As you walk through the wooden doors of Christ Chapel, you are presented with a large, dimmed and silent room. Scores of pews stand before you. Below you lies an expanse of stage with rows of chairs and their accompanying music stands carefully placed.
Though the space gives you a feeling of solemnity and peace, you know that in a few weeks, the atmosphere will be transformed.
The lights will be blazing, and the space will be filled with the intricate dance of musical melodies and harmonies originating from an array of instruments. The mood of this space will be transformed from one of silence to one of vivaciousness and beauty.
Come and join the band on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Christ Chapel as they present their show “For God So Loved…”, a collection of pieces exploring the different aspects of God’s love.
In less than two weeks, the Symphonic Band will be presenting a series of pieces centered around the idea of God’s love. Appropriately, this concert with its focus on love also falls on Valentine’s Day, a day established specifically for the celebration of love.
Interestingly, this concert has a deliberate connection to the concert the band presented last fall. Last semester, the pieces were centered around God’s creation, whereas this concert is based around God’s love.
There is a strong and intimate tie between the two.
“I think reminding us of what God created, especially his creation of us, directly leads us to his love,” said Rebecca Jackson, member of the Symphonic Band.
She continued by noting how easy it is to overlook and underappreciate the ordinary and mundane parts of life, and consequently, how little people remember the perfection of God’s creation and of God’s love that can be found in those ordinary parts of life.
For Jackson, “These concerts bring to light some of the most important and often forgotten aspects of God.”
Since returning to school for the spring semester, the band has been hard at work to master the selected pieces.
Originally composed by David Maslanka, “Give Us This Day” is one of the pieces that will be performed.
Libby Ven Huizen of the Symphonic Band notes that this composition “is a piece based off of the Lord’s Prayer.”
Further, Erica Wasson, another member of the band, referenced the unique nature of this piece.
“‘Give Us This Day’ has amazing writing and uses many of the instruments in ways that aren’t always common among other composers,” said Wasson.
Other pieces that will be performed are “How Deep the Fathers Love” by Anthony LaBounty and “Trauermusik” by Richard Wagner.
While the band has certainly focused on mastering the technical and musical aspects of these pieces, they have also focused on preparing their hearts.
“We’ve been exploring how truly deep the Father’s love for us is, how God’s love was made incarnate through Jesus and how we can share that love with one another,” said Ven Huizen.
What sets this concert apart from others is the central theme of love. A large majority of concerts are not designed around one specific idea, which is what makes this collection of pieces so unique.
“It’s really important for me to be reminded that everything I do is for the glory of God,” said Jackson, “and that’s something I’ve been consistently reminded of in preparation for this concert.”
As you sit in the large, dimmed chapel space, as you watch the musicians take their places in front of their music stands, as the lights blaze and the air fills with the sweet sound of melodies and harmonies, you will be reminded of the beauty of God’s creation and the depths of his love for his people.
