Dear friends,
It is such a blessing that we are approaching this long-awaited weekend when we are invited to breathe out together to bring life to some of the world's most elegant, passionate, inspiring music. We will sing side-by-side with a beautiful college choir. We will be accompanied by a colorful orchestra and an awesome organ. We will luxuriate in the acoustics of our holy sanctuary. We will share all of this with hundreds of family, friends, and neighbors. All of our combined hours of preparation-- score study, individual practice, rehearsal, listening, advertising, marking scores, selling tickets, blogging, researching, proofreading programs, stage set-up, enrolling singers, and on and on-- come together in the fleeting moments we share Sunday afternoon. Our time Sunday will be a culmination but also a commencement. It will be the culmination of all that we have been so far. It will be the commencement of everything we can become. WOW!
I mentioned on Sunday morning as I drew your attention to our full schedule of gatherings this week that there is not one single bit of stress involved with any of it. If we had one rehearsal left, we might have a reason to be stressed-- that would not be enough time to be fully immersed in our ensemble or in the wholeness of this experience. We have several rehearsals here in this last week-- not to increase our stress-- but to decrease our tentativeness. Our time together will enable us to become more comfortable and connected with this repertoire so that, come Sunday, we can sing it freely and expressively with our body, mind, spirit, and voice to communicate the message that God has inspired the composers and poets to write for us to share. Mozart is revived by our breath. WOW!
I consider it an honor and privilege to have opportunities like this, and I believe it is a miracle that God has guided us to share in these extraordinary experiences together. Let's spend our extra time together this week with thankful hearts for the patience, grace, joy, hope, and peace that have unified and connected us. Let's spend our extra time together this week with gratitude for the many souls alongside us who have given themselves fully to our process and project. An event exactly like this has never happened before, and one will never happen again. It's God's gift just for us! WOW!
I hope to see you many of these times:
Tuesday: 3:15-4:30 p.m. optional rehearsal in choir room
Tuesday: 7:00-8:30 p.m. class on Mozart's REQUIEM (history, composition, etc.) in choir room
Wednesday, 7:15-9:30 p.m. choral rehearsal in Choir room
Thursday, 7:00- 9:30 p.m. combined choral/orchestral rehearsal in sanctuary (Please plan to come early to find your spots in the loft)
Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.- combined choral/orchestral rehearsal in sanctuary (Please plan to come early to find your spots in the loft)
Sunday, 9:45 a.m.- call for MEN of the Plymouth Choir to sing for 10:30 worship.
Sunday, 3:00 p.m.- call for 4:00 concert
WOW!
Grace and peace,
TT
