Tags: concert
Current Location: Shelton, WA

Today was the 56th annual National Day of Prayer.  During my lunchtime, I joined others for a gathering at the Washington State Capitol steps for prayer.  In this time of increasing unrest worldwide with wars and senseless killings in schools, it seems appropriate that the people of our state and our nation should turn to God in prayer.  I am thankful that I live in a country which still recognizes that neither the people nor the government are the final authority on matters of moral conscience.  Ultimately, we are all answerable to God, the sourcfe of all morality.  Both President Bush and Governor Gregoire issued proclamations for an official day of prayer to be recognized in our land.



I didn't have much time over lunch to spend at the Capitol today, but I was very blessed to have participated in another event, a prelude to the National Day of Prayer, on Monday evening.  Called a Concert of Prayer, it was a wonderful time of singing, praying, and reflecting on God's blessings in our lives and our own state.  A wide variety of talent was on hand to lead us into this week, preparing for the officially proclaimed day of prayer today.  The acoustics inside the Capitol building were excellent, echoing and resonating like a great cathedral.  It was not the best for the speeches, but it was wonderful for the songs.



The program started with the blowing of a shofar and then Amazing Grace played by two brothers on bagpipes.  It was quite a sound, eerily beautiful.  The Star Spangled Banner and Pledge of Allegiance were next, followed by a reading of the Ten Commandments.  We were welcomed by Tim Taylor, Washington State NDP Coordinator who also offered a prayer of confession, repentance and revival.



Then we were treated to a selection of songs by a children's choir, led by Susan Shoemaker and Mrs. Nakhla.  It was fun to see children from my church in the choir and even a scripture recitation by Brooke Parsons.  The children did a fine job, sounding quite professional.



The rotunda was filled with people who had come to hear and be a part of this Concert of Prayer, sitting and standing at all levels, looking down from every balcony.  Having not been in the Capitol buildings since my school days, I was awed by the aesthetic grandeur of this structure.  I felt proud to have such a magnificent building representing our state.



Completed in 1928 after six years of construction, it has the fourth tallest masonry dome in the world, rising 287 feet high.  It has withstood three major earthquakes, in 1949, 1965, and most recently the Nisqually Earthquake of 2001.  Although damage was sustained in each earthquake, the excellent structural design and superior craftsmanship, held the building together.  Seismic upgrades after each quake have further helped ensure the integrity of the building.

Before the 2001 earthquake, the capitol dome, weighing 26,000 metric tons, was not held in place by any bolts or fasteners, but by gravity alone. During an earthquake, the dome could shift, along with the sandstone columns supporting it. The columns moved up to three inches during the Nisqually quake. Renovations completed in 2004 permanently fixed the dome to the rest of the building.



One of the truly special treats of the evening was hearing from several groups of Russian and Ukrainian church choirs.  These people especially have an appreciation for the freedoms of this country, particularly the freedom of religion which once was fairly non-existent in their countries.  Above you can see one of the choirs which treated us to several delightful songs of praise to God in their native language.  Their voices blended beautifully and echoed through the halls and corridors of the capitol building in a way that seemed symbolically to be lifting up to heaven.  I could kind of understand what singing in the great cathedrals of the world might be like.

The evening ended with a lovely rendition of The Lord's Prayer by Samantha Ordos and then a final blowing of the shofar, which you can see in the above photo if you look carefully in the middle.  I am so pleased that I was able to take part in this celebration of praise to God right here in our state capitol during this special week of focus on prayer for our state and our nation.

Tags: concert
Current Location: Olympia, WA

Shelton is not particularly noted for an abundance of cultural events, so whenever one comes along that seems remotely interesting I am quick to take advantage of it.  The Shelton High School chamber choir has been doing a marvelous job under the direction of Paul Nakhla.  I heard them in concert at the high school auditorium a few weeks ago and was impressed enough to consider purchasing tickets to a special event fund-raiser they were planning.  So this Saturday I took my mom and two friends to the Colonial House in Shelton to the first annual production of Ah Primavera!



No one was quite sure what to expect (since this was the first annual) so the first night was not that well attended.  Word quickly got out though, and the next three nights were sold out.  I had purchased tickets ahead of time and so had the privilege of sitting at the front table.  In actuality my seat was so close to the choir that I was pretty much rubbing elbows with the director and was able to follow along in his musical score.

The evening started with fruita fresca appetizers and a few musical selections by the choir, accompanied by piano and strings.  The theme of the evening was The Italian Renaissance and everyone was dressed in authentic looking attire for the time period.  We were treated to an introduction to Renaissance history by choir members Emilie and Liam, our hosts for the evening.  It helped to pay attention to what they said, which came in handy for the trivia game later on.  For instance did you know that the word Renaissance is French, though the movement started in Italy?  It means "rebirth" or Rinascimento in Italian.  I must admit my knowledge of Renaissance history is sadly lacking.  I did enjoy the music, which included songs from various eras, including an incredible rendition of the beautiful American folk song Oh Shenandoah.



