On Saturday I attended the
annual Christmas gathering of United Methodist Women. It is one of those
traditions that signal, in case you somehow had missed it, that Christmas is
definitely on its way. In the sea of red sweaters and holiday jewelry, swims a
spirit of joy and good will. There is always an attention to beauty and all
things sweet. There are also always many delightful handcrafted items for
sale…quilts, dolls, cookies, lace doilies…plus the beautiful native crafts made
available to us through various outreach organizations. It is a joyous morning.
concert by the Minnesota Boychoir. We all gathered in our Art Gallery
old and young and everyone in between, as these young men filed in and formed a
singing circle around us. From the first note, I was undone! The clear, pure
sound of their maturing male voices, held us in a nest of sound. Sitting there,
I seriously wondered if there is any ill that can’t be solved by the act of
being sung to. From my vantage point, I could only see a few audience faces but
those I could see positively glowed. We were being seduced by the power of
music. For a few moments, no one thought of what was happening in the world.
There was a suspension of fear, anxiety, and despair. Instead we were bathed in
the hope of youth, the goodness that comes from singing together, the act of
becoming something greater than our individuality, and by the human pursuit of beauty.
the young men led the gathered in a carol sing. As their conductor turned to
us, including us now in the creation of music, each of us sat taller, our faces
turned toward him in anticipation. We launched into the familiar songs, ones we wait all year
to sing, the melodies that reach each of us in some deep way that is unexplainable.
How can we still get misty singing ‘Silent Night’ after all these years? What
is it about these particular songs that moves us so?
answer to those questions. But I do know that something transcendent happens
when we surround ourselves with music that has held us together in our
traditions. Singing binds us together in ways that sheer words do not. Even
those who don’t think of themselves as singers, open up to the songs of
Christmas with a child-like hope. Perhaps the fact that we haul out these
familiar tunes only once a year to serenade one another, to affirm their images
and lyrics, provides another opportunity for change, an act of grace that we
all long for.
I invite you allow your singing self to come out. If you can find a few
friends to join you, even better. If you ride the bus, start a sing-a-long.
Imagine the scene that could make! If you will be traveling in your car, turn
on the radio and sing along with Bing. He’ll sound better and so will you and rush hour may not make you so crabby. Surround yourself today with the sound of music. I can assure you, it will
improve whatever your day holds.
"
Take
a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it
is to the soul what a water bath is to the body." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes