One Evening, Three Maestros, and Multiple Glorious Sounds in the Calvary Theatre
Alexandra Gomez and Moriah Smith
December 10, 2009
Filed under Fine Arts, Fine Arts News, Top Stories
“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”
–Psalm 100:4.
From notes and clefs, to pianos and clarinets, CCA’s got Christmas wired with the Middle/High School Choral and Band Concert. If you were to take a behind-the-scene peak at the chorus and band room this week, you would see students racing with packed schedules as they memorize notes and rehearse songs for the rapidly approaching, “Christmas Around the World” themed concert on Monday, December 14, at 7pm in the Calvary Chapel Theatre.
As it happened, the rehearsal room was a beehive of orchestral and choral activity this past week, as the three maestros—Middle School Chorus Teacher, Monica Velez-Colon, High School Chorus Teacher, Katherine Salinas, and Middle/High School Band Teacher Jim Mullen, worked together with their students in class and after school on each of the songs that will be performed Monday evening.
The concert comprises all 235 high school and advanced middle school band and chorus students, in addition to some members of the CCA alumni, who will be joining in the fun, singing and playing some of those timeless Christmas songs we all know and love. This concert not only hopes to bring the spirit of Christmas to our stage this Christmas season, but more importantly, it will shine God’s light through the perfect mix of music and lyrics.
If you happened to catch last year’s concert, you will know that listening to beautiful melodies is only part of the show. Listening to people (who attended) tell it gives you a clue of what’s to come. But don’t worry; we won’t ruin it for you. Just know this—there’s a great chance that you will be praising God as you hear His message through the wonder of music, and yes… at times, you may even see your feet and hands move without explanation, expectation, or thought. One thing’s for sure, you will hear the gospel in every song.
“Every one of the carols is a gospel message,” says Mullen. “You get that of course with the chorus, because they’re singing the words. But you also get that from the melodies, and they tug at your heartstrings, too. For people who perhaps don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord, it’s going to be powerful.”
Because of this year’s “Christmas Around the World” theme, the songs were chosen with American, French, English and African melodies from around the world. “I chose the songs that I thought would be well suited for the voices of the middle school chorus first,” explained Colón. “I was praying and asking God to give me His vision and theme for this year’s concert—something that would be the thread that pulls it all together.”
As always, God was faithful. He directed Colón to look at the selected pieces and as she highlighted the top of each one, she realized they were from around the world. A theme was born. Christmas Around the World captures all the nations celebrating Jesus, as we see it illustrated in Psalm 98:2. Colón said, “I think it’s awesome that we’re ending with the Hallelujah Chorus, which is a picture of Revelation 19…all the nations singing to Jesus, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, ’Revelation 19:1.”
So, you’ve heard from the maestros, now come and hear the singers and musicians sing and play before an audience of One, and for you. Yes, come next Monday, December 14, and see how music and lyrics come together melodiously to make one spectacular Christmas concert. One that will not only bring out the Christmas spirit in all people, but also let God’s light shine through in ways not thought possible in the celebration of the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.