Singing Through the Storm

Did you know that, during Shakespeare’s time, the city of London was on “lockdown” numerous times due to outbreaks of the plague? At one point, London theatres – along with churches, inns and pubs – were closed for 14 months straight. I know many performing artists who, like the players of Shakespeare’s time, have seen their livelihoods dry up since March.

I know you’re probably thinking, “haven’t we heard enough about outbreaks and lockdowns? Do we really need to hear about 16th Century ones?!” I guess I’m trying to focus on the upside: the theatres did eventually reopen, and during the closure, Will Shakespeare had penned a little diversion called Romeo and Juliet!

Believe me, I have been struggling this week to find hope amid the encroaching darkness and the American election. At the time I am writing this the outcome is still unknown and I’m worried. But the darker things get, the more we need hope. The more we need to connect with the things that can still give us joy.

You may know that for several years now, I have been singing with Montreal Gospel Choir. You have probably also gathered that singing in public is about as popular these days as coughing or sneezing on people.
Choir practice was shut down last spring when the shutdown was declared. Obviously, there was no spring concert for us, and, much like church, we waited and hoped for the ‘okay’ to start meeting again in the fall. We have been rehearsing partly online, partly in person since September. Normally we would be preparing a huge Christmas concert in front of close to 2000 people…. We’ve had to scale back our ambitions, while simultaneously challenging ourselves to find new ways forward. Again, a lot like church.

This week, 50 members of Montreal Gospel Choir are making individual videos of themselves to be combined into a “virtual choir” project. For me personally this is proving very challenging. It’s like getting ready for a concert, except that in addition to knowing your music and lyrics, you’re responsible for your own sound and lighting! I’m not sure how my video will turn out, but I feel confident the whole project will be a success.

And I find myself deeply grateful for the song we are putting together. Lift Every Voice and Sing is known informally as the African American National Anthem. The original poem was written in 1900 by James Weldon Johnson and set to music several years later by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. It is both a plea for unity and a beacon of hope in a truly unnerving time.  - Amy

Lift ev’ry voice and sing,
‘Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on ’til victory is won.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.