Not Your Grandma's Choir

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, 

flight to the imagination and life to everything. — Plato

Of all the things I've done in life, singing in a choir has been the most satisfying. I've sung in many choirs, under directors/conductors of all abilities, covering all styles, from classical oratorios, to broadway, opera, and contemporary and most everything in between. I've been challenged, I've been bored, but mostly I've just been happy to sing.

I've directed three different adult choirs--one for six years--and various ensembles, youth and children's choirs. But I enjoy singing most of all. And the music I most enjoy singing are songs of testimony, encouragement, eternal truth, and transcendent songs of adoration to our great God. These renew my mind, my spirit and my hope, get my eyes off the "waves and wind" and onto the Solid Rock.

Oh, sure, it's nice to think of the days when I've done solos, and though that's an earthly honour, it's still not as soul-satisfying as raising the roof and dancing in my home church with thousands while we celebrate victory in Jesus.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane 

by those who could not hear the music.  — F. Nietzsche

We wrapped up our church choir season today. While it's nice to have a break from the weekly rehearsals, I know I'll miss the music soon and will start counting down to September's start-up. Even more, I will miss the choir family--these beautiful souls all making beautiful music together, praying together and serving in humility with genuine joy.

It's an honour to harmonize with them about things that will still matter an eternity from now. I am so grateful for this gift.

Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music
is the greatest treasure in the world. — Martin Luther

Photo 1: Screenshot of First Alliance Church Choir from weekend service live-stream, May 21, 2017.

Photo 2: Saviour Oratorio, performed with NWSC, photo by Greg McCombs, April 12, 2017.

Re-membering Saviour: The Story of God's Passion for His People

First Alliance Church Choir and Orchestra with New West Symphony and Chorus
Directed by David Klob and Humberto Vargas
April 12, 2017 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Last evening was the second of two concerts of the oratorio work, “Saviour: The Story of God’s Passion for His People” by First Alliance Church Choir and Orchestra with the New West Symphony and Chorus. It was one of those events that becomes a lifelong memory, filled with transcendent music and the over-arching themes of God's love, mercy and faithfulness in the face of human rebellion, alienation and sin.

An event like this engages over 140 musicians and technicians coming together to deliver a profound and satisfying project with excellence and joy. The 1,500+ people who listen from the auditorium also enter in, creating a sense of unity and ensemble which I have not yet seen duplicated in any other forum. The lobby remains crowded for a long time after the concert; people lingering, visiting, in no rush to end the evening, communing with friends and sharing our individual impressions and experience from this worship experience.

Another musician on the west coast, singer-songwriter Carolyn Arends, shared a comment on her Facebook page from someone who attended one of her concerts this week, and it echoes what I saw happening for us last night. His feedback was, “Thank you. That was so connecting. I came here scattered - just disconnected from running around doing work and life - and now I'm leaving here integrated again.”

We left as an integrated whole last evening. We were many individuals coming together, and though each one of us had our own voice, our own part, and they were all different – together we were unified in harmony. As Ephesians 4:3 urges, we worked diligently over three months of preparation and during two performances to “keep the harmony of The Spirit in the bonds of peace.”

Ann Voskamp reminds us of a deeper truth that comes when we unite in worship of our Lord: that our “dismembered” and scattered parts are actually “re-membered” and made whole again.

“…all the brokenness in the world begins with the act of forgetting — forgetting that God is enough, forgetting that what He gives is good enough, forgetting that there is always more than enough to give thanks for. “

She goes on to remind us though we forget, though we're prone to chronic soul amnesia, God never forgets us, never abandons us, never gives up on us. He has written us, our very names, on the palm of his hands, written even me right into himself -- though we forget, God re-members us, puts us and the broken bits and members of us back together again.

As an individual, one who is part of a great whole, part of the re-membered body of Christ, part of this ensemble of musicians who lift our limited voices in gratitude and unity to pray:

Dear Lord, Thank you, that "we are re-membered in You --- You who engrave Your love letter to us right into Your skin.... right into Your beating heart. In the name of the only One who ever loved us to death and back to life again... In Jesus' name... Amen.”

Concert Photo Credit: Greg McCombs, used with permission

Scripture Photo Credit: accessed via Ann Voskamp Facebook post