What a wonderful problem: the ushers ran out of programs for Cantaria’s concert in our sanctuary on October 24! The voices that make up the Gay Men’s Chorus of Asheville rang out in harmony from the first note to the last, and members of the audience were mesmerized.
“Music,” wrote Victor Hugo, “expresses that which cannot be put into words and…cannot remain silent. When choir members are providing an anthem, Music Director Katherine Price comes to life at the grand piano. At her direction, choir members move into position, raise and open their folders, and a sense of expectation comes over the congregation. What follows may be a movement from composer Paul Winter‘s Missa Gaia, or a setting of African-American poet Langston Hughes’ I Dream a World. The choir may be singing in Spanish, Hungarian, or English, or humming an accompaniment that has no words. Katherine may distribute boomwhackers for drumming, or ask the congregation to divide up into parts for a round. Whether it’s something from Sweet Honey in the Rock, traditional folk music, or “You’ve Got a Friend,” harmonies fill the air.
As days get shorter and people celebrate Winter Solstice, Hannukah, Divali, Christmas, Eid, Kwanzaa and more, music abounds. In our congregation, instrumentalists and vocalists gear up for a musical bonanza, sometimes just for the fun of it. As we enter this season of the year, may your holidays be filled with the sounds of music!