As most of you know, Paula is the director of the Moravian College Choir. Each year, she conducts the Choir and the Women's Chorus during the much-acclaimed Moravian Vespers held each year in Bethlehem PA at the Central Moravian Church (the big one on Main Street with the famous clock tower). This year is special, as they're going to be televised. As such, Paula's pulling out all the stops for a terrific program. Tickets are almost impossible to get, even though they're 6000 of them and they're free.
For those that haven't been to Vespers, here's a little preview. The show's about an hour, but the doors open 45 minutes before the start. It's best to get there early and get a good seat. Each night has about 1000 people. My advice is to sit near the front, in the middle, a row or two in front of the microphone stands. Don't sit under the balcony, as much of the show happens up there, so you won't hear as good.
During the prelude, instrumentalists play various short pieces in near darkness, particularly the brass band up in the balcony. Then the officials walk in and take their seats up front. Soon after, the choir fills the room with sound from the balcony. The first piece is always pure magic. There's just something about the choir's sound filling that space for the first time. Don't feel shy about turning around to look.
After the first piece, the lights go up. The choir then alternates piece-by-piece with the officials up front doing short readings. After a few pieces, the choir secretly thunders downstairs to be replaced by the Women's Chorus, who sings while voluntary donations are collected. Then Paula gets her exercise as she runs downstairs to the basement, then runs underneath the audience along a dank underground hallway, magically reappearing at the front of the church.
Then the primary program starts. The Choir shuffles and sways their way in from the back of the room, always singing something fun, while Paula conducts them from up front. They then assemble in front of her for another half-dozen pieces, during which we get to really see and hear them (hence my advice to sit up front and in the middle).
After this, we start the traditional part of the program, where the entire audience sings familiar Moravian hymns. The choir walks off and goes upstairs again. Everyone sings a while, then the lights go down. A song later, after our eyes have gotten used to the dark, doors suddenly swing open to admit candle-bearers, who hand all 1000 participants their very own hand-made vespers candle. Holding our candles, we sing the rest of the hymns. One of them is a Bethlehem tradition ... a small child stands in the balcony, leading the audience in the song Morning Star, written in the 1800s at Moravian College. It's considered quite an honor to have your child be a Morning Star soloist.
The candlelit hymns culminate in "Angels from the Realms of Glory", with all the candle-bearings marching up front. In the last verse, everyone in the audience raises their candles. At the very end, the sopranos in the choir sing the final descant while trumpets soar majestically. That's the goosebumps moment. I've seen this show 37 times and *every time* it takes my breath away.
The lights then go up and there's one final piece after the officials walk out. I then get to play my role in all this: I start the clapping. People never know they're allowed to clap. The Morning Star soloist takes his/her bow in the balcony while the choir cheers. Finally the organist plays something classy while everyone walks out. Be sure to come up to the balcony to say hi. I'll be there giving Paula a big hug, then waiting while she says thanks to the string of brave souls who climb the stairs to congratulate her.
To me, the holidays wouldn't feel like the holidays without Vespers, though I'm a confirmed Vespers groupie, so I may be biased. Other people seem to feel the same, though, since they keep coming back.
Posted by timothy at November 12, 2003 03:31 PM | TrackBack