They Can’t Take Singing Away
by Aila Hauora B. Orillaza
In this short Life
That (merely) only lasts an hour
How much -- how little -- is
Within our power
- Emily Dickinson
There is a mash-up of “You Will Be Found” from the musical Dear Evan Hansen and “The Story of Tonight” from the musical Hamilton called “Found/Tonight”. It was made for the March for Our Lives Initiative in 2018, in support of the youth-led movement against school shootings.
Its lyrics perfectly hit the experience of being in a choir at a time like this.
We may not yet have reached our glory
But I will gladly join the fight
And when our children tell their story
They'll tell the story of tonight
The Come Alive concert of the U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim was performed on March 7 of 2020, a day before all concerts and gatherings were canceled. "You Will Be Found" was the final song for the evening, which turned out to be most timely even after the concert. When subsequent generations of Cherubim recount memorable performances, this will surely be one they won’t forget.
The U.P. Cherubim and Seraphim in “Come Alive”
Have you ever felt like nobody was there?
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
Like you could fall, and no one would hear?
Soon, we started recording videos from home. We would look at our music, listen to vocal guides, and sing to a camera by ourselves. It was difficult and felt even meaningless at times --- What was the point of singing if we weren’t doing it together?
Well, let that lonely feeling wash away
All we see is light
'Cause maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay
For forever
'Cause when you don't feel strong enough to stand
You can reach, reach out your hand
Watch UPCS 2020’s virtual performance of “You Will Be Found”
As time passed and we started doing regular rehearsals on Zoom, it felt better. It felt good seeing all the familiar faces on two pages of a computer screen, silent but still there. An hour and a half each week compared to three hours a week (which was our normal routine before the virtual sessions) was short, but enough. We are slowly adjusting to a new set-up, acknowledging that it is tricky for everyone but we are still making progress.
UPCS Online Christmas Party
Raise a glass to freedom
Something they can never take away
Oh
No matter what they tell you
The freedom to sing cannot be taken away from us by anyone or anything! Name a war, any war, and you’ll hear of how the people used song for amusement, distraction, grief, encouragement, and hope. As the saying goes, "History repeats itself."
A song in Hamilton called “The Schuyler Sisters” is told from the point of view of three women during the American Revolutionary War. One sings that she isn’t comfortable with her father going off to war and the violence arising in the city. One sings that she wants a revelation for liberty and equality. One sings, “Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now.”
How lucky we are to be alive at a time where rehearsals can be held online, where we can sing together and deliver music to the world through the Internet. How lucky we are to still be alive in a time of sickness and corruption, singing for healing and peace!
Raise a glass to all of us
Tomorrow there'll be more of us
Telling the story of tonight
A new batch of apprentices was welcomed a year ago, and I’m really excited to see them perform on-screen and hopefully, onstage.
There will always be more singers, more children to appreciate pieces made many decades ago.
In the meantime, we'll keep telling the story of tonight.
