Alumni Weekend | La Sonnette Ensemble Reunion Concert

Added: 2026-05-03

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[00:03:48]I just have to take a moment to uh talk about how we got to this concert. Uh we met last night for the first time at about 8:45, played for about an hour, hour and 15 minutes. They slept on it.

[00:04:03]We came to the church, Sabbath going church, ate lunch, and then we met at 2:00. We've been practicing for two hours. And so with two rehearsals, we've uh pulled this concert off and uh it's amazing. But it's not just the alumni coming back. I gave some of them didn't give didn't give my kids the music ahead of time. So, some of them are site reading since yesterday and uh one piece I handed out about an hour and a half ago and uh they're rising to the occasion. They're stepping up. So, I'm very proud of them uh for that. All right, Emily has the next song.

[00:04:39]>> The hymn that we know as Fairest Lord Jesus has been part of worship music for more than 300 years. It first appeared in 1662.

[00:04:49]This song celebrates and appreciates Jesus Christ as the savior of man and recognizes that as beautiful as nature is Jesus, beauty exceeds all of this. In fact, some himnels call this song beautiful savior instead of fairest lord Jesus. In the autumn, especially when we we are especially when we are noticing the beauty and order of creation, such as the meadows in the woodlands, this song contrasts this beautiful this beauty with that of Jesus who is fairer and purer, concluding with a powerful metaphor that Jesus makes the woeful heart sing. The next verse lifts our eyes to the skies, the sun, moon, and stars. And again the comparison is that Jesus outshines the brightest lights of the heavens and is purer than all the angels of heaven. It concludes that glory and honor and praise and adoration will now and forever more be his. Here now is Lassa Ensemble's performance of meditation on beautiful Savior.

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[00:11:15]Just do this.

[00:11:40]The song sing we now of Christmas is a French Christmas carol Noel Novale. It tells the story of Jesus' birth, the angel's announcement to the shepherds, the visit of the shepherds and the wise men to Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in the manger, and the great joy surrounding this blessed event. The version we will be performing this morning captures the excitement and exceeding joy of this festive occasion by using contrasting dynamics, mallets, and martial techniques. For those musicians who might be interested, this piece is written in the Dorian mode, an ancient church mode that is slightly different from being in a minor key. See if you can hear the difference.

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[00:14:47]So that song, even though we introduced it as a Christmas song, and these introductions I I write for these songs kind of are for our tours when we go out on on on the performance tours and uh talked about this morning which usually we're playing for church on Sabbath morning. Um but that particular song even though it has a Christmas application is in our himnil as more of an Easter song and it has that application and um the words for the Easter are now the green blade riseth and the interpretation is in the same way that a seed when it's planted in the ground as the right time comes and the conditions come it breaks forth into new green life. So it was when Christ was laid in the tomb, he rested for those three days and he sprang forth into everlasting life. So it is appropriate for Christmas, but I think it's appropriate for for this time of year that we're in as well. Have you noticed all the beautiful flowering trees out on campus and the flowers, the tulips around the gazebo? Uh very beautiful and uh that takes a lot of uh planning and preparation and and work. So, we appreciate the the grounds and the and the uh actually I think a lot of it's the finance office that has been out there. Miss Gabin, where we're looking for we go and she's out on her knees in the flower beds kind of getting things planted. So, all right. Um Jiren has the next song is a setting of a hymn found in the Adventist Himnel number 465. I heard the voice of Jesus. It tells the story of someone searching for rest and peace. It goes on to say that the only way to find true rest and happiness is by coming to Jesus. Musically, the piece starts out by depicting the restlessness and questioning of one searching. It is only in the last measures of the song that the true feeling of peace is achieved as depicted by the change from a minor key to a major key. We hope you enjoy Fantasy on King's Fold.

[00:18:28]Come on.

[00:20:14]What?

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[00:22:06]There's only so much only so much we can put together in uh two and a half, three hours of rehearsal. And so this next song will be our last one for the day. So I'll give you time to to enjoy some more time talking with each other. And oh, Miss Murphy is telling me that she does have a couple of things to add here at the end. Okay, so we're not quite done yet.

[00:22:34]Um, but this will be all for the uh the handbell portion of uh of the concert.

[00:22:39]Again, I've I've thoroughly enjoyed seeing these guys again and and conducting and playing with them. Um, some of them haven't touched a bell for 10 or 15 years or more. Um, but it comes right back and so that goes to the training that uh that they have and their musicship and their dedication.

[00:22:55]So, we appreciate all of you guys who came back and all of you guys who were still playing. And when it's your turn to come back for alumni weekend, current lawnet members, I expect you to uh to show up if we ever have another one of these. So, thank you guys. All right. Um Hannah and Brianna are going to share the next introduction.

[00:23:17]>> Every song tells a story. This next song Capricio was written with a very specific story in mind. Lostet Ensemble had the privilege to perform this under the baton of its composer, Mr. Kevin Mcesses. He revealed to us his Concerning this song about the story of salvation from the point of the angels.

