As an afterthought, I intend to post the Madrigal recordings of these two pieces as soon as I get my hands on them.
We recently arrived home from our touring of Seattle. There is too much to say about the entire experience just now, so only this will be able to suffice. This piece, “There Will Be Rest,” is perhaps my most favorite song to have ever learned in any choir, tied with “In Rememberance.” We as the West Jordan High School Madrigals had the most touching and profound experiences with both of these pieces of music. The first, “There Will Be Rest,” has come to mean more than words can describe to all of us. It speaks of the time when we can finally, truly have peace; it speaks of hope for the future, of comforting, of the world we create for ourselves. It means something different to each one of us– some of us felt it described how one finds oneself, finds the meaning of his or her life, and therefore finds peace. Others literally imagined peaceful rest and healing dreaming. Others still think of how life is hard for everyone and how we can find the peace we need in life, and how one day we will get rest, sure as the stars shining.
There will be rest, and sure stars shining
Over the roof-tops crowned with snow,
A reign of rest, serene forgetting,
The music of stillness holy and low.I will make this world of my devising
Out of a dream in my lonely mind.
I shall find the crystal of peace, – above me
Stars I shall find.
“In Rememberance” begins hopeful with “lux aeterna.” “Eternal light” is what that translates to. It has hope and faith in God– even when one cannot see or hear him. The song goes onward to become a prayer and a pleading to God that He will turn and be gracious unto us when our lives have become stormy– as we have promise of them always turning stormy up to the end. Some might say that the person praying is angry with God: “How could this happen? Why is my life the way it is now? Why have you hid yourself from me and forsaken me? Are you there, O God, and do you hear me?” These in the song are some of the same words that Jesus utters in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Why hast thou forsaken me?” Then we find that He has been with us all along, as God will never forsake any of us– He is always there. It is us who forsake Him. It promises rest and eternal peace and happiness– this and “There Will Be Rest” go hand in hand, really. This song is one of the most powerful I have yet heard or sung. I think being in actual presence of the music is the best way to experience it aside from being a part of a choir that sings it. Singing it in Seattle was honestly a very spiritual experience. Practicing beforehand had most of the Madrigals in tears, and I have never been prouder of or loved my entire group more.
Lux aeterna
Luceat eis
Domine
Turn to me and be gracious, for my heart is in distress.
Oh God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
My tears linger at night, but joy comes in the morning light.
Luceat eis
Domine
Lux aeterna
Domine
Lord, in your infinite mercy, grant them rest.
Rest forevermore.
