With the passing of a summer thunderstorm storm comes a sense of relief as the thunder fades and the rain slows. Moreover, the earth is refreshed and ready to grow again. I liken that storm to the flurry of planning and preparation preceding the start of rehearsal for Laudate 2018. Then, as the “rumbles” of phone calls and email exchanges ceased, there was that moment of silent anticipation, when everyone sat silently in the circle for the first time poised for the start of our 11 days together.
Such was the sight on Wednesday July 17, when we began rehearsal for our July 2018 season. In that moment, we embraced the challenge of taking our sixteen individual voices and blending them together for the first time four days before tour. The first sounds—a “loo, loo” on the pitches of one of our pieces—provided an invigorating feeling as we realized that we’ve now become a group and can finally work hard together to unify our sound and message. We spent half the day Wednesday and all day Thursday singing through all our pieces.
Now at the conclusion of our second day of rehearsal, it has already been a rich time studying, improving, and connecting with our music around the theme of Peace. Under the sage direction of Ken Naffziger we are drawn more deeply into the musical traditions and experiences from which our repertoire comes. This gift of music, is so diverse , so varied, yet it settles and penetrates so well in the souls of singer and the listener alike.
Through the music of Laudate’s 2018 program, we strive to place ourselves and our audience members where we can best experience and reflect the peace that comes through if faith in the Prince of Peace. Four days of rehearsal may not strike one as a peaceful endeavor. however, after a day and a half, we are quickly seeing unruly pitches and rhythms brought under subjection and the interpretive nuances emerge. We pray this process will cultivate an experience that soothes the soul and sings some peace into a world where there is so much turmoil.
Written by Jesse Weaver