Wisconsin Lutheran Choir Blog

We’re heading into exam week! The year has gone by so fast; I barely know what’s hit me!

Last weekend was our final concert where we performed Dan Forrest’s Three Nocturnes. As is the custom, before each concert, we have a section meeting. These meetings usually consist of going over little things to remember about our pieces and saying a prayer before we head out to sing, but our last section meeting this year was special.

This year, Jessica (our soprano section leader) has been giving devotions in our meetings. In past years, of course, the focus has always been on praising God and remembering we’re witnessing as we sing, but there was something awesome that happened this year. The soprano section became a family—closer than normal. With each devotion, that closeness grew. Not only were we going over song details, but we were fully putting our focus on the One whom this is all for.

I truly believe that because we grew closer to God through His words, we also grew closer to each other. After the devotion, Jessica would have us all link hands before our prayer and tell the person to our right, “You are a link of God’s grace.” Those words put us into a mindset and heart-set where we knew we were loved—by our sisters in the choir and by God. We knew that through our singing, we were becoming one; we were becoming a vessel for the Holy Spirit. We were becoming the instrument by which people would hear the true message of God’s love for them.

After redoing some makeup—tears win in the fight against non-waterproof mascara—we lined up for our last concert, and we knew we were a part of something bigger than anything we could ever imagine.

God’s blessings on your summers, readers, and thank you for all the prayers and support.  

“Well, it’s over.”

This was my initial thought in the middle of the night as I quickly drifted off into sleep after returning home from our southeastern concert tour. All of the behind-the scenes organizing, months of practice, and the eager anticipation were in the past. The climax of the choral year has so abruptly changed to recent memory.

Even a few shorts weeks after the tour, I become nostalgic when looking at friends’ pictures, rendezvousing with newfound friends, and reliving the inside jokes that developed over the week and a half long journey.

I am grateful for all of those individuals, whether well-known or strangers, for their roles in this memorable time—to all of the choir members for our growth together so that we can praise the Lord to the highest degree, to all the seniors for their leadership that so effectively demonstrated what it means to be a member of the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir, to our fearless leader Dr. Nowack for the vision and foresight to create and maintain a respected group of young people, to the countless host families that so graciously showed us hospitality in our homes away from home, to the church congregations that opened up their worship spaces that so beautifully aided in the resonance of the songs, and finally to the audience members who took the opportunity to soak up the Word of God in song. I hope that the Lord continues to bless each individual as they go forth with a renewed spirit!

Unfortunately, I could not sing in the home concert of the tour due to illness. Despite the strangeness that I felt not singing with the group that I have grown to love, I am looking forward to singing with these great people in our final concert of the year and ultimately at the may commencement service. I can be sure that our dearest and most meaningful song, Abide With Me, will lead me to tears. Thank you, everyone!

Peter

Hello Choir Followers!

It is now our third week back at school after our choir tour down to the southeastern US. We all had a fantastic time bonding over Disney World, the beach, our terrific concerts, and how full we were after meals and in between. I want to take a second to thank all of you who came to see our concerts while we were on the road as well as our homecoming concert. It was a pleasure to perform for you all!

Now were back to the old grind. After a little time off to rest our voice, we are starting in with all new music for our spring concert (we’re performing Three Nocturnes, a multi-movement work for chorus and percussion ensemble by Dan Forrest). It is still a month and a half or so away but we don’t waste any time. That is one of my favorite things about choir. We have fun and perform and take a little time to relax but then are ready to work hard when the time comes. We had some incredible music to work on for tour and now we’ve switched gears to something else incredible, thanks to our talented director, Dr. Nowack. It’s always exciting starting a new piece of music anticipating what our hard work and God’s hand will lead us to do.

Keep your eyes open for our spring concert ticket sales. We will be looking forward to our next concert even though we just ended our eight-concert choir tour. That’s how we roll!

God’s Blessings,

Courtney

Meghan documents the latest adventures on her journey to grad school….

“Attention aboard the cabin, we are making our final descent into Indianapolis.”

“Is “Faites-lui mes aveux” still your aria?”

“You got this, mezzo!”

“The practice rooms are sound-proof!!”

“The practice rooms are all full…”

“Let’s just take it from the “Schicchi” section…”

Over the past month, I have encountered a variety of practice rooms, rehearsal halls, recital halls, voice studios, and conversations as I have traveled the country looking at graduate music programs. My journey has taken me to Arizona, Iowa, and Indiana, as well as layovers in Kansas City and Las Vegas. This past month has given me a glimpse into the life of an auditioning performer, but it has also given me the opportunity to share my vocal talents with world-class faculty across the country.