Yes, that's Paul Nakhla in the cute hat directing the choir.  His whole family joined the fun and dressed for the occasion.  The Colonial House, decorated with flowers and decorations to suit the theme, made a nice setting for the event.  After a few songs were sung and our fruit appetizers were consumed, Emilie and Liam came back to entertain us with some humorous skits (and rather old jokes).  Here you see them attempting to demonstrate the proper method for making Tiramisu, with appropriate music played by Kellen on the piano.



Everyone was glad that another choir member had actually made the Tiramisu because these folks obviously had some very different ideas about exactly what are "lady fingers" and how much rum or ale should be used.  For my dessert, I chose the apple crisp, which turned out to be more of a crispy, delicate apple pastry and was very delicious.  After finishing dessert, we were treated to a few more songs by the choir and a solo by Kellen Gold.



Don't you love the workmanship in this dress?  Apparently her father actually made this for her, just for this event!  The material used was just exquisite, though you can barely see the intricacy of the designs in the fabric in this small photo.  The solo was also lovely, skillfully accompanied by Connie Miser on the piano.

To keep the evening interesting we played a few games, which included prizes.  First we played a card game, similar to spoons "except without the spoons". My mother actually won a triple-decker, chocolate brownie.  Finally, we had a trivia game, each table competing with one another to see who knew the most about the music, art, and history of the Renaissance.  Our table came in second.  Though we knew all the art questions and some of the music, I'm afraid the ones about which pope did what were beyond the scope of our education.  Nevertheless, it was a fun and challenging game and brought a little excitement to the evening before it was time to close with the final choir songs and a serenade out the door and down the steps.

I leave you with a trivia question of my own. What does the word primavera mean? If you think it is something you order at The Olive Garden, you really are only half right. The answer will be in the next blog. Stay tuned!

Tags: concert
Current Location: Shelton, WA

Tonight was the annual talent show of the Mason County Christian School.  There were plenty of different talents, from hula hoops and pogo sticks to singing, playing instruments, and even a cute puppet show.  I enjoyed the talents of such groups as the Backwoods Boys (just in from the backwoods) and Randy Endicott's Gospel Girls.  I can't say the same for a passel of teenage boys who call themselves Power Drive, playing heavy metal rock guitars and drums.  Their version of the famous rock tune Smoke on the Water filled the First Baptist Church with 90 decibels of massively distorted electric guitars and a drum beat that could probably be felt at the Civic Center across the street.  But this was nothing new for this church, as I have previously reported.

Besides being very disturbed by the driving beat of that admittedly infectious song, I was so saddened to witness the extent to which Christians in our local community have come to accept, and even embrace, this kind of God-mocking behavior in church and in a Christian school talent show.  The applause, hoots and hollers of the crowd after Power Drive finished, showed all too clearly where their hearts lay.  It was obvious that this kind of music was far more appealing to them than the sweet, tender rendition of Holy, Holy, Holy sung by a little girl named Kaitlyn, accompanied by Jamie on violin and Kendru on piano.  This song filled my heart with joy and reverence for my Lord, yet only received a token applause.  I guess I should be very grateful that God has given me a taste for music that is beautiful, edifying to the soul, and honoring to His name.  I could listen to hymns and praise songs, beautifully sung, over and over and never tire of meditating on their words.  But one minute of the kind of music many Christians find acceptable leaves me wanting to cut my ears off to save my soul from being plunged into the depths of rebellion against all that God calls right and pure.  I completely understand that most people are not going to react this strongly to music they don't like and I will admit that my reactions are at times extreme.  I guess that it is because music is so much a part of who I am, reaching deep within me to touch my spirit and coming out of me as an expression of my heart and thoughts.  God just made me that way and I am so glad He did.

I will have another chance to hear the musical talent of some of the students of Mason County Christian school Saturday night, when the Hood Canal Community Church hosts a concert of the Gospel Girls led by Randy Endicott, fifth grade teacher at the school.  He has been working diligently for months, preparing this group of girls from the school to sing their fun repertoire of gospel songs.  Anyone who is interested should come on out at 7pm on Saturday, March 31.  It should be a real treat.

Lest this blog come down too negatively on the talent show, I want to say that I did enjoy my time tonight.  Many of the students did a commendable job of sharing their talents in front of the large crowd that was gathered to hear them.  I was pleased with the maturity of some of the younger students, one of whom even took it upon herself to have us pause and pray right in the middle of the show.  Though quite young, she bravely led the whole crowd in a sincere little prayer of thanks to God for the people who helped with tonight's program, for the men and women of the armed forces fighting to protect our freedoms, and for her dad who had recently gone through chemotherapy.  Finally, I have to mention the stand-out star of the show, in regards to talent, a 9-year old boy named Gabriel who played a very advanced classical music piece on the piano with absolute perfection, entirely from memory (even though the song was 6 minutes long).  This young man is destined to be a concert pianist for sure.

