Some of you may have already received this but I thought it would
interest many of you.
Pat
From: CSCommunity@yahoogroups.com
To: CSCommunity@yahoogroups.com
Date: 13 Sep 2001 13:10:47 -0000
Subject: [CSCommunity] Digest Number 20
Message-ID: <1000386647.484.9028.l10@yahoogroups.com>
There is 1 message in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. What can singers do about this tragedy?
From: cjw@c...
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Message: 1
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 21:49:42 -0000
From: cjw@c...
Subject: What can singers do about this tragedy?
September 12, 2001
Dear Singers,
All of us at Classical Singer wish to extend heartfelt condolences
to any of you who are being personally hurt by this horrible
tragedy. Please know that our hearts and prayers are with you.
I was interviewing a voice teacher today who said something that
really moved me: "Singers need to realize that their beautiful
sounds can heal wounds in this troubled world." We have all felt
the truth of those words I suspect and that is why we are in this
field.
I wonder if classical singers too often don't realize their own
power though. We watch popular artists organizing benefit
concerts when these kinds of tragedies occur but rarely see the
classical artists coming together for a similar purpose. Is there
anyone out there reading this who has the talent to take this
challenge to organize the HIGHEST arts to help heal?
On a smaller scale, what can you do right now? Beyond the
critical need to increase the donated blood supplies in the
coming weeks, you can pick up the phone and call your local
school, church, synogogue, temple and volunteer your services
for this weekend or whatever they need. We've begun
brainstorming on the Classical Singer Forum at
http://www.classicalsinger.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi to find
appropriate material to sing that will heal. I suggest you go there
and add your ideas and support.
May I start the brainstorming by suggesting the prayer by St.
Francis of Assisi set to music by Olive Dungan and called
"Eternal Life". The words are quite appropriate to the day:
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness; light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pard'ning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
The song works very well for the operatic voice and comes in
high and low keys.
We'd all love to hear your ideas for appropriate music for the next
few weekends. Whatever you decide to sing, please do use your
talents in any way you can. Let the schools, board meetings and
township meetings, know you are there and that music can help
bring a spirit of calm. I can see you calling up the local high
school chorus and volunteering to come sing. The kids would
never forget it. You don't even need an accompanist to do the job
well. I think of the leaders of our country standing on the steps
singing an impromptu "God Bless America". Many of them were
off key but it still brought tears to our eyes. Think how much more
of an impact the combination of a trained voice with that same
sincerity would be!
This is a time when you can really make a difference in the
world. Please go out and then let us know about your
experiences. Come visit the forum and talk about it or write me at
cjw@c....
Cyber-hugs to all,
CJ Williamson, Editor
P.S. Publisher David Wood has set up a special forum where
you can post news or inquiries about singers in New York who
may have been impacted by the tragedy. You can get to this
forum by going to the homepage at
http://www.classicalsinger.com
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