One of the promises I made to myself several years ago was to embrace any new opportunities
that might come along—to move beyond my comfort zone so I could relish new learning experiences and forge new friendships with the many unique and wonderful people I've yet to meet.
For some of us, this is not always an easy thing to do because our hearts and minds are often entangled with an awful four letter word—fear. Certainly, it is no stranger to me!
For many years, fear prevented me from doing many things I wanted to do, but I learned that prayer is an antidote to fear. So, with prayer and new resolve, I forged ahead to find an ample supply of opportunities.
One of the most challenging, to date, has been singing with a choir under the direction of Maestro Dimitrios M. Fousteris, music director and conductor of the Hellenic American Music Conservatory. Most of the music was written in Greek. For myself and four friends who joined in on this adventure, there was new meaning in the phrase, “It’s all Greek to me!”
The choir was preparing for an impressive production celebrating Greek Independence Day, and included both a symphony orchestra and members of the Metropolitan Opera. Talk about anxiety!
Being on the same stage with that many highly trained professionals could strike fear in the bravest of hearts. Fortunately, I discovered an endearing quality of Maestro Fousteris was his ability to dispel that fear. You could leave a grueling rehearsal actually believing that there is nothing strange about the fact that, as a simple parish choir member, you will be singing behind international stars, led by an orchestra conductor with 500 concerts throughout Europe and America to his credit.
The key is clear, stressed the Maestro in his delightful Greek accent, “Focous!, focous!, focous!!” Waving his arms in pure conductor form, he was emphatic, “Do not take your eyes off me!”
He gave us an exercise to sing, “A, E, I, O, U!” We were told to follow his hands and we began, “A, E….” His hands stopped. We didn’t—barreling along in full voice, “I, O, U!”
The exercise was repeated four or five times and each time the choir missed the cue and forged ahead like a train unable to stop on the tracks.
Finally, the Maestro reminded us loudly, “Focous!!! You must focous on me!!”
The next time we got it right, and he smiled.
I smiled, too, at the image of God that suddenly occurred to me—the Great Conductor, trying diligently to get us, his children, to “Focus!” while we race ahead with our own way of doing things.
In the years since then, in addition to Maestro Fousteris, I have been privileged to sing with an incredibly talented and diverse group of music directors and conductors—Chris, Thom, Eliza and Tim. Though unique in their styles, they have all provided invaluable lessons, including the importance of being able to take your eyes off the musical score. It requires knowledge of the music and complete faith in the conductor—and focus!
Their lessons remind me of the words of one of my favorite composers, Robert Schumann: “When you play {or sing!}, never mind who listens to you. Play always as if in the presence of a master.”
For us, as Christians, that would be Master—with a capital M.
“My eyes are upon you, O God, my Lord; in you I take refuge . . .” Psalm 141:8
Photo is of Tim Keyes, conductor, composer and director of Tim Keyes Consort http://www.timkeyesconsort.org/
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