Rest Stop Serenade by The Master’s Chorale

What a beautiful and unexpected gift Boy and I were given as we were traveling up to Williamsburg, Virginia, for a getaway.  We realized that we left the road trip snacks in the back of the car, so we decided to make a stop.  We pulled into a Virginia Welcome Center because we also like to visit and take pictures with Virginia’s LOVE signs.  What does this have to do with The Master’s Chorale, you might ask?  Well, hold on, I am getting to it.

We went inside the building and had a lovely time chatting with the two gals behind the counter about some of what the area has to offer and about the fact that it was National Tourism Week.

What Happened When We Talked to Stangers

As we headed outside to go back to the car, there was a group of people gathered around the LOVE sign.  I asked if we could take their picture for them, and a gentleman told me that it would be a few minutes because they were not all there yet.  It turned out that there was an entire tour bus of people in that group.  Up to what adventure were these folks?

While chatting with a woman and the gentleman who turned out to be the conductor of this group, Dr. Paul T. Plew, I found out that they were from The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, California, and that they were on their spring tour to some eastern United States.

After taking a bunch of photographs with a couple of different cameras, I said, “Now may we take a selfie with you?”  They were happy to oblige!  Hopefully the few people on the far left will forgive me that I did not get them in the frame while hastily clicking away.

I was going to include a picture of these friendly, upbeat folks in a post about our trip to Williamsburg.  After this next part happened, though, how could I not give The Master’s Choral their own post?

That Was Unexpected!

While I was smiling and taking a selfie, I heard the conductor say, “Give me a D.”  Then…the music.  The vocal sounds that came from these students were nothing short of delightful.  They sang Unclouded Day, which was written by Josiah Kelley Alwood in 1879 or so and portrays the beauty of Heaven.

I was taken aback and fumbled to switch my telephone camera to video.  At first, I had the camera facing myself from the selfie.  I deleted that video.  In hindsight, though, maybe I should have published it here so that you could laugh with me.  Rather than laughing right now, though, prepare yourself to pick up your jaw because — well, listen for yourself.

Take a moment now.  Breathe in, breathe out.  Absorb the joy.

I had a bit of an extra smile thinking about how they were singing Unclouded Day on a day that was quite cloudy here on Earth.

It turned out that they had just performed less than an hour from our home a few nights before, yet we had not even heard of them until this moment.  You might want to check The Master’s Chorale’s tour dates if you would like to hear their concert.  You will be in for a treat!

A Sweet Gesture

As we were saying our good-byes, Boy and I were told to wait.  A few minutes later, a gal came back from the tour bus with a CD of The Master’s Chorale.  What a kind gesture it was for the group to share that with Boy and me.  If any of you from the group happen to read this, please let us say again, “Thank you!”

After this memorable time together, we bid one another our farewells and headed to our vehicles.  Boy and I got back on I-85 heading north toward Williamsburg, VA, and we realized that we forgot to get the snacks out of the trunk.  Doh!

 

On Another Note

If you enjoy musical presentations, then I invite you to watch The Heart of Christmas and The Risen Christ.  These are two recent musicals that our church put on and in which the three of us had the privilege of participating.  Relax and enjoy the music and drama, and let us know if you spot us.  One person who spots us may just be in for a surprise in the next few weeks!