The Lord Bless You and Keep You

In High School I fell in love with Choral Music.  My Choral Director and my private voice teacher both had fond affection for John Rutter.  Whenever UIL competition rolled around each year, I knew there would be a John Rutter piece in the stack.  Because of their influence on my life, it was easy for me to fall for this British Composer.  In High School when most of my friends were out buying the new Ace of Bace cd, I was purchasing The Cambridge Singers so I could listen to the magic of John Rutter.  My love of classical music, choral music and classical hymns started at sixteen years old and now at thirty-four years old it remains.  Only now, this music brings much more than peace to my heart.  It now brings peace to my home.  I often play it softly during School with the kids or while I am cooking.  Something about it gets in you, even when you think you don't notice it, your spirit soaks it in.


Last year when I was training for one of the marathons, I had a run where I listened to nothing but The Cambridge Singers. One may think classical or choral music on a run would be difficult to find pace to.  But it was a run I will never forget.  My mind was clear, my body was full of strength and my spirit was at peace. It's that powerful.


I'm sure my parents thought I was a weird teenager.  I was weird.  I had my own concerts going on in my room as a teenager.  Always imagining a crowd of people as I sang into the remote or hairbrush.  My Mom can tell you stories of me in my closet listening to Requiem: Sanctus and trying to sing the 1st soprano part. My brother thought there was a howling dog in the house.  Or the hours I spent in my closet practicing Under The Willow Tree with a tape of my private voice teach playing the piano part. Music is what the Lord used so often during difficult times in my life to keep me grounded.  Staying in my room for hours with my Choral sheet music and recordings was fine by me.


When I took Ava Beth to the Austin Ballet to see The Nutcracker, I began to cry as soon as I heard Act I: Scene I The Decorating of The Christmas Tree.  I had a cassette tape of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in junior high and listened to it all the way through High School.  Even then I dreamt of taking my daughter to see The Nutcracker Ballet.  Every year at Christmas time, PBS aired The Nutcracker with Mikhail Baryshnikov.  Every year I watched it, I cried. Something about the music moved me but as a teenager I did not understand what. "Why the heck was a I crying?" I wondered.  As I think about this now, I wonder if the cause of my strange emotion back then was because I was craving what I have now. 


This morning I've been listening to some of my favorites.  I now have them on itunes instead of cassette tapes and cd's.  The one I have posted below brings me to tears.  I had such big dreams when I listened to this music almost twenty years ago and now those dreams have become my life.


Back then I sang this sheet music as a Soprano but today it would no doubt be as an Alto. As my life has changed, so has my voice.  While I am able to still hit some of those high notes, I now have depth in my lower register.  Such a symbol to what the Lord has done for me! Oh how I love my Lord, Jesus Christ for saving me and redeeming my past.


The Lord Bless You and Keep You,



(P.S. for any music nerds out there!!! If you can read music, read along with the song.  Since I have always sang this as a Soprano, it is fun to now sing the alto and watch all the moving parts.  Back then I was so wrapped up in MY part that I did not take time to notice the beautiful Alto line.  Kelly Ann will appreciate me saying this! She got to sing some really cool parts as an Alto! Sopranos are so self centered! :) We just want our high notes to drown them out.  Not to mention we had it so easy singing melody on almost every piece. :) Now I love being an alto!)