The Miracle of Cantata 2014

The IHS Choir, December 21, 2014

After yesterday's Cantata,  several people asked me:  "How in the world did such a thing come into being?"

 [It is really miraculous, considering the many participants, including numerous high school and college students.]

I appreciated the question, because it was fun to answer, and even gave me some new insights.

After we had created a couple of anthems,  Paulette and I sort of jokingly said to one another at about the same time:  "Let's write a musical. Let's write a Cantata." Neither of us can remember exactly who said what, when.

But I do remember that the seeds of the idea were planted in that way.  And I love a creative challenge.  Without telling Paulette I was doing it,  I started working on the narration and lyrics, around September 2013.   That was done within a few weeks.  When I had finished it,  I sent the entire, completed text to Paulette.

 Paulette went to work on it long before the 2013 Cantata was finished. One song at a time,  she got inspiration .  I now fully understand that each song matches the words, story content, mood of each piece.    When Paulette had created a song, I met with her to hear it.  The only input I had on the musical side of the collaboration, was sharing with her what I heard in my head as the melody for the theme piece,  "O, Lord, What's Happened to Christmas".   Otherwise,  no negotiations were needed on any other part of the musical content.   Paulette worked on the composing for six months.  By March of 2014, it was finished.  She then made a copy of the entire, completed Cantata. In early July, Paulette the cantata to Sue, hoping that it would be deemed worthy.

We didn't know what Sue would think or how she would feel.  It was rather presumptuous of us to preempt her musical selection.  Then Sue went through the entire Cantata, playing each piece, no doubt imagining and envisioning how it would all come together, and how she would lead the choir through it.  The work is musically challenging.

Finally,  Sue communicated to us that indeed the Choir would do our Cantata for Christmas!   After that, came a couple of months of rehearsing the songs, one at a time during choir practice.  Sue worked her incredible magic, as usual.

I had not experienced the entire collections of songs together, along with the narration,  until December 20th.  So moving for me! (Gerry had tears much of the time.)

Eight original songs.  At least 48-49 participants.  (I counted 48 at the Dress Rehearsal, but not everyone was there). Lots of instrumentalists, an organ, a synthesizer.  It was really incredible!

Here is what I have realized.

So, my giving the fully formed text to Paulette was a complete shock and surprise to her!

So, Paulette giving the fully formed, completed Cantata, words and music, to Sue was an unexpected shock and surprise!

All the participants offering this incredible work to the congregation was equally a surprise and delight, completely unlike anything they had ever heard.

Not at all unlike the original Christmas,  also an unexpected surprise.  God among us, fully formed, the most amazing gift of all---Jesus Christ--the perfect model for peace and goodwill among all God's people!

Merry Christmas!