I’ve been struggling with something, and I’m loving it! This year our choir is singing the Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” for Easter. And I know what you might be thinking, “O, come on Brook, every singer worth his or her salt knows that one,” right? Well, hold on for just a second. First, we’ve had a little thing called the Pandemic going on and although I’ve been singing quite a bit in band and in choir, we haven’t done something this challenging for quite a while. In fact, after our first run through in choir, many of us were secretly shaking our heads and thinking, “I think Jung (our choir director) has greatly overestimated the skill level of this choir!”
But then something started to happen to me, and I think to others in the choir. We started to take on the challenge! We started to realize just how great this piece of music is. Each part is such a masterpiece in part writing, and once you get all the nuances (or at least most of them) there is a joy in singing something that exudes the Easter spirit in such a remarkable way! Handel is truly a musical genius. A gift from God! And when you put all these parts together, you begin to realize you are a part of this master work yourself! And that inspires you!
In fact, Cyndy and I were so inspired that we took our music home and pounded out the parts on our little electric keyboard at home. At one point I was playing in out on my grand daughter’s little “Meow, meow, meow” keyboard! What a hoot! There is something fun about taking on a challenge!
And something else often happens. We are a bit humbled. And for me, that’s a good thing! I’ll have to admit that I think I’m kind of a big deal when I sing. I have always thought of myself as a “lead dog” in that area. But this piece has humbled me. In the middle of rehearsal, I have made a “loud” mistake. A mistake that no one else has made. And this has caused me to back off a bit and listen to the other singers in my section. Randy Garrett suddenly sounds amazing to me. And when he is on, I have more confidence that I can be on. And joy of joys, my son, Ben has come to the rescue of the Bass section time and time again. Thank God for Ben!
And let’s not forget those tenors! Marty, Darin, and Mark are amazing! And don’t tell them this, but when the tenors get their part right, it’s a whole lot easier for the basses to get theirs right! It’s amazing! Everything in this piece works together so intricately. Yes, we need to know our individual parts. And each individual part, on its own is a masterpiece. But when you put them all together…the membrane between heaven and earth is so thin you can not only hear it…you can experience it!
What a joy to take on a challenge! What a joy to put in sacrificial work to put something together that is “lasting.” What a joy to collaborate…to listen, and encourage, and struggle together! What a joy to strive not only individually but communally for one goal…to praise God!
Of course, I don’t know why I’m so surprised at the joy in all of this because this is exactly what the church is to become! A group of people working together, striving together, all coming together for a united goal…to praise God by bringing the world closer to God’s idea of Kin-dom! And idea so beautifully lived out in Jesus, the Christ. And, in so doing, to experience just a little taste of what that “Kin-dom” is really supposed to be! Working, collaborating, struggling, together for a common goal! And amid the struggle, realizing just how wonderfully made we all are! Hallelujah indeed!
Your friend, still struggling with measure 28-32 (sshh…don’t tell Jung), Brook