Oh, what an absolutely happy day! I officially became a member at Bethany this morning, had a marvelous lunch with Marie (what a lady!), and then enjoyed a well-needed choral fix. Here are some of the exceptional pieces the choirs performed this afternoon:- Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart
- O Magnum Mysterium - Lauridsen
- Bogoroditse Devo - Rachmaninoff
- Hark! I Hear the Harps Eternal - arr. Parker/Shaw
- How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place - Brahms
These are choral masterpieces, and they were performed beautifully! I haven't sung these pieces since our college trip to Europe in 2000. The middle three songs I listed I sang in France, Germany, and England, and here they were being performed the day I join a new congregation. Unreal. The musicianship exhibited this afternoon was both astonishing and inspiring. The conductors had actually been a part of Robert Shaw's choirs in Atlanta, so they had firsthand knowledge of the man. Personal stories and pictures were shared, and I have a renewed respect for Robert Shaw.
The audience were able to sing the final piece, Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah, along with the choir, which you KNOW I loved. The church was packed - as in 'please move to the center of the pew and would you mind if this nice lady sat on your lap' kind of full. I had no idea so many people in Denver enjoyed choral music so much! What a happy day!
The audience were able to sing the final piece, Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah, along with the choir, which you KNOW I loved. The church was packed - as in 'please move to the center of the pew and would you mind if this nice lady sat on your lap' kind of full. I had no idea so many people in Denver enjoyed choral music so much! What a happy day!
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