[00:23:36]Imagine the excitement at the angels got to be the ones to announce this event to the shepherds and got to lead the wise men to this power of Christ. At last with Jesus taking on human form, mankind had a chance to have their can and hear the excitement and the mood changes. However, angels behold how Jesus was. The very people he had come to save rejected him and ultimately called foriction.

[00:24:08]The angels watch in shock and horror as the scene moves from the garden of Gethsemane to Pilot Palm to Calvary. At this moment, listen for suspended bells played by Melis depicting the teardrops of the angels as they watch Jesus nailed to the cross and die.

[00:24:23]>> He moves to the tomb of the year. After three days guarding Jesus's body in the grave, angels again get to announce martyr. The resurrection of Christ excited with me returns even more festival. As Jesus rises from the dead and a few days later sends to heaven.

[00:24:40]What a magnificent.

[00:24:43]All right. Jesus ascended into heaven.

[00:24:45]Angels once again got to give the good news that Jesus would receive in the same manner he ascended into to reunite as >> pray that we all will be part of this great reunion.

[00:24:58]>> Here is cover.

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[00:30:18]choir.

[00:30:21]>> I'm gonna ask the choir to come up and sit in the choir loft. Okay? Or stand in the choir loft. Um in the same um we wanted the sopranos sopranos and teners soprano.

[00:30:38]>> Okay.

[00:30:41]>> Okay.

[00:30:44]Okay. So, sopranos over on the right, bass is on the right, teners in the back in the left, and altos in the on the left.

[00:30:57]And I would like to introduce John Gilbertson. Um he is he is from um 1978779 school year and he directed Belcanto and I can see why you were spoken of so highly because it was a wonderful rehearsal this afternoon. I enjoyed it so very much and I'm I'm so happy um that we're able to do this.

[00:31:28]>> Do you want to sing?

[00:31:50]You want to say anything?

[00:32:29]Um, real quick, um, I want to tell you about the piece we're doing. Um, Boyd Gibson was a a alumni from Blue Man Academy sometime I think in the 80s. I want to Oh, wait. 71. Okay. Well, anyway, he was uh a member of Belcanto and studied under John Edison um Counterpoint and he arranged this number and he was going to be here to conduct and um and so we were going to feature him in this this song um come ye sinners and he couldn't make it at the last minute and and so we got a a next best standin. So, I'm so grateful. But, um, you'll you'll enjoy this this piece. Oh, come come come ye sinners. And then we're going to do When I Survey Holy Solise and glory.

[00:34:36]will praise his heart my dear of their mercy.

[00:34:59]We thirsty blessing all the rise and rise and Open his heart when We are the bloody thous. Thousand is stars.

[00:36:08]still your home.

[00:36:22]Open the eyes and praise his mercy.

[00:36:33]Here is our heart of my house to save you all the Christmas in glory of him to Jesus.

[00:37:17]He will praise you in his heart.

[00:37:23]in the heart of the mighty fores of my dear.

[00:38:24]The reason I'm on the east coast is because very gifted conductor for Blue Mountain Academy, Larry Carpo went around the nation looking for his replacement during he took a to Um, he was pretty tired out, but he uh he liked what he heard. He sang for me.

[00:38:59]I sang for him. I was very impressed with him. And he asked the kind of literature we were doing. And I showed him our files and what we've been doing.

[00:39:08]He said, "Okay, if you want to come, you're our man." And so, here I am 47 years later.

[00:39:15]But before that was finalized, I had to do an audition. And I came to the academy, Larry was kind enough to show me around and meet I could meet some of the students and the other faculty. And I forget all that we did during the day, but then at 5:30 said, "Oh, by the way, we would like you to take the choir rehearsal tonight." What? And they hadn't told me anything about that. Nor had they showed me any music.

[00:39:45]And the piece that I had to conduct in that choir rehearsal was this piece when I surveyed the wondrous cross. And I got a high C# on the end and all sorts of great stuff all throughout. And I had to just sort of fly by the seat of my pants. So I'm hoping that the seat of my pants haven't worn out yet.

[00:40:35]Glorous.

[00:41:14]Lord, I show that Christy to from his hand.

[00:42:32]And down It is such for the whole world Oh God, that's where the presence are to love. Oh mercy, so deep my soul.

[00:43:49]My heart, my heart.

[00:44:36]Um, do you want to stand for prayer?

[00:44:46]>> Dear heavenly father, I want to thank you so much for this beautiful music that we just heard. I want to thank you for your great sacrifice. Thank you for this school that has been here 70 um years and I thank you that we have all the memories that we have as alumni and I I thank you um that we can have these experiences even now um as alumni and thank you so much. I pray that you will bless the alumni, bless the the students presently, bless staff and I pray that you will just help us to make it to that wonderful reunion one day in when we all get together in heaven. and we love you.

[00:45:27]In your name we pray. Amen.

[00:45:30]>> Amen.

[00:45:34]>> Thank you very much.