the keyboard in the accompaniment to The Last Words of David.  It can't possibly be over a decade since I was the one watching every motion of Linda Tedford's hands as she drew forth waves of expression and billows of sound from the choir.

But as I sat in the pew and relished every bit of sound pouring forth from the singers and the instruments, I didn't wish myself back at that stage of life.  Oh, no, not with my two oldest sons sitting beside me (or, as in the case of David, on me).  Not with the memory of the joy I receive from watching their music-making.  Not with the thought of my cherished husband and two younger sons to be reunited with at home.

I'm eternally grateful for the phenomenal college experience I had, but I'm infinitely content with who I am and where I am and with whom I am now.  And that's a very satisfying feeling.

Further thoughts I had during the performance:
~ They are so good!  I can't think of the right words to describe just how talented the singers were, how creative and unique the music selections were, how excellent Linda Tedford's conducting was, how delightful the entire experience was.  I loved each song, and could hardly believe it when, time after time, the next song was better than the one I had just heard...and then the next one was even better.  It was just so good!
~ A much higher percentage of the current choir was made up of music majors than when I was in the choir.  From all reports, the music department at my alma mater is flourishing.
~ It was really special to know personally two of the girls in the choir.  Before each of them decided to attend Messiah, I was a little familiar with their decision-making process and was thrilled when they chose Messiah.  I'm even more thrilled now as I see how they have bloomed beautifully at that college.
~ For the first time ever, the three conductors I most respect and have been most personally influenced by were in the same place at the the same time:  Jay, my high school choir director, Linda, my college director, and Julia, who I only know through Josiah's experience with the children's choir but who has my utmost respect.  Fun to see them all tonight!
~ Jeff took Tobin and Shav to Bible study tonight, and I took Josiah and David with me (and my parents rode along, too).  Before we went, David was whining a little:  why did he have to go to the concert? and how long would it be? and could he finish watching The Jungle Book when he got home? etc.  I had a little talk with him prior to the concert that if he kept a good attitude, he would be allowed to finish watching the movie when we got home; but I still wondered how he would do.  At the first note of "Guadete," the first song of the concert, he jerked his head around and looked at the back of the sanctuary where the male soloist stood who had just belted out the opening phrase, and I knew:  David is enthralled.  At the end of the piece, he whispered to me, "I like this!"  :)  In all honesty, he got a little tired during some of the more sedate pieces--that's to be expected from a five-year-old, I suppose--and I let him look at a few books I had brought with us; but overall, he behaved admirably and completely enjoyed much of the concert.  And it goes without saying that Josiah, with the added maturity of an eight-year-old and the experience he's had as a singer and violinist, also behaved admirably and completely enjoyed the concert.  :)
~ It is astounding to me that, with only the 26 letters of our alphabet and the 12 notes of our musical alphabet, so many pieces have been written.  How many?  Millions?  Billions?  No one knows.  After all, you don't know my setting of Psalm 67 that I sing occasionally, and I don't know the song you made up and hummed in the shower this morning.  Unique combinations of the 26 and the 12 have resulted in a vast collection of music that is being added to all the time.  We arrange the notes, and rearrange them, and stack them on top of each other, and spread them out, and go up the scale, and go down, and leap in large intervals, and step on side-by-side notes, and repeat some, then pause for a bit of silence...but always, we're creating new music.  And always, we will be, until the end of time.  Amazing.  Will we do the same in heaven?
~ Speaking of heaven, I wouldn't mind if the first hundred years I spend there were devoted to music.  (I know time isn't the same there, so don't be a stickler about my doctrine right now.)  :)  I'd love to spend a year or so listening to the music that composers like Bach and Handel penned to be used in worship.  After that, how about a year listening to music of worship from Africa?  Listening to music AND dancing--how could you not when those drums start?  I want to hear the music Chinese Christians softly sing, as they gather secretly to worship.  I'd like to know what Peter and Paul sang in the very earliest days of the church.  What did it sound like when Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn shortly before his arrest and crucifixion?  The music of South American tribes who gather to worship and learn about Jesus--what does that sound like?  Arabic music--I've heard that in real life, when we visited churches in the Middle East--I'd like to hear it again.  Oh, so much music!  So much glory given to God!  I wouldn't be surprised if, when we get to heaven, Jeff hurries off to find Paul to ask him to explain some of the things he wrote in the Bible; but as for me, just let me listen to the music.  Just let me sing along.  Just let me glorify and exalt our great God--in song!