A time of expectant waiting by a little girl for One Child, through Mr G. F. Handel's composition, circa 1741, performed by the combined choir ensembles of Holy Trinity Church, San Pedro and St. Lawrence Martyr Church, Redondo Beach, held Dec. 14 & 15, 2012, an oratorio, Handel's The Messiah Part I
The spirit of the season gradually seeping into a universal jovial feeling, the songs were in the air,.and a five year old girl came to see and hear a whole bunch of people singing differently, together?! She was unlike the grown-ups she was with, who in the course of the night, were focused with intent on tenor Monsignor Joseph Brennan, the powerful rendition by the accomplished baritone Ruben Sanchez, the well acclaimed Opera soprano Jamie Chamberlin whose angelic vocal makes mortals worship the ground she walks on, and the power and grace of Alto extraordinaire Erin Wood, such overall vocal score that was in every way challenging, unpredictable, and a "prime necessity" dutifully executed.
The little girl might not even be aware of the smooth direction of the choruses entrusted upon to very competent chorus conductors of Ms Donna Barnes and MrRene' Ayala who took to task such "crystalline precision of execution to a clear, logical conception", the little girl was, after all, a young child, still.
On the other hand she was amazed at so many people singing differently but coming up OK, nice and cool; enjoying and looking at the singers "not as mere outward display of vocal effect" but by their enhancing and empowering such "melodic flow and declamatory expression consequently possessing musical meaning" in cadence with the fine instrumentalists, she could have been thinking, in awe!
And she came to see and to hear her grandpa hit the part "and the government shall be upon His shoulder" whereupon she would turn her head and glance at her own shoulder each time !! And she did it on cue, in Unto Us, a Child is Born, by a chorus of little less than a hundred strong but charmingly cohesive.
Marred by recent events so disagreeable, the wonderful feeling we wish we have, the innocence of a child in advent for another Child who will place the burdens and sorrows of the world upon His shoulder.
Submitted by: Eliseo B. Serina, M. D., tenor
