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From the Music Director
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April 2020
Choir Reinvented
In normal times much of the work of the choir is hidden, or “invisible” to the congregation. This is because the planning, rehearsals, and the weekly music practice with choir friends all take place outside of the worship service. What the congregation sees and hears, in normal times, is the fruit of this hidden work. This fruit, presented by the choir, is an offering of praise to God and a gift given on behalf of the whole congregation. In truth, not only the fruit, but every bit of the hidden work that nurtures the growth of the fruit is also part of this offering to God.
These are not normal times. So, the question is, during these difficult and not normal times, what is the work of the choir? What gift of praise is the choir able to offer? How is it possible to BE a choir if we cannot meet weekly to plan and learn music, and to make music together on Sundays?
The answer is that the hidden, invisible work of the choir has changed: it is as hidden as before, but our ministry is having to be reinvented, for a time, and we are still figuring it out. Here are some of the things that members of the St. James Choir have been doing to be together:
We don’t like this season of being apart, but we can consider it to also be a time during which we become more aware of and cherish the different ways in which we are connected. Each singer knows that when we join to sing together, we are connected and become a choir – but beyond that, we also know that singing together in a choir creates a “whole that is larger than the sum of its parts.” Having experienced this truth, we, the choir, are continuing to nurture that “larger whole” even though we are having to find different ways to communicate, to share our love of the art and expression of music, and to carry out our devotion to Jesus Christ and the Church.
These are not normal times. So, the question is, during these difficult and not normal times, what is the work of the choir? What gift of praise is the choir able to offer? How is it possible to BE a choir if we cannot meet weekly to plan and learn music, and to make music together on Sundays?
The answer is that the hidden, invisible work of the choir has changed: it is as hidden as before, but our ministry is having to be reinvented, for a time, and we are still figuring it out. Here are some of the things that members of the St. James Choir have been doing to be together:
- We have email conversations to update each other on our current home and work situations
- We are making phone calls just to check on each other.
- We share prayer concerns, and we remember especially the choir members who are helping take care of the sick and the homeless and who are worried about the health of family members
- Since we love music, we are sharing information about church music and free concerts being streamed online
- Lastly, some choir members participated in the creation of a special Easter anthem for Washington National Cathedral! (Each person sent in a selfie solo video of their part in the Cathedral’s Easter anthem; the recording engineer is creating a film montage of all the separate videos for Easter at the Cathedral.)
We don’t like this season of being apart, but we can consider it to also be a time during which we become more aware of and cherish the different ways in which we are connected. Each singer knows that when we join to sing together, we are connected and become a choir – but beyond that, we also know that singing together in a choir creates a “whole that is larger than the sum of its parts.” Having experienced this truth, we, the choir, are continuing to nurture that “larger whole” even though we are having to find different ways to communicate, to share our love of the art and expression of music, and to carry out our devotion to Jesus Christ and the Church.
March 2020
Sound, Silence, and Prayer
Just as music is made up of a mixture of sounds and silence, so also is our worship liturgy made up of a combination of sound and silence. The sounds of our worship as expressed in the proclamation of the Word and in singing God’s praises are highlighted and brought into focus by the contrast of quiet time spent in reflection and prayer. During Lent, there are more places for silence during the service; this provides us with more time for reflection and prayer and reminds us of the meditative and inward aspects of the season. But regardless of the time of year, our inherent need for silence and prayer is described in these lines from the book Songs and Prayers from Taizé
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“When we try to express communion with God in words, we rapidly reach the end of our capacities. But in the depths of our being Christ is praying, far more than we imagine…Although God never stops trying to communicate with us, God never wants to impose anything on us. Often God’s voice comes in a whisper, in a breath of silence. Remaining in silence in God’s presence, open to the spirit, is already prayer.
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The Traditional Service of Tenebrae
On the Wednesday of Holy Week, April 8, at 7:00 PM, St. James will offer a traditional service of Tenebrae. Because this term is used for a variety of Holy Week services and concerts, what follows is some history and a description of what you will experience at the traditional Tenebrae service at St. James.
“Tenebrae” is the Latin name for the prayer services of Matins and Lauds as they are chanted in the monastery during the last three days of Holy Week. “Tenebrae” derives from the Latin for “darkness” or “shadows.” Matins and Lauds are normally said very early in the morning – about 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. – so beginning in the Middle Ages, during Holy Week these offices were moved to the previous evening to make it possible for laypeople to join the monks in their Holy Week meditations.
The distinctive feature of the traditional Tenebrae service is the gradual extinguishing of fourteen candles, along with any other lights in the church, so that the service ends in complete darkness. The extinguishing of the candles is interspersed with the chanting of several psalms and readings from scripture. Near the end of the service, the only candle that is still burning (the Christ candle) is hidden from view. In the darkness, the Good Friday collect is read, symbolizing the Crucifixion. A sudden loud noise is heard, representing the earthquake at the time of the Resurrection (Matthew 28:2). After a short time, the hidden burning candle, representing Christ, is returned to the altar, and there follows a short time of silent prayer. Silence is observed while the choir and clergy, followed by the congregation, leave the church.
The service of Tenebrae provides time to suspend our busy-ness and quiet our anxious concerns and thoughts. It give us a dedicated time to embrace silence in order to create room for God to speak in our hearts. Tenebrae provides “an extended meditation upon, and a prelude to, the events of our Lord’s life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection” (Book of Occasional Services).
