I love to hear why people enjoy singing in a choral ensemble. Here are some of the comments that folks have shared with me.
“I must. I look forward to Monday evenings with other like minds and souls…I know there have been many Monday nights that I showed up for rehearsal not in the right frame of mind, but after warming up, things of the outside world seem to just fade away for that short two and a half hours. And when it is over I feel like a new invigorated person.”
“All my life, as a preacher and teacher, I have worked to find words appropriate for my task. Although words are essential, they are not adequate in getting at the deepest realities of life. I sing because there are those deep realities of the human heart which can be experienced and expressed in no other way.”
“There is an almost indescribable joy you feel deep in your soul when you sing. Most of my adult life I ignored this gift. Now that I am singing again, I don’t know how I got through my younger years without it. I no longer feel the void inside me.”
“As a CIO, I work in an office environment every day and get much satisfaction by using my mind to solve problems. When I am on the treadmill or lifting weights in the morning, my body is being stressed and it helps me start the day running…But when I sing! My mind and body work together to produce the correct sound, words and rhythm – there is an added dimension – my soul. Singing for me is a total commitment of mind, body and soul – and in making that total commitment I feel renewed.”
There is no way I could say it more effectively than these folks. Music helps us become complete human beings. If indeed the soul is an integral, albeit invisible, part of who we are – should we not care about its nurture? I believe the arts in general, and most specifically choral music, provide us one of the best ways to encourage that nurture. It has been suggested that the arts provide a window through which we can glimpse the Divine. It is my hope that our singing will help create windows through which we may glimpse visions of truth, beauty and fulfillment.
