Recharging Our Batteries

Winter is here. Hanukkah and Christmas have ended, and Kwanzaa has just begun. The longest night has passed. Little by little, almost imperceptibly for now, the light is returning, both to the skies and, I hope, to our lives. As we look forward to the end of 2020, I see places for great hope in the year to come.

Whatever the future holds, we know that there is much hard work to be done. Our racist systems and structures did not spring up overnight, and it will take time, energy, and effort to dismantle them all. We must be focused and act with intention. We must be strategic, single-minded, and persistent. We must persevere when we are weary. 

Still, we need to have strength to do the work; we must rest and regain our energy. So as this seemingly endless year finally comes to a close, I offer some music videos to lift our spirits...

I start with my favorite new discovery, Portland's Resonance Ensemble.  If you aren't yet familiar with this group, be sure to check the website. You can find out about the organization and its mission, sign on to the open letter call to action, and learn about its collaboration with the Oregon Symphony to present the world premiere performance of Portland composer Damian Geter's An African American Requiem, now rescheduled to May 7, 2022.

For now, be transported by the first two performances in Resonance Ensemble's "Under the Overpass" series. Each video is under six minutes long and showcases one of Portland's iconic bridges. Episode One, "Wanting Memories," was filmed this October under the Hawthorne Bridge. Episode Two features the Kingdom Sound Gospel Choir and acclaimed local opera singer Onry (Emmanuel Henreid) in "Stand By Me."   Four more episodes will round out the series; the next will be released on the Resonance Ensemble website on January 27, 2021.

And speaking of Onry, perhaps you've heard about his impromptu duet with Portland State University senior Madisen Hallberg in June as she prepared to sing the National Anthem at PSU's virtual graduation. Here they are performing "Dona Nobis Pacem" for this year's holiday greeting from PSU's College of the Arts. 

Even if Christmas is not part of your tradition, I expect that the traditional Irish "Wexford Carol" by Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss, and Natalie MacMaster will touch your soul.

For a more upbeat tempo -- and a global collaboration --  take a listen to "Lean on Me" by Playing for Change, "a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music."

I close with ukelele virtuoso Jake Shimabakuro's inimitable rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody." He may well be right in saying that "what the world needs now is ukelele," which he describes as "the instrument of peace." 

As we use these last days of December to regain our strength and pray for peace in the new year, let's also commit to seek justice with renewed passion, and with faith that even our smallest efforts can make a difference. We just have to act.

Love,

Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma


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