My first audition came February 11^th at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. This was the closest audition site, and it has been my best audition so far. I have attributed this success to my wonderful accompanist, Maggie Rebers, and her husband, Tim Rebers. They drove me to and from Iowa in one day, and their musical and operatic conversations made the car ride quite lively and enjoyable! The comfort of having my own accompanist at the audition also settled my nerves and contributed to a great performance. I have also received word that I was accepted into the Graduate Voice program at the University of Iowa. The first audition was wonderful and successful!

My second audition took place at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. The U of A is the alma mater of both of my parents, so I know where they subconsciously want me to go J .  During this visit, I got a better feel for the campus since I auditioned on a day that classes were in session. I sat in on a voice lesson, and the mezzo teacher had an amazing, forward, resonant tone! Her 1^st year master’s student was a soubrette (light soprano), and I seemed to follow her around all day. My audition came in the noon hour, and it went without a glitch. I was introduced to the faculty, including Dr. Bruce Chamberlain, whom I had the pleasure of working with during my high school regional honor choir. I sat in on his graduate choir rehearsal, and their tone was fantastic! It made me want to jump in and start singing along with the altos. J Their opera rehearsal started at 4, and this was also a treat. They were rehearsing Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and the lead bass-baritone had a mature, rich, full sound. This was a worthwhile campus visit, indeed!

My third audition was the most anticipated of them all – Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. The Jacobs School of Music is the largest opera program in the country, and they produce 6 fully-staged operas a year! Their faculty is world-renowned, and their performance hall is top-notch and beautiful. Getting to this campus was no easy feat. There are no major airports or train stations in Bloomington, so you have to be creative. I needed to fly to Kansas City, then to Indianapolis. From there, I took a van that would drop me off right on the IU campus. Once I arrived on campus, I looked at my map and then up at the music buildings. That’s right folks – plural! When I asked for directions to the practice rooms, my answer was, “There are practice rooms on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors in the music building. There are rooms in the inner and outer circle.” What does that mean?? My answer when I asked about a professor’s office, “Her office is on the bottom floor in the outer circle.” I was so confused…until I got to the building itself. This building is ginormous…very intimidating to a girl who comes from a school with a music WING and 5 practice rooms. I kept passing dozens of practice rooms, but all of them were taken! I had to go back to the Musical Arts Center and warm up in one of the basement dressing rooms. After that experience, I sat in on a voice lesson. The teacher was a mezzo, and after the lesson, the student – a senior soprano – raved about her professor and Indiana in general. She showed me to the stage door, and wished me luck. While I was waiting in antsy anticipation, I discovered that we were waiting right next to the studio of the teacher I’d like to study with – Mary Ann Hart. It seemed so real now! I was last on the list to perform that day, which was perfect since I’d be freshest in their minds. I only sang two selections for them – I chose my German lied and they chose my French aria – but the hall had live acoustics that made my voice sound resonant and full to my ears! Later that night, I sat in on the opera dress rehearsal for their production of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. This production was outstanding. The stage was huge, the set was elaborate, and their costumes were gorgeous. Their singing and acting were professional-level, and it really, really made me want to go there! After the first act, the voice teacher whose lesson I sat in on told me I had a great voice, and she said that I could take a lesson with her if I decided to go to Indiana! Completely made my night J This campus visit was fantastic…and successful! I have just received word that I have been accepted into their Master’s of Music in Voice Performance program for the fall!

My fourth and final audition was this last weekend in Tempe, AZ at Arizona State University. This campus is closest to my home in Scottsdale, so it wins the prize for the shortest driving time! This time around, I felt like an old pro. The high notes came easily, and the sight-singing was a piece of cake. This visit also wins the award for the best weather with highs around the 70s!

All of this traveling has made for an exciting semester, and it made me anticipate choir tour all the more! During the 2012 Southeastern Concert Tour, I didn’t travel by myself auditioning for school – rather, I traveled  with my friends toward a warm spring break where I had the opportunity to sing for smiling congregations! These auditions have made me thankful to God for these opportunities and their successes, and it has made me realize that through him, anything is possible. I am one step closer to fulfilling my dream, and I cannot wait to see what else God has in store for me!

Meghan

Written Friday evening….

