The one particularly special thing about today's Music & the Spoken Word performance, was that we had the opportunity to perform a Spanish piece--a piece that, from what I've heard, in pretty popular in Hispanic circles. I did a search for it on YouTube and got at least a dozen hits so I think defining it as "popular" can be confirmed. It's called "ALABARÉ" and the version we sang today was arranged by none other than our director Mack Wilberg. I don't think I really loved the piece from a musicality standpoint, but I loved performing it because I just get excited to share music that resonates with people who either speak a different language or live in another country or both.
The last piece on today's program is one that I really, really didn't like. And as much as I try (really hard!) to take the high road and remember that it's not about me, that we're singing these songs for other people, that songs I personally don't like might very well be someone else's favorite (or the one that inspires them the most), that I need to re-invent the experience each time, etc. etc., sometimes I just fail at that and sort of put on a fake happy smile and just sing the song without much enthusiasm or conviction. Such is what happened today. "On Great Lone Hills", one of the songs from the choral work "Finlandia", is actually a song that's familiar to many people since the hymn "Be Still My Soul" is based on the same tune. I take issue with the song for two reasons. First, the song starts out with this big orchestral intro full of strings and horns and percussion. It's almost like the beginning of one of those Sousa marches. Very grand. That's not my issue. My issue is that it deceptively draws the audience in and leads them to believe that the rest of the song will be just as exciting. BUZZ. Nope. Suddenly the tempo drops, the orchestrations pull way back and the choir sort of plods along singing the song (which leads to the second reason: plodding along). To me it's just sort of...well...boring. At any rate, just as the audience is surely about to fall asleep, the orchestration picks up again and we end with a bang. (For anyone who loves this song, my sincerest apologies. I certainly respect your right to love whatever song you want to love!)
As I left Choir and was thinking all day what to write about in this blog entry, I thought "You know, I should find something good about "On Great Lone Hills" and expound on it." And why not? I think it's a good exercise for all of us to try and find something good in all situations and in all people we interact with. Wouldn't you agree? So after thinking about it, I went to the lyrics of the song and found a few words that actually resonated with me: "all crowned with light."
I believe that most people are crowned with a degree of light. And in this world that is becoming more divisive and divided than ever (a lot of which we've witnessed this weekend), there's no better time to remember God's second great commandment to love others. We don't need to agree with them or endorse their beliefs. But we can accept them by seeing and acknowledging their light--no matter how small it is or how different a hue it is.
We can respect them.
We can try to find common ground with meaningful conversation and an understanding heart.
So I hope we can all do that.
Until next time, God be with you.
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