Love and a Tube of Chapstick

Yesterday I fed the hungry. Well, I guess I feed the hungry on a daily basis at my house, so let me try again.


Yesterday evening I helped feed people who were really hungry. Several mentioned that this was the first food they'd had all day and another said he hadn't eaten in two days.


Some of these people came in right off the street while others probably came in their cars (and would be going back to sleep in them, too.) Some of them lived in the neighborhood or a nearby neighborhood. Some likely lived in shelters. Some may have needed a meal more than some of the others. But each one who came for a meal was an eternal soul.


Yesterday I was privileged to "feed Jesus" by helping to feed "the least of these." I went into the experience with a little trepidation as well as the conviction that I needed to love these people. My job was passing out chapstick, which is a real luxury to those who spend their days outside and on the street. My intent was to include a little love with each tube. I tried to make eye contact, smile, or maybe squeeze an arm or pat a hand. Some times I got a grateful smile or a verbal thank you. And sometimes I didn't. Either way it was okay.


I gazed into old eyes, sad eyes, bitter eyes, grateful eyes, apathetic eyes, weary eyes and even some very young eyes...and behind each pair of eyes was an eternal soul.


Yesterday we sought to meet the very real, pressing need for food and to plant a tiny seed of God's love. And to give them some chapstick.

It's Fun to Say "Oratorio"

So it wasn't the Messiah-it wasn't even Handel-it was an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach which he called Weihnachtsoratorium which is practically impossible to pronouce gracefully so nowadays we cheat a litle and call it Bach's Christmas Oratorio which is kinda fun to say and sounds prettier, too. It was just a teeny tiny mix-up, a little bitty misunderstanding but I was still excited about it until I noticed from the program that all of the songs were in German (which served to considerably dampen my enthusiasm...that is, until the performance began)

The overture was majestic and glorious and so extremely "Bach," if I can use a proper noun as an adjective. (and I can because this is my blog and it seems like I break the rules of grammar on a regular basis anyway, so I say let's go with it.)

Then the choir began singing things like "Glory to God in the highest" which I never would have known without the subtitles because German is pretty much nothing like English.

Thanks to modern technology (and my "distance" glasses) I was blessed by the words of Scripture and the inspiring lyrics, some of which I jotted down (kind of a trick to do in the dark.) I will share with you my favorite phrases:

"Break through, oh lovely light of morn."
"Now will the Star of Jacob shine its radiance..."
"How shall I fitly meet Thee and give Thee welcome due?"
"For us to Earth He cometh poor "
"Within yon gloomy Manger lies..."
"Ruler of Heaven, hear our stammering tones"
"Hear our heart's triumphant praise because our welfare is assured"
"I will live for Thee here"
"With Thee I will soar at last, filled with joy without end!!"

Saved By the Subtitles

I know you are probably thinking, "Oh, no, another post about opera" and you might be right... sorta... at least, the "oh, no" part... not the opera part... because this post is about the oratorio. Try not to get too excited...

Like an opera, an oratorio has an orchestra, soloists and a choir...and also music that you have to exert a little effort to get into. However, unlike opera, an oratorio usually has a religious theme. History lesson: in Italy during the early 17th century, Lent was strictly observed as a period of prayer and fasting, in preparation for Holy week. The Church forbade secular musical performances during the 40 days prior to the celebration of the Resurrection, apparently to satisfy itself that people were at least giving up something for Lent. Into this musical abyss, the oratorio was born.

When the word oratorio comes up in casual conversation, (which may not be all that often but work with me here) the first thing that comes to mind is probably Handel's Messiah. I always knew I liked Handel, most certainly because of his Messiah. But now I find I like him even more since I have discovered that, although he was German, he wrote the first oratorio in the English language and his subject was Esther (being a fan of both English and Esther.) I am getting ahead of myself here... In the early 1700's, he had been writing operas, which were not getting a lot of favorable attention. I guess it came to him one day that if he wrote an oratorio, he would be pretty much guaranteed an audience during Lent, which led to his first religious oratorio (Israel in Egypt) (a sell-out) and ultimately, to the Messiah.

Besides all the usual instruments--all the violins, flutes, oboes and the obligatory cello--oratorios are usually pretty big on trumpets and timpani. There are some monumental musical moments going on and the trumpet and timpani seem to be mandatory for those moments. That, of course, is my personal opinion but I think you would have to agree that nothing grabs your attention quicker than a trumpet and nothing accentuates a point better than a timpani!

Although there are soloists and ensembles, the backbone of the oratorio is the choir. Glorious music just sounds more glorious coming from a big choir. And with a religious theme, there is a lot of glorious going on.

The word "oratorio" means "hall for prayer" which I think refers to the fact that oratorios were originally performed in churches rather than opera houses or concert halls. However, the whole oratorio is almost like a prayer; at least that has been my experience. (which at this point is limited to Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Handel's Messiah) Bach's Christmas Oratorio was written in 1734 in German, but happily for me, the performance I attended provided subtitles. Those subtitles not only saved the day for me but enriched, inspired, and fed my soul. And, probably, that is exactly what the church fathers wanted and what the oratorio composers intended.

My Sublime Opera Moments

This post is probably just for me: my "sublime moments" and the YouTube links to each one. Definitely not an exhaustive list; although if you listen to very many, you will definitely be exhausted.

