African Noel Here and there "Noel" (arr. Brad Holmes) - Millikin University Choir

RantWoman continues meditations inspired by the Noel Performance at University Presbyterian Church. If you just want to hear music, scroll past this intro down to the videos.

After the videos:
Reflections on colonialism, culture, and connections..
Meditations on faith communities and the University District.

If you are wondering how you got here and / or wish RantWoman would just STFU or go find a different venue with maybe more editing, maybe consider dipping your toes in out of curiosity, hold the thought of writing focus in the Light, have blessed holidays and go read up on Baby Yoda or watch your favorite sports event or something.

African Noel performances

The concert at University Presbyterian opened with a number sung in Kituba, a Central African dialect. RantWoman found two performances on Youtube and offers one from Millikin University, Decatur IL as opener.

Visual on video: still picture of choir in standard semicircle on risers. The men are wearing black tuxedos, bow ties, and white shirts. The women are wearing long black dresses with red insets up the middle in front.



RantWoman had to go look up where Millikin University is: a school affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and located in Decatur IL.
Millikin University Decatur IL
The website is really nice and it sounds like an impressive institution. RantWoman, though, found herself wondering whether adding audio description to the videos would just be information overload.

MIllikin University School of Music
Probably helps explain the quality of the performance.

The Second Video with Digressions about Disability and Diversity

RantWoman was just going to post the link for this Dixie State Combined Choirs performance. However, RantWoman has watched this video (from about 15" away at 4x magnification in case anyone thinks RantWoman should also magically be able to read print or figure out what is happening on people's faces) several times and only picked up some interesting details on her most recent viewing. The video shows a choir in usual semicircle with a conductor and a man playing drums in the middle of the semicircle. The men are wearing tuxedos and the women are all wearing long black dresses. To the right in the video there is a man in a wheelchair and near him but in the back row a woman in hijab. These details inspired RantWoman to indulge in one of her music performance video viewing habits: seeing how many of the performers are wearing actual glasses. RantWoman could not find any. Can readers?

Colonialism?

RantWoman was going to meander around themes of faith communities sending missionaries to Africa and coming home with music, questions of cultural appropriation.... RantWoman was going to muse about the communion of performance. But RantWoman decided sometimes it matters just to shut up about that stuff and sing together.

And sing together close to home?

RantWoman has been reflecting on how nice it is that her Meeting has a refrigerator, an industrial gas stove, and a dishwasher. University Pres. is even more grandiose: a huge sanctuary with stained glass windows, a pipe organ, even a balcony. It has an enormous fellowship hall, serves meals, has a substantial homeless program and several staff. RantWoman is a little unclear from Little Sister's accounts about how big the membership is, whether new members are drawn in, and some other big picture points. The important thing: the church is still putting on wonderful performances! This is a big sign of life compared to another church that just got torn down, a third church slated to be torn down, and various other property / affordable housing decisions. What matters for... amid BIG transportation changes?