Georgia greetings, Ya’ll! Today we made our way to Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Pooler, Georgia for our final full-length concert of the tour. At this point on tour, it is obvious that life on the road has begun to test our physical and mental endurance. Nonetheless, both choirs put on outstanding performances for the people of Pooler. Traditionally, this final tour concert holds a certain emotional charge. We reflect back on the growth that we have made as a group since the beginning of the year, and we reminisce about the enjoyable experiences that we have shared with each other over the past eight days. For many seniors, this concert marks the “first of many lasts” on their path to graduation in May. For those remaining in choir, this concert is one of many more performances to come.

In any given concert performance, the song “Abide With Me” always seems to provide an emotional pinnacle for audience and choir members alike, and tonight was no exception. The lush harmonies and powerful text of “Abide With Me” serves as the perfect backdrop to the end of an emotion-filled concert and awesome tour. The tears shed and hugs exchanged after the concert are only a few of many in the coming months. We can be comforted in knowing that the experience of touring together is something that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. With this closing thought in mind, I am reminded of a great quote made by Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Michael

Written on the motorcoach Thursday afternoon….

After a wonderful free day spent in the Orlando area, the members of the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir are ready for another concert experience. Tonight we perform at Victory Lutheran in Jacksonville.

The concerts have been going splendidly and tour has been flying by. The hardest thing to realize is how quickly the last concert is approaching. It seems like just yesterday that we were pulling away from WLC. In only three days, we will be back on campus. As a senior, this makes the end of tour especially difficult to accept. With only a few concerts left, I know that my chances to sing with this ensemble are numbered.

Having only a few performances left on tour, I pray that the rest of the choir will realize how truly blessed we are to have this opportunity. This choir is the single greatest opportunity I have had in college. The unity that this ensemble experiences cannot be described in a simple blog entry; it must be felt as a member or audience participant.

Quinten

My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn
- Psalm 108:1-2

It’s been a great tour so far. The concerts have been uplifting and the audiences, even more so. The hosts have been very gracious and very kind for opening their churches and homes to us.

Free day was great. The choir was excited to get a day to relax and re-energize for the upcoming concerts. Some of my fellow students went to Universal Studios or Disney World, and others just slept in. I was one of those who slept in, and a group of us walked around and ended up at a delicious Mexican restaurant. After that we decided to head to a $1.99 store. There we found a set of corduroy baseball caps that we just had to buy. We had people laughing at us the entire walk back. A bigger group of us walked Downtown Disney and shopped for a few hours to end the night on a high note.

Now it’s time to get back into the swing of things. We are headed to Jacksonville, Florida, to Victory Lutheran Church. It’s a great day to be a tour manager (well, every day is)! As we get back to the scheduled days, we will continue the announcements to inform the students about what’s coming up. To go off on a tangent for a second, I think I have become an expert of standing on a moving bus. Trust me, it’s not the easiest task.

Anyway, it is time to jump back into the routines and get everyone excited about why we are here. We are ready to witness through song and actions. We are ready to meet a new audience and enthusiastic about staying with host families once again.

Anna

Hello Choir Followers,

Right now I am sitting on the bus listening to so many different things going on. I have a group next to me playing a card game, groups in front of me talking, groups behind me watching movies, and I’m sitting here writing to everyone reading, which brings me to my favorite aspect of choir tour.

There are 65 students in choir, all unique, all studying different things, all from different backgrounds, and yet all here for the same purpose. Each day there are new sights to see and new things to do, and naturally everyone goes off with their own friends until we have to meet up again to climb on our buses. We then go about doing our own thing again, some sleeping, some talking, and some watching movies.

It is when we arrive at the churches each night that I find myself in awe. The group of 65 students, who just hours ago was independently “hanging out,” suddenly unifies for the purpose that we are here. Each person knows their job, whether it be wardrobe crew, public relations crew, luggage crew, or stage crew. We become a well-oiled machine, helping each other out and working as a team. After our jobs are done we head into the church for rehearsal and that well-oiled machine becomes bound by the power of Christ. It is the most exhilarating experience of this whole trip, over all the beaches and theme parks we have the privilege of seeing. The unity that we have after a day of fun is incredible and has at times brought tears to my eyes.

I want to thank everyone who has come to see our concerts. It is a blessing to travel to see you all and I hope you’ve enjoyed this singing machine and what we have to offer through the Lord.

God’s Blessings,

Courtney

HOWDY!

