April 11, 2008

Mendelssohn's Elijah



I've been absent from my blog for a bit. My apologies to all who have been faithfully checking back! This month finds me preparing for a major event in my life which will take place in May. I will be performing on tour in Spain. I and several others from Lancaster Bible College will be performing Mendelssohn's ELIJAH. It is an oratorio over two hours long.

Why are we doing this? Back in the reign of the Nazis Hitler discovered that Mendelssohn had been a Jew. So he had all his compositions in Germany destroyed and bought as many from all over the world that he could find and burned them. Spain had sided with Germany and followed their example. So now there are several generations of Spaniards who have never even heard of Mendelssohn. This will be a new experience for hundreds. Our performances are so anticipated that we have been invited to be recorded live so that our presentation is broadcast all over the nation.

We will be leaving May 11th and returning on May 21st. It will be a whirl-wind ten days. During that time we will be performing in the cities of Salamanca, Galicia, Ponferrada, and Leon. We will have to endure 6-hour rehearsals and four 2 1/2-hour performances in the same week! It will be extremely demanding of all musicians not only physically but emotionally. As a music professor I can honestly say that this oratorio is very difficult.

The second reason we are doing this is to expose Spaniards to the story of Elijah. It is a powerful story in the Bible from the Old Testament but most people in Spain don't know it. The reason for this is that in their Catholic churches ( Spain is predominantly Catholic) the Bible is read by the priest alone and only in Latin. Most Spaniards don't even know what's in the Bible because they don't understand what's being read to them!
Mendelssohn's oratorio was originally written in German but for the first time we will be presenting it to the Spaniards in their own language. It has brought much excitement to the waiting audiences. And since the government funds the arts in Spain we are able to give every person who attends their own full copy of Mendelssohn's Oratorio to take home with them.

Of course I will bring my camera along and will update more on this when I return, Lord willing. Words cannot express how much joy I feel in knowing that God has been so faithful in continuing to heal my body from the injuries I suffered in the car accident back in September. This trip will be difficult for me, physically, but I am certain God is going to do something incredible through all this suffering and preparation. If only one person finds Him... then it is worth it.

Amazon has some sound clips you can listen to should you be curious to hear a few selections. As always, Amazon seems to find the most unimpressive moments in any musical album to display. So if possible buy yourself a copy and listen to the whole thing. :) After clicking on the link below scroll down the page to find Disk 1 and Disk 2.

Elijah Listening Excerpts



For those of you who feel so inclined please pray for this tour. Pray for safety, health, a positive attitude, and stamina. The time difference is six hours. If its 2pm here its 8pm in Spain. Also, finding sufficient funds has been a strain for everyone. There will be 62 of us in all ( choir and orchestra). Please pray that our finances would work out. Thanks! :}

12 comments:

Sita said...

Hi,
Thank you for dropping by my blog and leaving such thoughtful comments.

I share with you that longing for that day when my 'love' would be made perfect when I see Him face-to-face.
Be blessed and I pray that your trip to Spain would shed His light in the darkness. May you all know His provision and protection.
~Sita~

jomiel said...

Elijah is a great oratorio. Good luck on your trip!

Sincerity said...

sita: Thank you for visiting! :) I'm excited to see what God will do in this effort for Spain.

Sincerity said...

jomiel: Hey! Great to see you again! :) Elijah is a nice oratorio! Thanks so much for the well wishes.

thethinker said...

Spain! Wow. I'm so jealous.

Sasha said...

That's so cool that you're doing this - I hope you have a great time in Spain :)

Sincerity said...

thethinker: You are well on your way to becoming a multi-skilled professional. I have no doubt that if you continue doing your best, as you have been, that one day you will visit places you always wanted to go.

I for one am rooting for your success. Thanks so much for dropping by and encouraging me! :)

Sincerity said...

sasha: Hey girl! Thank you for the well wishes!

Part of the time in Spain will be fun and part of it will be me keeping an eye on all the students, hoping they behave and give the Spaniards a good impression about us Americans. :)

algelic said...

Awww! That's GREAT! You'll travel to a different country and share something with others. :)

I feel like stopping by Spain to see you... but I'm not sure I'll have time. *must consider*

Sincerity said...

algelic:

Hey there!

This will be a trip to remember, for certain. You're right. It is important to share good things with others... things that will make their lives a little easier.:)

What you said reminds of a verse in the Bible that states, "... remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35(NIV)

Thanks for your support!

Dr.John said...

Wow! What a great opportunity. I am surprised that the Catholic priests still read in Latin. In so many countries now they read in the language of the people.
I am glad you have this special chance to share your faith and I will be praying for you.

Sincerity said...

dr.john:

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for the prayers. They are appreciated! :)