Last Night

Last night I performed my last concert with Vesper Chorale a group that I have sung with for three years. We did the Holocuast Cantata for the Indiana Choral Directors Association at the University of Indianapolis' Christel DeHaan Performing Arts Center Auditorium. We sang for choral directors from all over the state of Indiana; an audience of "peers". I figure it's the same kind of experience I would have preaching in front of a bunch of pastors. YIKES! Could be a tough crowd........

The performance was outstanding. As always, there were some goofs - a cut-off that was missed, a second soprano part that we lost for a couple of measures (how did that happen?! :) - at least the reading I did was - yes it was -almost perfect!) and an entrance that could have been better. I'm sure there were more goofs than what I heard and observed and that each musician on the stage could point to at least one personal goof. As we finished the piece with Songs of Days Now Gone, a soprano, mezzo-soprano duet with piano and cello and choir accompaniament, Wishart hesitated (for an eternity, it seemed like) and then lowered his batton ever so slowly. The room was quiet for what seemed like another eternity........and then the applause started slowly, very slowly (how do you applaud something like this?) and the soloists stepped forward and then the readers came forward, and the instrumentalists were acknowledged, and the applause kept coming, and got louder, and kept coming all of a sudden the whole room was on their feet and most of the folks in Vesper Chorale were in tears. To be acknowledged by your peers that way in the midst of an incredibly powerful piece of music was pretty overwhelming.

There is a letter written by one of the men in one of the concentration camps talking about how the prisoners would sing songs each evening to keep their spirits up and ward off depression. The last line in the letter is: "I can honestly say that singing saved my life." When I let Wishart know that I would not be returning to the group in 2009, I told him that the line in the cantata "I can honestly say that singing saved my life." was something that I identified with. What I said to him was that singing didn't save my life, but it certainly saved and continues to save my spiritual health, my emotional health, probably my physical health, and certainly my ministry. Add a little lousy piano playing to the mix, and well, I'm just a happy camper! So one of the ways Jesus saves me is through a passion for music.

What are those things in your life that "saves your life"? Let me know - e-mail me, write a comment on the blog, put something on my facebook site. We know that Jesus saves; but what does that really mean? What has God put into your life, your spirit, your passions, that saves you? Have you identified it yet?

See you Sunday! Kathy