Imbeni! Imbeni!

I have been practicing daily with a choir directed by Dr. Nelson Hill, a visiting professor from Roberts Wesleyan College. Nelson holds a doctorate in Music, and has written a Cantata which we will be performing on Sunday, January 29.

Dr. Hill has arranged numerous musical pieces around the major affirmations of the Apostle’s Creed: (1) I believe in God, the Father, Maker of heaven and earth…; (2) And in His only Son, who was born of the virgin Mary, crucified…on the third day he rose…he will come [again]; (3) I believe in the Holy Spirit….

We are singing songs in multiple languages: Kirundi, Swahili, Zulu, French, English and Latin! The music includes a piece from South Africa and another from Nigeria as well as several from Burundi; a couple of African-American spirituals; hymns familiar to me (but not to the Africans), to be sung in French and English; and Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus.

This, for me, is a wonderful experience. I love music and singing in a choir with other voices, but I have seldom “had time” (taken time?) for all the practices required.

I am enjoying the fellowship with the other singers, most of whom are students at Hope Africa University. Some of them have unbelievably beautiful voices, and most have a very “good ear for music.” But they cannot read music. Dr. Hill is teaching a Music Theory class, in which some of the HAU students are enrolled…so now, for the first time, they are learning to read music!

Imbeni!