Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Music in Ghent, Belgium

In Ghent, Belgium, the second city of our European side trip, I had the experience of a lifetime. I'm putting this as a separate entry, not waiting to get home and start my city by city blog simply because it is such a special memory for me.

Music is a huge part of my life, and you couldn't pay to have an experience like we stumbled upon, it seems to me. I'll copy the following from my journal from that night:


"If I were to pick a most memorable moment, it would have to be while John and I were strolling along some narrow side streets. We were off the beaten path but knew where we were headed. Rounding a corner, I heard a tuba run a scale, then three or four voices talking and instruments tuning. I stopped John and got the video camera from his backpack.


"We stood in a little alcove recording the beautiful music the small group (I think it was a quartet) made until they finished the piece. I had just stopped recording when John said, "Look at their view!" I turned around and there was a giant cathedral rising skyward across the road down a side street. There was a choir rehearsing at the same time, but you could only hear them faintly as we stood taping and listening. It must have been some kind of music conservatory... A person could find inspiration there, and peace."



4 comments:

Pastor Stan said...

I don't know what's more impressive, the music, the timing, the serendipitous view of the cathedral, or that you were able to put a video on your blog. Technology isn't it cool!

Schmath said...

So cool!

sherrie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sherrie said...

Oh, I've listened many times already and I'm going to listen many more. Did you know that brass bands are one of my "favorites", especially the deeper registers?!? AND, that I love Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, and that my favorite time of year to listen to brass bands is Christmas, and that there was almost a theme on I Saw Three Ships in the middle of your concert? I am LOVING your trip to Holland. (Anyone detect a little "Hyperbole"? Yes, I have a new blog to document this inborn character...ummm...idiosyncrasy.)