Monday, March 15, 2010

Fear Not

So, our theme this year is "Fear not, you are mine." A lot of the repertoire includes texts that are of a comforting nature. For instance, "Be not afraid, I am with thee... I strengthen thee for I am thy help..." We are singing movements from Mozart's Requiem (1791) which we are performing in its entirety April 17 and 18. The requiem Mass includes texts that urge God to remember and to comfort those who have preceded us in death. Dr. Weber's work, Come Let us Sing includes the text "If thou but suffer God to guide thee" which reminds the listener that we can fully rely on God and his shepherding presence. We seek God and ask him to remember us here in this world through the words of Come Sunday. The songs we sing this year are songs that can comfort people no matter what situation they are in. We have all struggled and watched others struggle and as it easy as it is to let God become something in the back of our minds, but somehow we know that his enduring presence lives in our song. Fear not, you are mine... sometimes seems like an elusive thought, but at other times, the only "truth" we can cling to. Even when perhaps we don't want to cling to it, we know that we have no other choice.

What is choir tour? It seems that we can write it off as an experience that involves a range of emotions and memory making, but there is something deeper. If we allow it, we can let the music impact us in such a way that in our song we not only challenge the audience but we can ourselves be changed. We can memorize texts that come back to us at a time we are least expecting. We have no clue what life will give us. It is no secret that for some of us, life will be much harder and challenges will be many. Amid the challenges of life, maybe when our first parent passes on, or a sibling is diagnosed with a crippling disease, when we can't find a job, or when life just stinks... we can think of that March in 2010 and remember "Be not afraid.. I am with thee."

Just some ramblings tonight.... stay tuned

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for taking us along with you on your tour through your thoughtful words and honest updates! It has been a joy reading along, and I know my dad has enjoyed it significantly as well. I very much understand the deep sense of joy and emotion that choir tours can create! Soak up every minute of it - the good and the bad. And enjoy your homecoming dance party...!

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