The Christmas musical And
On Earth, Peace has finished. Months
of practice, planning, rehearsal, and preparation culminated into two nights of
performance. Then, it is over and we are
left with stories, memories, and the tunes stuck in our head.
The musical score, each song that has been practiced over
and over (and over) are hushed now from the formal performance. But, these anthems of praise, anthems of joy,
are not merely the music written for the performance. It is the laughter and giggles, and at time
chortles and guffaws, that have filled the stage – these are a theme in the
anthem of joy. Each of the carefully
prepared devotions, led and given with leading questions are pointing out
phrases. The whip of flags provides a
soft rhythm in the song; while the practices and performance of the angel color
guard continue to add a momentum of building tempos. The sound of little shepherd feet running to
their places is a percussive vibrato accented by the quiet counterpoint of a whisper
of wheelchairs and walkers and feet spilled with candlelight. The hands on the sound board, the lights, and
computer are all subtle in movement.
But, they are such an important part of the musical line, part of the
joyous hymn. A new baby’s sleepy sigh, a
touch point in a phrase that is complex with many parts melding into time
changes and key change, rings out into the smallness of the rafters and the
largeness of the heart. It is sensed in
the feet of children dancing on their parents’ laps without conscious thought,
simply with the need to join the celebration.
Whispered instructions from flashlight wielding stage crews add a new
instrumental line; one so subtle that many do not notice, unless it would
suddenly not be there. The audience
reaches out to meet the joy, and shares it back with applause, smiles, and warm
wishes.
The music comes to a silence, but the anthem of joy does not
end. This time is merely another change
of pace before moving to a new musical line.
Another key change, a new bridge, and a series of fermatas, then pause
for breath before speed finds its new metronomic pace. The anthem continues in the well wishes of
Christmas, the wide-eyed wonder of the child who can twirl and experience
wonder in helping place the nativity. It
is experienced in the feel of the clean crisp quietness belonging to the first
snow. The smells of cookies delivered to
neighbors strike gentle glissandos, while the delivery of a blanket to one who
is cold heralds joy like a perfectly struck chime. Bells break in as Christmas carolers visit
others. Shared meals with harmony,
dissonance, and resolution revolve in the bond of family. Delicate soprano notes play as little ones
don costumes and take their places on stages to win hearts and steal
shows. New chords are tried as new memories
are made and old familiar chords blend in with sweet traditions.
The program ends, And
On Earth, Peace. The lights have
come back on, and people eventually filtered back out into the dark and snowy
night. But, the anthem of joy does not end.
It is the eternal anthem of the joy of the Lord, one of complexity and
styles that has stretched for thousands of years of music. And yet, though with different instrumental
focuses, the same theme repeats. Come,
join in the anthem, it is the joy of the Lord.