Goodbye snow and hellloooooooooooooo sunshine! Today [Monday, March 12] we arrived in the sunshine state of Florida! As we drove across the state line, a unison cry of “hooray!” sounded on the tour bus. Sunshine, a warm breeze, and palm trees galore…needless to say, it is GOOD to be here. We just finished our concert at Faith Lutheran in Tallahassee, FL. It was an interesting squeeze at the church, but with a little bit of rearranging, we fit all of us on the sanctuary floor for the concert. We learned 2 things tonight: 1) Florida sure is toasty and 2) Whatever the situation, this choir makes it happen.

Woah, REWIND! I almost forgot a highlight of the day! The Wisconsin Lutheran Choir had the opportunity to test our endurance by trekking up Stone Mountain in Georgia. With our view toward the horizon, we made it to the top just in time to witness God’s mark of a new day: the sun slowly creeping across the sky to shed light on new adventures. The view spanning for miles was an incredible reminder of how far we have traveled already in our journey, and how many people we were able to reach.

Sleep is calling! More later, faithful readers!

Jessica

Hello choir followers!

This is my first blog of this year’s Southeastern Choir Tour, so I’ve got some catching up to do. Here’s what I’ve got so far.

The first day (Friday) was basically a day full of driving. We drove all the way to Kokomo, IN, which incidentally is the name of one of my favorite songs by the Beach Boys (…Kokomo). Kokomo was the location of our first concert of the tour. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the concert went. I was a little skeptical at first, since it was our very first concert, but everyone stepped up their games, and delivered a fantastic performance. I was also a little nervous because it was extremely toasty in the front of church, and I was nervous that we were going to have someone pass out at our first concert, but again the choir rose to the challenge, and everyone performed strongly, and the Lord’s name was praised without any casualties.

The next day, we drove most the whole day down to Acworth, GA. On our way, we stopped at an all-you-can-eat pizza place called Mr. Gatti’s Pizza for lunch. Not only was the pizza delicious, but the game room was so much fun as well. It was a great way to unwind from a long morning of bus riding. Yes, the morning was even long. Haha. After this, we drove down to Chattanooga, TN, where we stopped for dinner. A few friends and I found the local Buffalo Wild Wings. A good choice for dinner. We then continued the rest of the way to our hotel in Acworth. Everyone seemed able to just relax and unwind some more.

The next morning (of the day I’m writing this blog) we traveled to Sharpsburg, GA, to join Faith Lutheran Church’s worship service. It was a fantastic experience, because although we’ve had chances to sing in churches, being part of the actual worship service was a huge treat, and a definite blessing to both the choir and the congregation.

After lunch at the church, we traveled to Atlanta where we got to explore the Olympic Centennial Park. I personally went to see the Coca-Cola factory, and then spent some time chilling out on the open grassy park. It was simply gorgeous. There’s not much else to say other than it was relaxing, and beautiful. We’re almost to the church in Lawrenceville, GA, so this seems like a good place to end this blog. Look forward to blogging for you all again.

Farewell Wisconsin Lutheran Choir lovers!

Alex

Peter enjoys a peaceful, pre-concert moment

Greetings from Kokomo, Indiana!

The trees are huge, the fast food is plentiful, and ever-present stop lights complement the vast array of wilderness.

One great attraction in this fabulous city (and I mean great) is the world’s largest steer.  The steer is a beast which you wouldn’t want to wrangle! This enormous stuffed steer attracts the likes of many locals, tourists, and vandals. In fact, the tail of “Old Ben” has been torn off multiple times. Nonetheless, the community relocated and reattached the tail and reinforced the surrounding glass to protect their hometown hero. Who wouldn’t want a souvenir to remind themselves of good ol’ Ben? Of course it would have to be shrunk down from the original 16’ 3’’ length, 6’4’’ height, and 4800 lb weight!

Right next door to Ben is the Sycamore Stump. The remaining trunk of this historic tree would be a challenge for any avid tree climber and a pity for any tree hugger due to its 800 years of growth. After one branch fell after a storm, it measured a whopping 8 feet in diameter! Take a vacation to Kokomo to see this not so ordinary tree! You’ll never want to leaf!

Peter

As I sit in the sanctuary at Peace Lutheran Church in Kokomo, Indiana, I think what a blessing it is to be a part of this awesome choir and the tour we’ve just started. We are going to start our first concert in approximately 45 minutes! One of the violinists was just practicing a bit for our Sanctus piece, some are playing some last minute soccer, and others are bustling around freshening themselves up.

We arrived safely around four o’clock this afternoon (Eastern time zone switch) and immediately got everything set up. Tables were put in order with information sheets, risers were taken in the sanctuary, and luggage was put into our “dressing rooms.” A delicious taco bar dinner was kindly given to us, and now we get to look forward to singing our praises to God!

