Dec 13 2006
A night at Issaquah High School
My daughter had her Winter Concert tonight at her school, where she plays violin in the Symphony. I went expecting to enjoy myself with another night of the usual Christmas songs. Last year’s concert had some excellent music.
I was in for a surprise.
The choir opened the show, spread out in the audience, which was an amazing way to really feel a part of the music. And their second song was simply angelic.
After opening with Hanukkah Dance, they (still in the audience) began the most amazing performance of Be Thou My Vision I have ever heard. Sung acapella, it was a slice of heaven.
The arrangement, attributed to Chad Reisser, began simply and softly, then gradually moved into more and more complex harmonies. The voices of the students were dead on, and had a purity and clarity that was amazing. I have heard professional choirs perform that song and not come close to tonight’s rendition.
It’s just a song you say? Well what struck me as I sat mesmerized, was that so many schools try to take their Christmas programs and secularize/sanitize them in order to preemptively not offend, yet here tonight that correctness was not present.
It also occurred to me that only was it a religious hymn, it wasn’t even a traditional Christmas song at all. It is normally heard around St Patrick’s day.
I have not talked to their director (yet) to inquire if she was at all concerned with any aspects of correctness, so I cannot claim any knowledge of their motives or processes to determine their song choices.
I don’t know if any lawyers were consulted, if any concerns were considered, and if any qualms were felt.
I don’t even know if anyone in the audience felt a stirring of concern or offense at an Irish Christian hymn being sung at a secular public schools Winter Concert.
This school apparently just saw a beautiful song with a great choral arrangement, and went with it. And they did well.
All I know is that for a few moments, I didn’t care. I didn’t care about work, and holidays and stress and the weather. I let the music carry my cares away.
It was just too beautiful to worry about.
4 Responses to “A night at Issaquah High School”
The Way Forward…
Over the past few days there has been some talk about what President Bush was going to do in the wake of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, leading Generals, both active and inactive and what the way forward would entail….
Looks like wrongwing guy doesn’t get it…
When I was in choir many years ago we picked songs that sounded good, we could do, and we liked… It’d be a shame if that had changed.
What I don’t get it, and if I grow old enough my Santa-white beard reaches my toes, I still won’t get, is people who have to inject domineering agendas into everything. They are sick.
Sing away, kids…
he is just open trackbacking, something I allow.
Glad you enjoyed the arrangement!
It never ceases to amaze me that an unpublished arrangement I wrote as a student project my Sophomore year of college has continued to have such a long life.
Anyways. Here we are.
Google, baby. It’s a trip.