[Magdalen] Harmonia Sacra

Jay Weigel jay.weigel at gmail.com
Mon May 4 18:58:39 UTC 2015


I attended my first ever Harmonia Sacra singing last night and had an
absolutely wonderful time. Although I didn't know many of the hymns and had
a little trouble finding my way at times, nobody seemed to mind. There were
other first-timers there, including a very young (but obviously, by the
beard, married) Mennonite man and a young rather formally dressed couple,
and it was quite well attended. We sang the Billings "Easter Anthem"
(amazingly well, too!) and the "Dedication Anthem" which is easier than I
thought it would be. I will admit to nearly dissolving in giggles at the
"Parting Hymn", and I had to explain that to the leader......it turned out
that neither he nor his wife had ever heard of the song I grew up singing
throughout my childhood:

The man who has plenty of good peanuts
And giveth his neighbor none
He shan't have any of my peanuts
When his peanuts are gone
When his peanuts are gone
When his peanuts are gone!
Oh that will be joyful, joyful, joyful,
Oh that will be joyful
When his peanuts are gone!

Now where do you suppose my parents would have learned that? Because that's
where I learned it.

Anyway, I think that was only my first Harmonia Sacra singing. I drove home
as a gorgeous full moon was rising over Massanutten Mountain and was
thankful that such opportunities exist.


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