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Soul vs. Symphony: A Holy-Roller Girl in a High-Class World May 28, 2007 By Shannon Dunlap
The music swelled, and I strained every vocal chord to match its fervor. My emotions ran high as the meaning of the words overwhelmed me, and my diaphragm dragged in as much air as it could hold for that last, power-packed note. The musicians fell silent as the audience sat staring at us. No one applauded. No one shouted “Hallelujah.” No one even raised their hands heavenward. Not that I expected them to. This was no church service. It was a stuffy symphony hall and to clap in between the musical movements would be considered gauche.
It often amazes me as I sit on stage in the midst of the prestigious pomp of classical music. How did a foot-stomping, pew-pounding Pentecostal girl like me end up here? It brings to mind the old cliché of coming from two different worlds.
Apostolic Basics My musical background was standard fare for an Apostolic. We clapped on the off-beat, swayed on the fast songs (and the slow ones), and never let a minor detail like the right pitch get in the way of a move of the Spirit. It was glorious. Every church service held that element of the unknown. Which song was going to touch someone’s heart? Which chord was going to get Sister So-and-So dancing in the aisles?
Four years as a Bible college music major only added to my appreciation of the power of song. Annual tours with the choir, chorale, and ensemble allowed me to travel around the country and participate in a variety of worship styles. The adrenalin after those services ran hard and heavy and the fun factor was off the charts, but some aspects of studying music registered much lower on the enjoyment scale: ear training, musicianship, sight-singing, music theory (1, 2, 3, and 4). This was the nitty-gritty of the notes, intervals, history, and pentatonic scales. The “math” of music, if you will. Theology majors shook their heads in pity at the endless practicing and paperwork I endured. Were these mind-numbing exercises necessary? If I only knew what awaited in five short years.
Entering A Brave, New (Symphonic) World Fast-forward to my Virginia Symphony Chorus audition. I prepared an assigned excerpt from Mozart that sounded like a Latin mass. Then the conductor handed me a sheet of music I had never seen before and asked me to sing the piece on sight. Also, the pianist played a succession of notes and I identified the musical intervals. All the drilling and drudgery of the years of training kicked in and the Chorus Master welcomed me as the first female tenor in his group. (The high notes of the men’s part in classical music can often reach to where an alto would sing in a church choir.) Thankfully, I still got to wear the long, black dress as opposed to the usual tenor tuxedo. The singers were warm and welcoming, but I still felt like the proverbial stranger in a strange land.
This brave, new world of choral singing leaves me feeling a little lost at times. It shocks my system to look out and see violins, oboes, and kettle drums in front of me, instead of keyboard, bass, and organ. Their whole pacing is a foreign language. They play about half a beat behind the conductor’s baton. This confuses my internal rhythm, which is used to following the music.
My tongue trips over the unfamiliar words as the texts range from Hebrew to German and everything in between. You never feel a move of the Spirit while performing “Oh Shenandoah,” but there is also less pressure since you’re not trying to save anyone’s soul with your song. This does not mean I check my Holy Ghost at the door, however. I appear as composed as the rest of the tenors while performing Handel’s Messiah at Christmastime, but I can feel something rumble deep inside of me when we hit that special part. You know the one I mean:
King of Kings And Lord of Lords Forever and Ever Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Truth is truth, no matter what kind of music is playing underneath. I may have to restrain myself from taking a lap around the string section, but I’m shoutin’ on the inside.
ninetyandnine.com © 2007, Shannon Dunlap --------- Shannon Dunlap received her M.A. in Journalism from Regent University and now resides in her beloved hometown of Norfolk, Virginia. She writes for a local newspaper and is finishing a book on her travels. She likes to listen to Sinatra, watch classic movies, and eat too much Mexican food. |
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