SONGS OF ANGER, JUSTICE AND LOVE ... Offered to the community by the SJA choir Wednesday, March 14th, 2001

Anna Vagle extended her magical invisible baton and the voices began a prayerful “hum” that gradually became “Come and fill our hearts with your peace…” and the evening prayer had begun. The music chosen for this program was appropriately rooted deeply in Celtic spirituality. It came from the pen of John Bell and the Iona Community of Glasgow, Scotland. These simple folk melodies are drawn from the countries of Ireland, South Africa, Malawi, South America, the Far East as well as Scotland.

This evening’s prayer was a combination of the program songs’ descriptions given by a narrator, our multi-talented St. Joan’s parishioner, Prayer Partner and choir member, Karin Grosscup, who with Anna Vagle wrote the script for this service. Poetry and quotations were included to help the assembly join their hearts in meditative prayer, song and contemplation. Those assembled were invited to sing along with the choir as the printed program provided words for most of the songs.

Comments from participants and attendees regarding the evening’s music impressions varied. Some chose one special song that deeply gripped them while others chose ones that gave them powerful feelings of peace and calm. One person described the evening as “the discovery of the eighth sacrament, one of lips and tongue and voice”.

A hint of the feel of the Celtic mood welcomed people upon their entrance as Kristen Woolever playfully rendered the “penny whistle” nimble in her talented fingers as she sailed through some lively Irish music and ended with the lovely “Londonderry Air” or as many of us know more familiarly, “Danny Boy”. Nancy Stockhaus played Irish music on the piano and with her usual adeptness accompanied the choir showing us once again how lucky St. Joan’s is to have this talented lady in our midst.

The heart of the evening was the prayerfulness of the songs as they connected with one another through their power of melody and lyrics woven intermittently with Karin’s narrative. At times, the deceptive simplicity of these songs can belie the underlying complexity of their meaning.

Some favored the song, “Our Burden is heavy”- “Unzima” which reflects the pain born by black South Africans before the democratization of that country but for many others that burden still remains. Others were enlightened by the description of Jesus as a provocative preacher, itinerant teacher, outsider who disarms and confuses us. This song begs us to listen to what Jesus is saying to us today.

Joann Potts is a retired music and English teacher and 30 year member of St. Joans. She enjoys working with Anna Vagle each week. She is "in charge" of doing those slides you see at church each Sunday and for preparing the music sheets for the musicians. JoAnn and her husband Jim will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 2001 and are proud of their family of five children and eight grandchildren. Her hobbies include singing, playing her digital piano, writing her memoirs, reading, writing poetry, entertaining friends, visiting the North Shore and ballroom dancing with Jim.

The choir members were asked to choose a song to add to the upcoming Sunday’s performance at both masses. Their unanimous choice was the beautiful final song “God To Enfold You”. Its message is what is often asked of God; that is, to be enfolded and upheld by God, to be graced, healed and embraced by God and to be lead from darkness into light. The service ended quietly but the spiritual energy remained as a beautiful echo.

JoAnn offers us greater insight into who the choir is and extends an invitation to you to join in with your voice. The SJA Choir