I've seen some things this week I never dreamed I'd see. That's the sensation that keeps coming back to me, and I've told it to several professors and colleagues: It never even occurred to me to dream that I could be a part of something like this...something like the things I'm part of here... And now here I am. It still hasn't all sunk in. Every week I'm more and more blown away.
This week's Christmas Fest rehearsals were inspiring, for one. And again the organ lesson I had this week was more than I could've ever expected to have. But these aren't the amazing things of this week. Those things happened today.
Today was Choral Day at St. Olaf. The 104th Annual Choral Day, in fact. I missed the first part to be at church this morning but then this afternoon joined in a massive rehearsal of a choir of 1500 voices. That in itself I could take or leave. The acoustic was horrible (the large gym) and it's really not that great to sing with that many people. It's more than you can appreciate if you're participating, anyway. The altos sounded miles away.
But for the 2 hour concert concluding the day we sang several mass pieces and then there were various area choirs featured--a couple high school choirs, Viking Chorus (frsehman guys) and Ole Choir. And last, but not least, the Minnesota Boychoir. That performance will be the talk of the campus for at least a week. We all keep approaching each other: "What did you think of the Minnesota Boychoir?" And in response we just drop our jaws and shake our heads. "And what about that second soloist?" It was one of the most incredible performances I've ever heard. I am still speechless, six hours later. I'm still thinking about it.
I saw it. I heard it. That's what I want to do someday. I want to direct a children's choir that sounds like that. I guess the amazing thing I'm experiencing is that for the first time all the ideals and theoretical realms I've always thought in all by my lonely self are really there. Really real.
And then there was the second thing. I just returned from sitting in Boe Chapel for 2 hours, reading CS Lewis while listening to all the lab choirs rehearse for the Tuesday night concert. My choir was up second and afterwards I just stayed to listen. I walked in at the beginning of the first rehearsal and it, too, left me speechless. Nick & Stephanie I think were close to tears. Boe has been transformed, this year, into an architectural, acoustical wonder. To my surprise I was sitting "at home," surrounded by that sound that, to me, is the height of glory and beauty. Just 16 voices filled that space like a choir of angels. I was actually there to hear the sound that has enchanted me more than any thing else as long as I can remember. And this is my home for the next four years. And this is my life for longer than that. Probably in 4 years it will be MY lab choir and I will doubtless be as speechless as Nick was tonight.
So, those have been the highlights of my week. Another highlight was getting my room cleaner than it's been since I moved in. This actually involved making my bed, which I rarely do since it's practically touching the ceiling, anyway. ;)
Also this week I met with JC Keister and Pastor Morgan about membership at CPC and we had a wonderful time of fellowship together. I could not feel safer or better cared for. Yet another facet of this astonishment I'm living with: "There is no other place where I more belong; where it'd be better for me to be. I've come home (for now)."
But then, feeling wind chills well below 20 and the resulting horrid dry, cracking skin I'm trying to deal with are enough to remind me that there are better regions of this world to call home. Incidentally, the highs this week will be in 50s and 60s. I'm going to celebrate. Today a bunch of kids from Ellingson grabbed their sack lunches and ate out on the lawn. The sun was actually making my skin feel warm. It was a beautiful thing.
Please continue praying for Nick. I'm thankful that we've continued to develop a good friendship over this week and am praying every day that God would draw him deeply and with great hope and joy to Himself.
Pray for me as I tackle a huge load this week with both a paper and midterm due for religion, the lab choir concert, playing for studio class, and getting ready to releaes Silent Word. Pray, too, if you would, that God would equip me for the work I'm setting out to do here. The more amazing choral music I hear the more daunted I feel for this task. But I'm taking the simplistic and foolish-to-the-world approach that if God wants me to serve Him in this way He'll equip me. So instead of stressing about it I just pray everyday that He would use me in this way that I desire to serve him. "Lord, thou needest not, I know, service such as I can bring..."
This week's Christmas Fest rehearsals were inspiring, for one. And again the organ lesson I had this week was more than I could've ever expected to have. But these aren't the amazing things of this week. Those things happened today.
Today was Choral Day at St. Olaf. The 104th Annual Choral Day, in fact. I missed the first part to be at church this morning but then this afternoon joined in a massive rehearsal of a choir of 1500 voices. That in itself I could take or leave. The acoustic was horrible (the large gym) and it's really not that great to sing with that many people. It's more than you can appreciate if you're participating, anyway. The altos sounded miles away.
But for the 2 hour concert concluding the day we sang several mass pieces and then there were various area choirs featured--a couple high school choirs, Viking Chorus (frsehman guys) and Ole Choir. And last, but not least, the Minnesota Boychoir. That performance will be the talk of the campus for at least a week. We all keep approaching each other: "What did you think of the Minnesota Boychoir?" And in response we just drop our jaws and shake our heads. "And what about that second soloist?" It was one of the most incredible performances I've ever heard. I am still speechless, six hours later. I'm still thinking about it.
I saw it. I heard it. That's what I want to do someday. I want to direct a children's choir that sounds like that. I guess the amazing thing I'm experiencing is that for the first time all the ideals and theoretical realms I've always thought in all by my lonely self are really there. Really real.
And then there was the second thing. I just returned from sitting in Boe Chapel for 2 hours, reading CS Lewis while listening to all the lab choirs rehearse for the Tuesday night concert. My choir was up second and afterwards I just stayed to listen. I walked in at the beginning of the first rehearsal and it, too, left me speechless. Nick & Stephanie I think were close to tears. Boe has been transformed, this year, into an architectural, acoustical wonder. To my surprise I was sitting "at home," surrounded by that sound that, to me, is the height of glory and beauty. Just 16 voices filled that space like a choir of angels. I was actually there to hear the sound that has enchanted me more than any thing else as long as I can remember. And this is my home for the next four years. And this is my life for longer than that. Probably in 4 years it will be MY lab choir and I will doubtless be as speechless as Nick was tonight.
So, those have been the highlights of my week. Another highlight was getting my room cleaner than it's been since I moved in. This actually involved making my bed, which I rarely do since it's practically touching the ceiling, anyway. ;)
Also this week I met with JC Keister and Pastor Morgan about membership at CPC and we had a wonderful time of fellowship together. I could not feel safer or better cared for. Yet another facet of this astonishment I'm living with: "There is no other place where I more belong; where it'd be better for me to be. I've come home (for now)."
But then, feeling wind chills well below 20 and the resulting horrid dry, cracking skin I'm trying to deal with are enough to remind me that there are better regions of this world to call home. Incidentally, the highs this week will be in 50s and 60s. I'm going to celebrate. Today a bunch of kids from Ellingson grabbed their sack lunches and ate out on the lawn. The sun was actually making my skin feel warm. It was a beautiful thing.
Please continue praying for Nick. I'm thankful that we've continued to develop a good friendship over this week and am praying every day that God would draw him deeply and with great hope and joy to Himself.
Pray for me as I tackle a huge load this week with both a paper and midterm due for religion, the lab choir concert, playing for studio class, and getting ready to releaes Silent Word. Pray, too, if you would, that God would equip me for the work I'm setting out to do here. The more amazing choral music I hear the more daunted I feel for this task. But I'm taking the simplistic and foolish-to-the-world approach that if God wants me to serve Him in this way He'll equip me. So instead of stressing about it I just pray everyday that He would use me in this way that I desire to serve him. "Lord, thou needest not, I know, service such as I can bring..."
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