A Wilton High School Concert - A Spiritual Experience

My youngest daughter, Kate, is in one of the choral groups of Wilton High School.  This means that she has several mornings when she needs to be at school before sunrise for extra practices as well as several evening rehearsals.   Her concerts usually occur at holiday time that is coincidently my very busy time at the church.  This past Wednesday night, the concert to benefit the scholarships to graduating seniors involved in the Music Department was scheduled to begin at 8:15 p.m.   It had been a rather long and demanding day as the staff and I are preparing for the many liturgies of Holy Week and Easter, as well as two Memorial services that will be held in the next few weeks.  I confess that I was not particularly looking forward to sitting through this concert but instead wanted to be home with a glass of wine and in my pajamas.  Yet I wanted to support my daughter as well as the other high school students, several being St. Matthew’s parishioners.  I am so glad that I went and am still thinking about this remarkable concert.

The opening piece, Frohlocket, Ihr Volker Auf Erden by Felix Mendelssohn was peppered with many Alleluias.  I turned to my neighbor who was sitting next to me and I kiddingly said that I wondered if the choral conductor knew that it is Lent and we are not suppose to say the “A” word until Easter!  Their second piece though was the one that stayed with me all evening.  Even When God Is Silent by Michael Horvit is a hauntingly, beautiful song based on words that were found scrawled on a wall in Germany by someone who had been hiding from the Gestapo.  Members of the Allied Forces found it and let others know about it.  The poetic words are:

“I believe in the sun when it isn’t shining,

 I believe in love even when I don’t feel it.

 I believe in God even when He's silent.”

Hearing our young people sing these words brought tears to my eyes.  I wondered if they knew what powerful wisdom these words provided us that night.  As we venture out of the wilderness of Lent and move towards the empty tomb, it is this sentiment of hope that carries us forward.  This week has seen a major earthquake hit Chile; another shooting at Ft. Hood, Texas leaving four dead and many more injured; and climate change that has brought about horrific storms in the Midwest.  Many of us are facing challenges or feeling a quiet sadness in our personal lives.  Yet, despite what befalls us, we know that what we believe will sustain us.  We know that our journey always ends as witnesses of the Risen Christ. 

I have included a link to a performance by The Master’s College Chorale who has performed this piece.  I invite you to listen to it and let your soul be filled with its music of hope.  

Mary Grace+