Painting by student Mandy Hermann's. Displayed at Robious Elementary during school year

2006-7

Stunned, Inspired, Refreshed, Renewed, Excited, Intimidated, Overwhelmed, Humbled...

On a cold, rainy Friday night here in Richmond, the exquisite Westminster choir demonstrated a level of choral excellence and musicianship that is rarely heard in our local churches and schools. These young musicians, after 11 hours on a bus, engulfed the dinner provided for them in a short time, and then proceeded to amaze and inspire the crowd of ~500 attendees. Their presentation of Raua needmine "Curse upon iron" by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis presented the primal essence of man, in war, as we hurl our iron upon the world. Its energy evoked deep emotions in my soul and the use of vocal symphonic effect was most effective. A WWII veteran spoke to me during the first intermission, after the first round of standing ovations, and said that he had never seen or heard a piece of music present such a profound example of the urgency, terror and confusion of a battlefield. Closing their concert with John the Revelator by Paul Caldwell, the energy in the sanctuary was overwhelming and humbling at the same time. They are indeed at a special place, and they are blessed by their experiences. They blessed us by sharing that passion and discipline so expertly.

Our world is in desperate need of the excellence demonstrated by these musicians. Our art can make a difference. The quote below, written by Dr. Charles Hulin IV was presented as part of the opening remarks:

The Artists’ Perspective
Artists are interested in expressing the human condition. They are interested in all of life. As an art form, classical music explores every facet of the human condition: pain, passions, conflict, disappointments, as well as love, joy, peace, self-control, and much more. As music gives a broad picture of human experience, it provides a tremendous gift to the church. It shows something of the need for God in daily life outside the church’s walls. It also speaks of the presence of God wherever we find ourselves.

I was inspired and humbled by Bel Canto's generous time donations for the CARITAS event at HRBC last night. As we sang through the hymns and I listened to the joyous offerings of beautiful music by Bel Canto and the solo artists, I was burdened by our inability to do more for these people from OUR community. Thank you to all who sang, listened, and contributed.


Charles Hulin said...

Things I liked about the performance for Caritas:

1. Bel Canto folks and Caritas folks being together

2. Team work - each musician was prepared to offer what would best serve the occasion - vocal solos, instrumental numbers, background singing, etc.

3. Spontaneity - the willingness to be flexible and adjust the program, personel, and the way we performed each piece according to the feeling in the room at the moment - I think it would be a great experience to practice doing this more to develop deep sensitivity to the dynamics of performance and of performing together.

For those who want to know more about CARITAS, here's a paragraph from their website:

CARITAS (Congregations Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter) was organized in the early 1980's to respond to the huge unmet need for emergency shelter for homeless adults in the cold winter months. With its name derived from the Latin word for charity, today CARITAS is the largest emergency shelter program in our community. More than 170 faith communities provide over 37,000 nights of shelter. Our congregation-based model mobilizes thousands of volunteers annually.

I am working with one student who has made a terrific transformation over the past 6 months. I call this person the "Da Capo posterchild"! This student came to me with serious peformance anxiety issues. So afraid to share their music with others. Through support, encouragement, education, and passsion, this student has risen to each performance opportunity with fabulous results.

This person is excited to be a part of studio classes and end of session performances. This student is setting an example for their family and teaching their younger sibling piano. This student works hard week after week to meet and exceed their goals.

You can do it too! We all have the power to transform people/situations with our music. Don't ever be afraid to share who you are! We all are unique!