 St. Joan of Arc is fortunate to have a choir of such exceptional individuals. Those John Bell songs heard at the Lenten prayer service, are not unfamiliar to this choir that ends each practice with one of these songs as their closing prayer. This choir is an open community that extends its arms to all those who want to sing, “just to praise the Lord” as one member put it. They are not professional singers but the talents and inner spirituality of their director, Anna Vagle, spurs each individual to vocal heights they did not realize they possessed. Her choice of music and her personal inner spirit and great energy bring to this community a true understanding of what each song says in ways that enhances each member’s prayer life along with improving their singing.
The choir’s schedule is a challenging one especially during Lent. Beginning with Ash Wednesday, the Lenten all music service just presented and with the upcoming Sunday, March 18th performance; followed by Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday Seder meal and Easter Sunday makes for a somewhat busy schedule. But, as most of the members would attest to, it is also the most exciting time of the year, better than Christmas, they say. This year, after Easter, April 24th, the choir has been asked to sing for the all city Confirmation Eucharistic celebration at the Basilica in Minneapolis. The chosen music just may knock their socks off and what an end to a wonderful year it will be.
This group is happiest when they are working hard and know that the work and time they have put into this effort will be rewarded not just by the applause that is usually ear- splitting after one of their especially exuberant gospel tunes, but more for that special feeling that only a choir member understands. The hard work has finally culminated into the moment when, as Eric Friesen of KSJN-FM put it, “we know what we’re doing, when we feel the full pleasure of creating sound in our own individual voices and the harmonizing with those around us. It is the double magic of choral singing.”
Anna and the choir offer this invitation: We invite you to sing with us. Didn’t someone say, “to sing is to pray twice?” Try it - you might love it!
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