Now let us sing!

"Children sing your amen.
Christ the Lord is risen.
He will come to us again,
Oh, Children sing your amen."

That's the chorus that I've been singing over and over to myself from a song called Children Sing.  I put in the CD yesterday.  It's a recording of a youth choir at Camp Calumet from the summer of 1997.  I was a counselor at camp at that time, and it think it was the first time I was every officially recorded.  The other times I was involved with that singing group as a camper, my parents would bring in a small boom box and record it.  :)  So I have recordings from earlier...but this one is far more official.  The choir is made up of campers age 8-16 gathered for a week to learn songs, rehearse and perform at the end of the week. 

Anyway, I had put in this CD yesterday as some music while I worked.  The way the evening panned out, I was also able to attend the Conrad Weiser West "Spring into Song" Spring Concert.  It was amazing! 

My mom had warned me ahead of time to be ready for the squeaks of the clarinets during the band portion...but I had not anticipated the Concerto for Pots and Pans.  The percussion section did a wonderful job on that piece!  From the band, to the show choir, to the chorus...here were different groups of youth coming together for something that is bigger than just each of them.  They practice parts on their own so that the whole group can come together to share a piece with the audience. 

What a wonderful thing it is to see the young ones thinking outside of themselves.  What a wonderful lesson that is learned through the gift of music and group performance.  I especially loved when the chorus sang a song about Children of the World.  Singing about some who live in war and some who live in peace, some who live with tears and some who live with laughter.  How appporpriate for our world this week.  For the young people in our community to think about the different lives of youth all around the world.  For a moment in our lives last night, the group in the gym was embraced by songs of unity, joy, silliness and serious messages.  All brought to us through the hearts, voices and instruments of young ones. 

I'm thankful that God has given me the voice to sing, the ability to play the trumpet...and many times and places to share those gifts with others...especially coming together to play with a brass section on Easter morning or to sing weekly with the choir.  Let us all raise our voices in song in this resurrection season as we see and hear the living Christ in out midst! 

"Praise to the Lord the Almighty! in wonder my spirit is soaring!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises outpouring.
Let the amen sound from God's people again,
gladly forever adoring!"
(Praise to the Lord, the Almighty vs. 4)

+paz