requiem

on saturday evening, my mom and i went to see a performance of requiem by hector belioz at wheaton college. the guest conductor, john nelson, graduated from wheaton with my mom in 1963. while the symphony isn't my favorite performance to see, this one was quite spectacular. watching mr. nelson conduct helped me develop a new found appreciation for this art form. he conducts with his whole being. his entire body goes into the piece. as i watched him, i kept thinking that if one were deaf, he would be the conductor to watch. his physical interaction with the piece allowed you to "hear" the music just by watching his body.

the piece that was performed is a mass for the dead. they collaborated with niu students and dedicated the performance to those that lost their lives earlier this year. it was quite moving.

i found the second movement to be my favorite. the theme of this part was judgment and without judgment, it is hard to come to peace with what happened on that campus. for me, the belief in a just god helps me to rest in the fact that God will not let senseless acts like this go unpunished.

the above picture is of my mom in the side yard by the chapel. she doesn't get to visit her alma mater often, so cherishes the times when she does.