Sunday evening, Assumption Church. At 7 p.m. it was still light out, but inside the light was settling into a dusk. The church felt full. The side wings had been roped off so that we centered in the main hall. From far behind me I could hear the opening strains of the Exsultat, reminding me of the Easter Vigil. At first, it was disconcerting. This is a concert; why is the singing coming from the back? and it isn't Easter, is it? And is this church - or a concert? But the confusion settled down as Cynthia's clear voice rang up the aisle "offering this evening of praise into Your hands." By the time she arrived at the altar, we were in her hands.
Cynthia's voice is perfectly accompanied by a violin. Her five musicians were all excellent - Karen Brusher on the piano, Matthew Ma on th Organ, Fred Marchand on the Guitar, Iris Zemva on the keyboard, but it was Slobodan Zemva on the violin who broke my heart open to hear these songs in a new way.
There's going to be a CD soon of the event. It won't include the hush of the church or the lemonade, fruit, cookies and cake afterwards, but it will fill your home with praise.