My Christmas spirit has been activated

I was privileged to attend five live music performances in eight days. My Christmas spirit is now fully activated.

 

It started the Sunday after Thanksgiving with the Waseca Chorale’s “Joy! He Shall Reign” concert held at Sacred Heart Church in Waseca. The church, with its stained glass windows, distinctive decorations and elegant architecture provides inspiration and pulls a person into a reflective mood. The music built on that, exulting in God’s munificent act of sending a savior.

The rich vocal interconnections made possible by a group of more than 50 well practiced singers suited both the setting and the message, lifting my heart and causing my eyes to brim over. I found myself breathing more deeply, as if to draw it all in.

 

The Chorale had kindly included a statement of thanks to me and the Waseca County Pioneer for the coverage we had provided in advance to let the community know about the concert. But for me, being there with the task of reporting on the event was a privilege which I wanted to thank the singers for. I went home on light feet, the music still resounding in my head.

 

On Wednesday evening I sojourned through the cold to First Lutheran Church in Waldorf. Now, let me elaborate on that.  Yes, Wednesday, Dec. 3 was a chilly night, but it was made colder by the fact that the blower motor in my car had become unreliable. Sometimes the fan in the dash would come on and distribute the engine’s heat nicely throughout the vehicle; sometimes it wouldn’t.  Wednesday was a “wouldn’t” night. Fortunately for me, I was able to benefit from a sudden cancellation experienced by New Richland Auto Repair on Thursday. I can now rely on my heater to warm my hands and feet and keep my breath from becoming condensate on my windows.

 

But all that is an aside.

 

Though my fingers and toes were a bit chilled as I arrived at First Lutheran, I was immediately comforted by a warm invitation to enjoy some refreshments, and the equally warming anticipation of a concert about to be performed by the all-male harmony group “Just Friends.”

 

I was not making any comparisons to the Waseca Chorale–I had interviewed the members of Just Friends for a couple of articles in the past and attended a couple of their performances. I knew what the performance would be like, and I was filled with anticipation for the friendly, personal way these men sing and interact.

 

No formality, but instead frank humility in that they sing because it feels good to sing, and because they find pleasure in praising God.

 

The ten of them practice together pretty much every week, all year long, and at least some of them feel free to tease one another and make lighthearted jokes at each others’ expense. No one takes it personally, and within a few moments they’re producing rich harmonies which speak loudly about their willingness to work together so their music is beautiful.

 

The harmony is even richer when a person realizes these singers ask only for a free will offering to help cover the costs of their equipment, travel, and sheet music: what people don’t donate, they cover themselves. In short, not necessarily on Wednesday night, but over the course of the year, they are willing to pay for the chance to sing for an audience. Talk about wanting to spread the good news!

 

On Friday evening I attended the first of the three performances of the New Richland area’s “Home for the Holidays” concert. There were 170 people in the pews of New Richland’s Trinity Lutheran Church, but had there been standing room only, I don’t think it would have detracted from the intimate atmosphere of this, the fourth time home-grown professional musicians Gavin Berg and Adam Moen performed for the benefit of the New Richland Foundation, a local group which gives grants to support causes and projects within the area defined by the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva school district.

 

Berg is a professional keyboard player who has released an album of his own musical arrangements played on the piano and worked for Twin Cities area churches and organizations for more than a decade, but has recently moved to Owatonna. He commented during the concert that he is being reintroduced to the delights of persistent interactions with his family, including having attended his niece’s pre-school music concert a day or two before.

 

Moen is a professional singer and dancer who has been part of the cast of “Grease” at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater this past year, and is now a cast member in “White Christmas.” The two professionals were joined by talented fellow NRHEG graduates Eva Wayne, who plays both piano and organ, and Ellen Johnson, who sings.

 

With four well-acquainted friends on the stage and the blatant honesty about wanting to bring in money for charity, even my seat close to the back–chosen strategically so that I could move around and take pictures–felt like it was in the front row.

 

The music was deeply engaging, the performances were impressive, and $15,000 was raised to support local causes.

 

My fourth musical pleasure was seeing folks from the NRHEG music department at “Christmas at the Mill” on Saturday. I know other groups also performed, but by coincidence, I was there to see band teacher Seth Schaefer use a wooden crate as a percussion instrument and to hear vocal music teacher Krista Reeder play the flute alongside a small group of instrumentalists.

 

My fifth was attending the NRHEG High School’s holiday music concert on Monday. 

 

I found the music beautiful, of course, but in yet another different way: this time the music was enhanced by the pleasure I feel in hearing young musicians in the process of becoming more proficient. What may still be missing when it comes to technical expertise is more than made up for by the energy, enthusiasm and innocence of the musicians. A flower that is partly open is not less alluring than one in full bloom, it is simply and genuinely a different flower than what it will become.

 

I wish to express my thanks to all the musicians who drew out my Christmas spirit for me. Writing this column has given me the privilege of trying to describe your accomplishments.