"Der Hölle Rache" from Die Zauberflote by Mozart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ufeyarJxNQ

"O Mio Babbino Caro" from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRuYQ9KRJms&feature=fvw

"Quando Me'n Vo"from La Boheme by Puccini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZzC6e6olCY&feature=related

"The Marriage of Figaro Overture" by Mozart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io1TLkvQEHQ

"The Flower Duet" from Lakeme by Delibes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qx2lMaMsl8

"Je Veux Vivre" from Romeo et Juliette by Gounod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsHKWGHkH0M&feature=related

"Caro Nome" from Rigoletto by Verdi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S98ptHUFBY&feature=related

"Brindisi" from La Traviata by Verdi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiChbD7r-VA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtTKcqINJrM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtTKcqINJrM&feature=related

Just a Few More Notes ♪♫ About Opera

Dafne, one of the first operas in history--that we know about--was the musical re-telling of the story of a nymph named Daphne who, upon being chased by Apollo, was turned into a laurel tree. It seems that a lot of the earliest operas were inspired by Greek and Roman myths. This opera was written by Jacopo Peri and Ottavio Rinuccini in 1597, in, where else, Italy. (the "i"s at the end of their names should have been a dead giveaway) The librettist Rinuccini was convinced that his opera "gave pleasure beyond belief to the few who heard it." I guess we will just have to take his word for it.

Bel canto opera means beautiful singing and generally, they are not kidding. Many operatic songs were written for the express purpose of showing off a particular singer's voice.

Opera seria is a noble and serious style of opera written for, and usually about, nobility.

Opera buffa is opera that is light and comic, usually with a happy ending, written for the common folk.

In an opera, it is usually the soprano who sings an aria to express her innermost feelings and share them with the entire world. Then she insists on repeating it several times in case you missed it the first time. And then she sings it one more time for good measure.

A recitative is sung to keep the plot moving along and to explain things. However, the whole purpose of the recitative is defeated if the opera is sung in Italian, unless of course there are subtitles or you happen to speak Italian.

Most operas are in Italian although there are some in German and French. It is probably good that many operas are sung in another language because words tend to be distracting. There are those of the opinion (mainly me) that music is the language of opera and who listens to the words, anyway.


Before going to an opera it is best to do some serious preparation so here are some hints in case you decide to venture into the world of opera:

1-Fortify yourself with a good meal because it might be some time before you get to eat again. (especially if you go to a Wagnerian opera which I haven't even mentioned and probably won't because that is a bit beyond me) Have a cup or two of coffee...just not too much.

2-You ought to at least read the libretto, study the life of the composer and listen to all the music of the opera you are going to as well as some of his other compositions. (I wonder why all the opera composers seem to be men...I may have to look into that) In this case, familiarity does not breed contempt. In fact, after you have heard the opera several times, it becomes more like a dear old friend.

3-Arm yourself with some good old fashioned opera glasses or a discreet pair of binoculars because you want to be able to see the expressions on the faces of the singers. And the details of their costumes. But try to ignore the microphones. They kinda spoil the effect.

4-Do not take candy with noisy wrappers and please, pre-open your Ludens cherry cough drops if you suspect you might be overtaken by a fit of coughing. There are some serious opera lovers out there and I will not be responsible if one takes offense at your wrapper-rustling.

5- Try not to get bogged down by the repetitiveness of the words or the implausibility of the storyline. Enjoy the moments you find sublime and let your spirit fly away with the music.

6-A final thought: music expresses emotion and opera is all about emotion. Just expect that and don't get all emotional about it. Or take plenty of tissues.

From "Opera, Schmopera" to "I ♥ Opera"

Opera is, well, opera. At first, opera and I did not get along. So I spent some time with the genre, reasoning that if I became more familiar with it, I would like it more. I went to a few operas:

Die Zauberflote
Cosi Fan Tutte
La Perichole
The Marriage of Figaro
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Suor Angelica




And then I had an epiphany: it is all about the music, baby. Ever since I figured that out, opera and I have gotten along just fine.

Opera is not about the story or the characters. It is the music. And some of it is sublime. And some of it is not.

(I suspect that opera composers keep the sublime moments to a minimum--because, just as in real life, there are lots of sub-sublime moments in an opera.) (I just made up that word--you cannot find it in the dictionary--go ahead, try)

Some of my sublime moments:

"Der Hölle Rache" from Die Zauberflote by Mozart
"O Mio Babbino Caro" from Gianni Schicchi by Puccini
"Je Veux Vivre" from Romeo et Juliette by Gounod
"The Flower Duet" from Lakeme by Delibes
"Quando Me'n Vo"from La Boheme by Puccini
"Brindisi" from La Traviata by Verdi
"The Marriage of Figaro Overture" by Mozart
"Caro Nome" from Rigoletto by Verdi

Opera is not much like real life.

Except for when money gets tight at the end of the month and someone can't pay his rent or when someone makes bad choices and has to face the consequences. No, opera isn't much like real life except for when someone is misunderstood or falls in love with the wrong person or goes lurking through a temple with a magic flute and a bird-man, looking for his true love (ok, maybe not so much the last one.)

I guess except for the complicated story lines and the fact that everybody sings all the time, opera might not be so far from real life sometimes. At least, real life if you're Italian.

Because of Wendy

If I hug my kids a little oftener, squeeze them a little tighter, hold them a little longer, that is because of Wendy. It is Wendy's legacy of love that challenges me.

If I do my home school lesson planning more than a month in advance, that is because of Wendy. It is Wendy's legacy of diligence that challenges me.

If I have a talent or a resource and I step out of my comfort zone to volunteer, it is because of Wendy. It is Wendy's legacy of availability that challenges me.

If I sense the calling of God and I follow that leading, it is because of Wendy. It is Wendy's legacy of obedience that challenges me.

If I thank God for all the gifts that He has given me, it is because of Wendy. It is Wendy's legacy of gratitude that challenges me.

And I thank God that I had the privilege to know and be challenged by Wendy.