make a joyful noise

Last night, My Man and I had the great privilege of going to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Del McCoury bluegrass band concert downtown.  This is not something we would've done ourselves, but some great church people had tickets they weren't able to use and gave them to us.  And my wonderful in-laws agreed to babysit even though it was their 38th anniversary! 

Oh, my, goodness...this concert was amazing.  I am so very grateful for the generous gift of joyful music.  Now, I am not a music aficionado of any sort.  I do not play an instrument.  I cannot sing (well).  I only know the most popular pop music groups.  Outside of that, I know nada.  But now I know that the Preservation Hall Music Band is going to be downloaded to the ipod later today (or maybe the Man has already done it)! 

The concert was a combo of jazz and bluegrass.  I expected the two bands to play together the whole time, but it really was mostly jazz the first half and mostly bluegrass the second, with some fusion at the beginning and end.  I enjoyed it all, but the jazz was by far my favorite (just a personal preference).  Those bluegrass musicians, though - man, their fingers fly! 

The jazz is what penetrated my soul, though.  It's such a joyful resilient music, even when they're singing about disappointed love or honoring a friend who just died.  My only problem with it was that I sometimes felt like we should be in a club or on the street rather than in a concert hall - the music seems to call for more intimacy - but it was still such a fabulous experience.  My favorite song of the night was their finale, "I'll Fly Away."  By the end of it, I really felt like I really could fly away.  That music is powerful, transporting, transformative even.

We've been feeling a bit downtrodden recently.  Soul-weary.  Worried.  Wondering about the future and how others' decisions are going to affect us.  But last night we were lifted out of that into a gorgeous world where joy triumphs in the end.  And I can still feel that joy in my gut.  I am so very thankful.

The ipod is with The Man, but Pandora, here I come!