Tags: concert

To all of you who thought my blog was somehow stuck on the sad note of the demise of my car, and wondered if I actually survived that accident - I am back!  I am happy to report that I have replaced my beautiful old Saturn with a brand new 2007 Saturn Ion which was the closest I could come to replacing my car, though unfortunately without the 40mpg that I was getting before.

Tonight I went to a delightful concert at the Lake City Community Church.  The Moody Chorale of Moody Bible Institute presented an evening of very enjoyable sacred music, which in many ways was more of a worship service than a performance.  Conductor Gerald Edmonds has been with Moody since 1969, an incredibly long time for someone to stay at one school.  I very much appreciated the way he presented such an attitude of reverence and worship in the music and his brief words to the audience, always giving glory to God and recognizing His awesome holiness.  The final song brought tears to my eyes as the entire chorale of about 60 members surrounded the church and sang a benediction of The Lord Bless You and Keep You.  Hearing the perfectly harmonious voices coming from all directions was quite an experience.  In fact, the opening song had about a third of the chorale standing in the very back of the church, while the rest were on the risers in front which gave a beautiful surround sound effect.



Needless to say, I was highly impressed with Moody and the Godly men and women who helped us to worship and praise our Savior tonight.  Sadly, it may be a long time before I hear them again, as Mr. Edmonds announced that it may be 40 years before they return to rainy Washington state again.  Of course they would have to come during one of the wettest seasons of the year, and particularly wet even for March this year.

It was nice to share a pew with two of the Edgren family, Kathy and Joshua, who actually make Lake City Community Church their home church.  Afterword, I went out to their house and spent a very enjoyable time sitting around reminiscing about the old days, before there were such things as computers, VCRs, or cell phones.  Each of us discussed what it was like in our homes growing up, what family life was like without TV.  I recounted the story of the day our television came bouncing down the full flight of stairs, never again to bring its sinister glow into our living room.  I mentioned how our dad always said we would get another TV but, being the procrastinator that he is, it never happened.  I firmly believe the loss of that little 13" black and white television set was the best thing that ever happened to our family.  And it was one time that I could see how procrastination really paid off.  And all of this happened long before "Kill Your Television" bumper stickers were invented.  I guess we were truly ahead of our time.

Tags: concert
Current Music: Holy, Holy, Holy

Saturday was a full day, but a most enjoyable one.  I started my day offering computer assistance to a friend in Shelton and then took a lovely drive through the country to participate in a Saturday afternoon family Bible study, followed by some bicycle maintenance.



  Megumi tried out the new training wheels while Yutaka practiced his sharpshooting with his new cap gun rifle.



After doing some shopping at Costco, I drove to Lacey to enjoy a wonderful concert at the Emmanuel Baptist Church.  The Voetberg Family, a homeschool family of 12, presented a delightful evening of music on piano, violin, cello, bass fiddle, mandolin and guitar, as well as their sweet voices of course.



The concert lasted almost two hours, but time seemed to go so fast.  I enjoyed it thoroughly.  After the concert several of us went to Baskin and Robbins to choose from among the 31 flavors what kind of ice cream cone to eat at 10pm. Look closely at the photo above. Notice anything different? Yes, the Voetbergs are highly talented indeed, and as you can see they truly work together as a family on their music.

Tags: concert, weekends

Sorry, it's been a long time since I've done anything worth writing about.  Tonight I went to the Shelton High School talent show and it was pretty fun.  There was everything from singing and dancing to comedy.  But the best part was that I won the door prize!  I never win anything so I wasn't even going to bother to look at my ticket, but I had it in my hand so I glanced down at it when the guy read off the number and I didn't believe it when the number matched.  I kept looking around to see if someone else actually won it and was going to stand up, and finally realized I really was the winner.  They called me up on stage to collect my prize (a half-pound Symphony bar, yum!) and gave me the microphone and had me say my name.  Then they asked my favorite movie and I just about blanked out up there in front of that whole crowd of people in the auditorium.  Finally I came to my senses and yelled out "Sound of Music" which was a good thing to say since the music director was the one giving out the prize and I think he likes that too.  Anyway it was worth the $2 admission to have an evening of local entertainment and get a free candy bar out of the deal.

Speaking of talent you might wonder who the talented young lady in the picture is.  I happened to get invited out to dinner after church on Sunday and spent the afternoon with a very nice family I've just been getting to know at church.  Their daughter is taking piano lessons and has a real talent, an ear for music, and plays amazingly well for someone so young (she is about 9 years old).  I love the backdrop of the flowers, the violin and the sheet music in this photo.



Not only is she a talented musician, she is a very sweet Christian girl.  A note to her mother I found posted in the bathroom said, "Oh mommy, I am growing so much in the Lord now and am so happy, thanks to you and daddy."  What more could a parent ask for?

Tags: concert
Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: The von Trapp Children