While I was once again pining the distance between family and the familiar over a holiday weekend (missing those spiral cut hams and family feasts after church), I had one of those musically-enriching weekends that leaves one daydreaming for days afterwards.On Saturday evening the Soweto Gospel Choir gave a concert at our church. It's one thing to listen to their CD's but to see them live... WOW. I don't know why, but it makes me cry every time.
After church on Sunday we drove to Johannesburg, to Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton to attend the annual performance of Handel's Messiah by the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and Symphony Choir (it also marked the 250th anniversary of Handel's death). I don't know why in America they always perform Handel's Messiah at Christmas time. It actually makes more sense at Easter, especially when it reaches the culmination of Christ's death and resurrection (my humble opinion, of course).
To be in the Southern Hemisphere, 17,000 kilometres from home, and to join in the worship with other cultures- to hear music that is hundreds of years old and music that is "Proudly South African"... it doesn't get much better than that this side of Heaven.
2 comments:
Soweto Gospel Choir (as well as the African Children's Choir from Uganda... have you seen them?) makes me cry every time, too. Ugh, I miss South Africa!!
Yes I've seen them. We even housed a few of them once. They're awesome!
I think South Africa misses you, too. We do as well!
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