There was a special event I enjoyed during the years my children played in the orchestra while in middle school. Each year the Christmas music program finale was Silent Night sung by the school choir. They sang the first verse standing perfectly still. Then they sang the first verse a second time while also speaking with their hands, signing the words. The third time they softly hummed the song while signing. The fourth and final time they simply signed the words as the lights slowly dimmed. The sound of so many hands gently speaking was simply beautiful.
I was reminded of that experience today at a concert called A Celtic Christmas featuring Allison Hampton on the harp and Linn Barnes on the guitar and other stringed instruments. The flautist, Joseph Cunliffe, carried the melody during their rendition of Silent Night. It was hauntingly exquisite. When they finished, the audience sat very still for a few moments. It seemed as though no one wanted to be the first to applaud and break the spell.
In this loud world of ours, it’s good to remember that silence is not a bad thing. We need to have times where we step back from the attention-grabbing noise of the world at large. And so it was good for me to experience that event today, to be part of an audience who heard something so moving, we were stunned into silence, if only for a moment.
Wishing you a peaceful and silent night.
To my readers: Do you have a favorite musical memory about Christmas?