If you are following along with us on this blog, send up prayers for a successful first concert and safe travels tomorrow!

Anna

Greetings, readers! Thanks be to God for bringing us thus far in the semester and for blessing us with refreshing spring weather this week.

As we choir members take time to prepare for the 2012 Southeastern Concert Tour, many thoughts may be crossing our minds. The hustle and bustle of mid-term exams, projects, and daily homework certainly adds to the stress of day-to-day life, and last-minute preparations for the tour consume the few spare moments that we have left before break. But as I write, there are approximately 32 hours until our departure for tour! How blessed are we for having the opportunity to tour together as a choir to places that many of us normally wouldn’t have to chance to travel. One of the most exciting aspects of our tour, in my opinion, is being able to share the Word of God through our music. Many of these southeastern congregations are few and far between, and events like our concerts become a highlight of their church year.

One of our tour pieces, “Come, And Let Us Worship,” by Alexander Gretchaninoff, especially reminds me why the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir goes on tours like this: to spread the Word of God and praise His name. An awesome (yet daunting) thought is that there will be some visitors at our concerts that have not been exposed to the Word. What a great feeling it is to know that we can be ambassadors for Christ through our words and music while on tour!

As we make our final preparations for tour, I leave you with this invitation and encouragement: Come, and let us worship!

Michael

Hello readers! I am feeling very excited and anxious for our upcoming concert at Christ Lutheran Church in Pewaukee this weekend! We are incorporating some of our songs from the previous semester and adding some new beloved songs to the mix. Can I just say that our choir is sounding BEAUTIFUL!

The songs that we have been rehearsing for the last few weeks have given us a wonderful and challenging experience with the “Gloria in excelsis” from R. Vaughan William’s Mass in g minor, “By and By” by Carol Barnett, and “Come, And Let Us Worship” by Gretchaninoff, just to name a few for our spring repertoire. With all the hard work we are putting in, everything is sounding very good and should make for a great concert. 

While practicing in choir today, I felt especially inspired. As an exercise, Dr. Nowack had everyone close their eyes for a  whole song. It was one of the best sounds I believe this choir has ever produced. The expression throughout the choir  was simply stunning. It was a sound that sends shivers down your spine and goose bumps up your arms. I wanted to keep singing as the song ended. I wanted to be stuck in that beautiful moment of song.  

It amazes me how much talent is in our choir. We have some wonderful freshman soloists (and not to mention some  veteran choir singers) for some of our songs. And it is a wonderful thing to be able to be a part of such a great group of singers. It is such a humbling and lovely blessing to sing under a great director and with talented fellow musicians.  

Lisa

P.S. You can see more rehearsal photos on our Facebook page.

Hello!

We’re into the swing of things here in the second semester, and we’re really getting into our spring tour pieces! The choir recently had another Tour Notes day. We learned a little more about what we’ll be doing on tour, and all the choir members have been assigned to their crews with specific jobs to get done for tour. (More about that later.)

There’s another cool thing happening for singers outside of choir! After watching some episodes last semester of the popular a cappella singing group competition TV show “The Sing-Off,” (and because we LOVE to sing), some of us girls in the choir decided to make a female a cappella group! If you don’t know it already, there’s a male, student a cappella group called Standard Operating Procedure, which has been singing together for a while now. After cheering these guys on for a couple years, we female choir members decided we should represent our own. Several of us met together and decided we’d start our own female group and call ourselves the Minor Adjustments.

We started practicing together and got four-part carols ready to sing at the Children’s Hospital just before Christmas break. We were able to go up into the infusion center and cancer wing and sing to the children there. I think I can say for all of us that went that it was a humbling and rewarding experience.

And now that the second semester is rolling, we’ve made the Minor Adjustments an official WLC student club! This enables us to buy music, copyrights, and even some commissions (paid jobs to arrange songs) with our club budget.

We’re working on arranging our own pieces, learning some others, and even holding auditions for a spot in our group. There are now 10 of us, and we’re all gearing up to sing for our scheduled performances in Chapel (held daily), Vespers (service held every Wednesday evening), and PHAT Tuesday (social event held in the Warrior Underground every Tuesday where students get different free food items from groups on campus).

We’ve been enjoying our practices together where we just sing, laugh, and hang out with each other! Hopefully you’ll be able to hear us soon!

Anna B.

Welcome to new choir blogger Courtney!

Hey Fellow Choir Music Lovers!

