Sunday, August 26, 2012

Paddle to the Sea


DO YOU REMEMBER THIS MOVIE?

"Paddle to the Sea" was a film I must have watched half a dozen times in various grade school and Sunday school classrooms when I was growing up. This simple, gentle film tells the story of a small toy canoe, named "Paddle to the Sea" by the young boy who carved it. The boy places the canoe in a snowbank on the side of a small mountain in Canada, where the spring snow-melt carries it to the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River, and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean. The beautifully made movie captures the unfolding drama of the journey with a sense of wonder at what each turn will bring.

Okay, it's a stretch, but I think the reason this movie has sprung back to mind in the last weeks has to do with the start of another season of great choral music. We who sing and conduct are a little bit like that toy canoe-we have an idea of the destination, but we look forward to the surprising discoveries along the way just as much. What fun awaits us at our tribute to vocal jazz and our MOOD INDIGO concert in September? What joys will be experience as we explore again the profound depths of EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM by Johannes Brahms?

Sometimes, the paddling is a challenge. The worst economy in a generation has impacted all the arts. Sometimes it's serene...performing favorite choruses from Handel's MESSIAH. In all seasons, however, we keep the paddle in the water, pulling ourselves forward one stroke at a time.

I'm glad to have so many treasured friends and colleagues along for the adventure. After last week's auditions, the Symphonic Choir roster stands at an impressive 175 names! That, along with a dedicated and sharp board of directors, and the most talented staff in the business, ensures our seaward progress. Here's to a wonderful 76th anniversary season for the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir...the journey continues!