Hallelujah!

Last Sunday the priest of my now regular church announced that Keble college was performing Handel's Messiah this Friday, and that any one who wanted to could show up and be a part. 

Well today at 5 two of my friends and I entered the most beautiful chapel and took our places in the rag-tag choir. Some of the others singing had obviously been a part of a regular choir but a lot of us had just heard about it in one way or another and simply shown up. There was also a very small orchestra that had also been practicing. 

We spent about 40 minutes sight-reading the music and 'practicing.' Then we took a break while the people coming to hear us filed in. There must have been at least 50 people in the audience. When the time came we rose and sat, listened to the soloists and sang. That's right. After less than an hour of practice a slapdash choir sang a wonderful rendition of a powerful song. It was amazing. It was difficult but not nerve-wracking; exhilarating and fun; and joyous. The arrangement lasted only about 35 minutes and then we were done, free to go back to our normal, everyday lives. 

But for those 35 minutes I was a part of something much larger. I was a living, participating part of an Oxford Choir Performance.