Can I just say that there is absolutely nothing like spreading God’s word through music? I grew up in the public schools similar to a handful of my friends in the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir. I spent my grade school and high school years singing pieces of music that I cannot deny were wonderful and occasionally contained a Christian message, but they lacked meaning to those singing them. I think many would agree that music is beautiful no matter what, but its beauty is enhanced when the people performing it mean what they say. I can honestly say that I have never felt anything quite like performing in the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir. Each and every member of the choir sings to glorify God and to spread his word.

This past Christmas concert, tears spilled down my cheeks as I could feel God’s presence during our last song of the concert. All I could think about was how thankful I was to God for giving me the chance to sing to his glory in such an incredible choir, with so many students my age who felt the same way. Music is such a blessing and using it to spread the word of God makes it all the more incredible.

The students in the Wisconsin Lutheran choir are so passionate about music that it becomes such a priority in all of our lives. Practice is never considered just a class. It is a time to take a break during the day to do what we all love together. I know we are all looking forward to our tour down south during spring break in March. I spent my birthday last year on tour and it was the best birthday I have ever had. I love getting to know the host families and hearing how much they appreciate what we do because the glory all goes to God. Without him, this choir would have no meaning. He is the center of all that we do and with the guidance of an incredible director, we have all been blessed to do God’s work in so many amazing places.

Glory be to God!

Courtney

Warm weather is on its way for the Wisconsin Lutheran Choir. As tour comes up soon I am excited to take my last choir tour as a Student Tour Manager.

Choir is in the first weeks of class, and we are also in the advanced stages for planning the upcoming tour to Indiana, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee. We are enthusiastic about spending time in the sun, but also know why we go on tour in the first place: witnessing through song and actions. That is the true reason we go. We share what others long to hear or want to be reminded of.

There are many new faces in the choir and preparing a future group of leaders is what I know I was chosen to do. Preparing for tour is one thing, but having the younger students organize and practice those responsibilities gets them set and ready to go for prioritizing school and their future careers. Everyone has their gifts and talents, and tour brings out a side of everyone’s personality in which that can be shown in a Christian environment.

I am blessed that I was chosen for such a leadership position (and thank those who chose me) and it has allowed me to grow in patience, love, and faith. I know that I will use these skills one day in all aspects of my life to glorify God and lead as his Son led.

“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2: 21)

Anna B.

We’re back. Back to the daily grind of classes, papers, presentations, projects, and deadlines galore. The stress of everyday life has quickly reinvited itself into our lives. Despite the fact that break came to a screeching halt a little over two weeks ago, activities are in full swing, and the calm respite of the relaxing holidays are becoming thoughts of the past.

We may initially focus on all the stressors that were missing over break, but during the time off, I just as easily noticed what was missing from my everyday life—singing. Each year, Dr. Nowack reminds singers that choir rehearsal is a time in which to drop the stress of everyday life and simply sing. He reminds us to ignore the existence of all problems and “leave them all at the door”. These moments occur each day in choir and serve as a sort of therapeutic way to escape from it all. Stuck conveniently in the frenzy of the day is the refuge of song.

That is what was missing from my life for some seven weeks. Yes, as Christians we seek shelter in God’s protecting arms in times of trouble, but as musicians, we seek shelter in the gift of music which He has given to us. This blessing is what keeps people like me sane. The past two weeks, I have been dwelling on words from Ticheli’s “Earth Song”, which was introduced to me in Chamber Choir. The beautifully written lyrics match my thoughts on the shelter of song:

“But music and singing have been my refuge, and music and singing shall be my light. A light of song shining strong: Alleluia! Through darkness, pain, and strife, I’ll Sing, Be, Live, See…Peace.”

Peter

As the second semester begins, the six-week layoff is a blessing and a curse. It is really nice to get away from the books and rest the mind, but it is also that more difficult to get back in the swing of things.

That being said, choir is always a refreshing change-of-pace compared to the “normal” classes. Even though we do learn new music for the Southeastern Concert Tour, it is also great that we can build off of some of the familiar songs of the first semester and make them even better as we continue to develop the repertoire.

A couple of things have jumped out in the March tour line-up (little bit of a spoiler alert here). We have a section of four Latin songs, and I’m really enjoying all of these. They have some great harmonies and messages when translated back to English. We also are singing a spiritual, By and By (arr. Carol Barnett), which we briefly worked on my freshman year, but this is the first time we’ll take it to performance.

We hope to see you out at our Tour Preview Concert at Christ Ev. Lutheran Church (W240 N3103 Pewaukee Road in Pewaukee) on February 26th at 3 p.m.

Mike