Honor...What,...? Choir...Who?

January ended and February started, like I thought it would. The end of the month rolls by, you get midterms thrown in your face, but there is one perk to being a nerdy choir kid every year: Honor Choir. Ten elite, "cream of the crop choirs" as the instructor will tell you, gather in Saint Helen's auditorium for two straight days of working four beautiful pieces over and over until you really, properly do not need the music to guide you. This year, one of the song choices was 'Lux Beatissima' composed by twenty-five year-old Joshua Rist, from our very own. Little did we know he would be spending the weekend with us, sharing his vision and helping us make the second performance ever hopefully as beautiful as the first one. I was fortunate to tell him I thought his piece was beautiful and I literally could not get it out of my head from the first day our instructor handed it out, my friend and I would sing select parts and attempt to make up what the Latin meant, of course, when he explained it, we were way off! 

When performance day came, of course a mere thirty hours after we all had met, the stage was ready, we took our seats, and the middle school honor choir took the stage. I actually surprisingly knew some of the pieces, though beautiful they were. When they were done it was our turn and really, let me tell you about nervous pee if there was one. I took that stage, my heart pounding, eyes searching for something to lock onto to help me. I locked eyes with Mr. Rist, and he smiled, knowing his piece, his artwork was about to be shared with another audience, his vision spread into the world. I calmed a bit but a thought overtook me every time I feel pressure, a petty thought. What if we mess it up? We have had thirty hours to perfect this and there are still parts that do not lock in. But then I saw our instructor, she is amazing and talented and is like the mother figure we all need when we know it and when we don't. Earlier that day I had gone up to her to ask how we had been progressing and she told me she needed a small hug, so of course I gave her one, she is my favorite instructor, who makes you feel like she is a friend, but not too much so that you dont feel the authority. She said, "You're a sweetie." and asked me how I liked the experience, if I was tired, I of course said "NO!" I loved every minute of it.

When I looked at her and her smiling and excitement, as well as the other instructors, I knew we had done well and had nothing to worry about. As usual, Joshua was asked to speak about his piece, and he spoke about how things and people could be right and wrong in the world. "These people, on this stage, this, this is what is right with the world," and he continued, but we all choked on his sweetness. We had tried so hard to make him feel like we had done his piece justice, not because he was famous or was just any composer, but because his piece was truly beautiful, and spoke to each and every one of us personally. When music does that, you have got talent, and when you are only twenty-five, then man, you are going places in life. We performed the first piece with as much feeling as we could muster, and I felt so relieved when it was done, the joy that overtook me was immense. He smiled, bowed and we bowed as well, he gave us the recognition he deserved. Selflessness at its greatest. 

Needless to say. the new friends I made, the people I met, the things I learned, will stay with me forever. That weekend changed me, and I think it could change anyone who gets the opportunity to go to this honor choir event. My sincerest adoring to every person who took time out of their day to be there for us, the singers, for the instructors, and for themselves. We were and very great group, like no other, even I could not deny that. 

                            -Absolutely Awed