by Susanne Maziarz, Music Director at Neighbourhood
Making music together allows our shy souls to come out and play together. There is a wisdom that comes through opening ourselves to allow our souls to become vulnerable. Singing does that; we are literally putting ourselves out there. A bond forms in a community that sings together, one that cannot be created through verbal discussion alone. There is a deepening gained when our bodies gather and vibrate at the same frequencies during congregational singing. We become one body, one voice, claiming our wisdom through shared artistic expression. And it feels good.
Our two hymnals, Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey, are tomes of wisdom. Not only are the texts printed inside, but there is music going back 500 years and some texts thousands. These tunes and poetry are the collective wisdom of our ancestors. We are not alone.