Heavenly Transport

Naked Voices - Spring 2015

Voices raised in harmonies and tones, beats and reverberations, rang out through the hall. Naked Voices blended in ways that bespoke and confirmed my belief that God deposits a bit of His creativity in each of us. These young musicians, Brothas From Otha Mothas, Vocal Motion, and Intervals have touched upon the Mother Load and worked their craft to refine the ore and graced us in the purity of their performance. Thank you.

Sundaes on Sunday, how can I have said no to that? The after dessert fair the concert was kicked off by Brothas From Otha Mothas (BFOM, all male a cappella) with a rendition of Come Sail Away by STYX written by Dennis DeYoung. I saw waves breaking, heard gulls crying out, and was transported pleasantly away to carry on. Thank you BFOM.

Vocal Motion (VOMO – all female a cappella) followed up with a RAP/Hip Hop medley out of which I did not recognize any of the songs. You’ll just have to forgive me on this one because I just might have been the oldest person in the audience this past Sunday night, certainly in the top two percent – finally, I’m in the top of something. Nevertheless, while they sang never gonna get us I might have a gotten a little glimpse of them. The group was in constant motion and their sound was an eruption from the soul, I was delighted to see, hear, and feel their performance. Thank you VOMO.

I have a little observation tempered by my long career in the phone factory. Telephone men like their acronyms and I noticed that a cappella groups do as well. It must be a communications thing. What?

InterVals, the co-ed group of seven between the first two openers and the host group sent us a long with a rendition of _____. When I stalked their YouTube channel I noticed they sported several more voices on other occasions. I won’t hesitate to tell you that I closed my eyes and felt carried along like a raft on a stream, I love that easy-going way that rivers have while moving through the country. Thank you InterVals.

Naked Voices, sixteen co-ed voices deep, hosted Happy Sundae as the last concert of the year and honored their outgoing seniors, my nephew Trevor among them. With a full ten-song set plus an encore to pay tribute to, my post will run longer than my personal word limit but since it’s my blog and my limits I can stretch them when I want. The group is full-bodied, like a good Merlot.

You’re the One I Love, lead solo _____; you can’t close the door on this performance, it made me want to give a standing O. The energy bundled in the execution of the piece was barely contained, contagious, and was a fine kick off for the set.

Rather Be by Clean Bandit, solo ______; there was no place I’d rather have been, I loved the life NV gave this rendition. There was something satisfying listening to a love song while being with my core five, wife, three kids, and me. There will be times when we’ll be a thousand miles from comfort, make sure to have someone in your heart to love and you’ll be where you want to be.

Being a child of the sixties, The Beatles Medley hit me where I lived back then and evoked memories of crazy sing-alongs, then and now. Leading with Paperback Writer sucked me right in because it’s no secret now, I want to write something worthy of putting out in paperback. Hey Jude with my nephew Trevor on solo was awesome. We are thankful to Naked Voices and all that you’ve meant to him.

This Love by Maroon 5, solo performed by _____ was par excellence, sung with feeling and honesty. Loved it.

Fix You by Coldplay, senior solo sung by Trevor; one of the purest things that I’ve seen or heard Trevor do and he’s as honest a person as I know. I know he touched the audience as a whole but it felt like he was singing to each of us from the depths and so, from this song my hope for us all is to have someone sing to us “Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones and I will try to fix you.”

Treasure by Bruno Mars, solo performed by _____. Full of life, your energy was contagious. Contagious in a good way but brings me to another observation. A cappella crowds are a rowdy bunch and very demonstrative in their delivery of appreciation, love it over and over again.

I’ll break here for a couple of personal notes; most often the beat box guys/gals are standing alone and I just wanted to run on stage and hug them so they wouldn’t feel apart from the scene. And, we heard that otters hold hands while they sleep so they won’t drift apart. With all the love songs and songs about love and this being a senior night with summer staring us in the face allow me to say this about drifting; I have seen in print and am grateful to have it in my life – the best of friends though separated by time and distance never drift apart and when reunited take up where they left off. May it be so for all of us and our best of friends.

Woods by Bon Iver, solo by _____, amazing tones with harmonics especial. Time was slowed down and I was amazed at the end of the concert that time had barely passed.

_______ by _______, solo by Sheila, an organizational maven who sings like in instrument played by angels. Happy trails Sheila, you’re wonderful.

Love the Way You Lie (Part II) by Rihanna, solo by _____; a wonderful rendering of a disturbing song. Always be a hero but I suggest we do it without lying, my personal bias.

The Michael Jackson montage was electric with energy and the joy of performance, the perfect way to the end the official set. Great choreography, the wolves were especially captivating.

The encore wrapped things up nicely, “where there is love, I’ll be there.” Can’t go wrong with that. May there always be an encore.

While I try not to engage in wishful thinking too often, with the possible exception of the lottery, I do attempt to participate in hope and prayer and mine for you all is that nothing comes along to keep you from singing, that life gives you plenty to sing about, and that there is always someone in your life to cause you to raise your voice in song.

         

In His Grip,

jerry

Keep the iron side up.