More Music!!! Bryan and Amy

Tonight was the first rehearsal of the Liberty Community Chorus for the fall. I sang with them a couple of years ago, but then simply "ran out of steam" that spring right before the performance because of the busyness of appointment season. I really love singing in choruses---from college with the University Chorus all the way up to last Christmas and the Mid America Nazarene University choir. The Liberty Community Chorus rehearses at Liberty UMC and is led by Bryan Taylor (yes, that is Bryan in the picture!) the Director of Music there. Bryan is simply an excellent church musician. The music program at Liberty is one of the largest and most divergent programs in the district--First Blue Springs has a marvelous musical ministry as well, as do several other of our churches, large and small.

I first encountered Bryan when he brought the Liberty choir to annual conference several years ago. The quality of the music produced by that fine choir was just---beautiful. Bryan now serves on the committee on district superintendency of our district, which is sort of like the pastor parish relations committee in a local church. I appreciate his musicianship and the fact that I don't think I have ever been in a rehearsal with him when I not only was touched by the real music that we produced, but also learned something about singing--he is a great music educator.

Tonight, we began singing the music that will be performed at a concert in late November. We sang through tonight settings of the Robert Frost's poems Choose Something Like a Star and The Road Not Taken by Randall Thompson. Very beautiful and moving. As we rehearsed and then had a bit of a break, Bryan talked about what he hoped would happen for us as we came to rehearsal...that no matter if we had had the worst day in six months, we could somehow have a brightened day because of making music and being with each other.

Even though we are singing only two pieces that are strictly "sacred" in nature, I can't help but think that, to paraphrase G. K. Chesterton's quotation "all truth is God's truth", in some ways, "all music is God's music...." Hmm, I guess I CAN think of music that is NOT God's music, at least some lyrics to some songs I have heard, that I am not sure are very Godly, but even they can be redeemed.....sort of like those stories (whether exaggeration or not) of Charles Wesley taking bar room tunes and putting his poetry of faith to them. I guess I really mean something even different than that. That this unique ability that persons have, to lift their voices, singing, is a creation that God gives us to express our emotions, even when those emotions feel dark and despairing, like Job all covered with boils and with lousy friends. I guess I just sense holiness somehow in those lyrics that speak of the truth of the human condition, not because I think those feelings or thoughts that are expressed in some of today's music (think Amy Winehouse not wanting to go to rehab) are admirable all of the time, but because they are authentic. Amy really does not/did not, want to go to rehab. Guess all honest music which tells the truth can be a starting place for God's truth. Because as you and I know, God can do a lot more with us when we are upfront with where we are and who we are. And sometimes that is all God needs to help us on the road to that place where honesty becomes confession, confession becomes Forgiveness, and forgiveness leads us to believe once and for all in Love. Would it be that Amy could find that road, which has not yet been taken.

Anyway, thank you Bryan Taylor. I intend to enjoy and be real through the music I sing with you and the chorus this fall and I am grateful.