“Rightly used, music is a precious gift from God, designed to elevate the thoughts to higher and nobler themes, to inspire and elevate the soul” (CG 523).
The sacred music concert "Music and Soul in Spring Tunes" took place on Sunday, May 1, 2016, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the hall of the Brukenthal Palace in Avrig, Romania.
Various musical groups from Romania presented their items, including the National Orchestra of the Romanian Union, the Crescendo Choir, the Ammiel Ensemble, the a capella Emanuel Ensemble, the Dei Gratia Choir, and Sr. Doriana Paulescu.
The concert was held with the support of the Romanian Union. Invitations were distributed to the residents of Avrig—the city hosting the event—and many came and enjoyed the sacred music that contrasted with the popular music listened to by the majority of the youth in our days.
The orchestra began the concert playing “Sanctus,” “Higher Ground,” “Yes, I Know He Loves Me,” and the Crescendo Choir joined them for their final song “Cantata 147” by Johann Sebastian Bach. The orchestra was formed this past February when 35 children and young people from all over the country dedicated their time, their talents, and forming the national orchestra to bring praise to God and joy to the attendees.
The Crescendo Choir sang next. This choir brought together young people from the Banat Region, Timis, Arad, and Hunedoara Districts. It was established in 1991, and this year is their 25th anniversary. Interestingly enough, over the years approximately 100 people have sung in this choir, spanning three generations! They have recorded an album entitled “Homesick for Heaven.” Besides the item they performed with the orchestra, they also sang: “If I Tried,” “Halleluja!”, “Homesick For Heaven,” and “Emmanuel.”
Continuing the program, the Ammiel Ensemble lifted their voices in praise; they got their name “Ammiel” from the Hebrew language meaning “to be akin to God.” The ensemble began in Moldova in January 2014 as a quintet, but later on two more members were added and this formed the current ensemble. This year they have recorded an album entitled “He Is My Hope.”
Sr. Doriana Paulescu was next in the concert. She has also recorded an album entitled “Calls of the Heart.” The items she presented at the concert were: “You Were Given a Time of Mercy,” “Abide, Abide, Love,” and “There Is One.”
The a capella Emanuel Ensemble presented the hymns: “The Hour Is Striking,” “In Order to Be a True Christian,” “There Is Someone,” and “Friends on Earth.”
The concert came to an end with the presentation of the Dei Gratia Choir, who praised God with the hymns “Heavenly Father,” “Simon From Cyrene,” “At Your Cross,” “The Hebrew Slaves' Choir,” and “Wonderful Grace of Jesus.” The choir began three years ago and is made up of youth from Ardealul de Sud. The members live as far as 300 km away from each other, yet they come together to use their voices in the service of God. The choir has recorded an album entitled “Glory to Thee” and is getting ready to record a second album. We thank the Lord for their dedication.
At the end of the concert, a gift of a CD was given to the participants who were able to answer questions regarding the history of the musicians. We thank God for helping us in the coordination of this event. To Him we bring our words of thanks and our praise.