Ave Maria

George Frederic Handel's "Hallelujah"

Arvo Part's "Missa Syllabica"

Last night, we were given a task. Our goal was to bring an assortment of compositions to fruition. I can proudly say that we succeeded.


For the past seven months, the choir has convened on a weekly basis. We came in each night with our portfolio's in hand, ready to bring our sheet music to life. We spent hours labouring over the works of Vivaldi, Handel, and Arvo Part in preparation for one night.

Singing at the last concert of the year was such a pleasure. I purposely used the word 'pleasure' because I remembered how uneasy I felt on the night of the first concert of the year. For one, it was on a dark evening in November and it freezing out. I'm not sure how, but my feet were already sore and aching before I walked on the stage. I knew the pieces, but I was somehow intimidated by the grandeur of the venue. It felt a bit alien to be standing under piercingly bright lights, singing out into the darkness. Also, time felt like it was dragging.

At the final concert, all I wanted was for everything to slow down. To be able to take everything in one at a time. This time, I was singing, yet aware of everything. The conductor of the orchestra, my friend seated in the crowd, and my favourite; how the reverberations in the church intensified with each double bar line.

Can I please replay that night over and over again?