This morning I opened “5 things,” in my smartphone Inbox, CNN’s nifty daily rundown of five newsworthy items. For a short list, there’s balance because it always ends with an uplifting topic. I usually open that last one, but not always. This time, something made me do it.
The photo of the video, as simple as it first appeared, had the word “sing” on top of what looked like a gray carpet of tiny squares. The song was “Sing Gently.”
The delicate piece brought me to tears. But it uplifted me, too. Soothing sounds as sweet as a lullaby were as profound as a movie soundtrack.
After wiping my tears in the dark, I managed to click a few more times to learn its back story.
It’s American composer Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir 6, a composition inspired by Covid-19 and performed virtually by 17,572 singers from 129 countries. The second time I played it, I watched the tiny squares -- each with a choir member singing, and Whitacre conducting -- float to form earth’s continents that eventually come together as one.
I wanted the song to go on forever. And it practically did – over 10 and a half minutes.
Then I looked at the calendar. It’s Mom’s birthday today. She was a spiritual being, she loved music and she loved to dance. I think this was a gift from Mom.
Happy Birthday, Mom. Thank you for this gift. Love, Athena
Lyrics for “Sing Gently”
May we sing together, always.
May our voice be soft.
May our singing be music for others
And may it keep others aloft.
Sing gently, always.
Sing gently as one.
May we stand together, always.
May our voice be strong.
May we hear the singing and
May we always sing along.
Sing gently, always.
Sing gently as one.
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