As the leaves began to change their colours and they said goodbye to the trees that held them, the students went back to the institutes they study in, being completely ready for a new and unpredictable year. At the beginning of October, the Theological Institute’s building came to life. The feelings of hope, curiosity mixed with the need for adventure could be felt all around. It was the end of summer, and the beginning of something completely new…
A completely renovated building welcomed the students, but the same faces stepped into the classrooms when courses started. Still, the excitement was indisputable. Personally I really wanted to come back, because of the atmosphere. I wanted to see my friends again, and I was eager to start a new year in the choir as well. Music is an important part of my life, and thanks to God, there is plenty of that in our institute.
As November came, we knew that a wonderful classical concert was about to take place. It usually involves opera singers, classical music and, of course, everything is of high quality. But this year, along with the renovated building a new idea sprang into our teacher, Brian Johnston’s mind as he wanted to make the concert a little more modern. Therefore he invited students as well as a local professional jazz group to take part in this extraordinary evening. However, I would have never imagined that one of the persons he is going to ask to perform was me. I was honoured by the proposal and I had no hesitation in accepting.
The next question which popped into my mind was what shall I sing? I knew very well that there will be professional singers at an event like this, so I was a little nervous at the thought that they will be watching and probably judging me. But the enthusiasm that I felt was much stronger than any of my apprehensions. I have some extremely talented classmates, who agreed to perform with me: a remarkable guitar-player and an outstanding piano-player. As the days passed, we agreed about the songs, and we rehearsed a lot. When the big day arrived, we felt we were ready. The concert itself began in a wonderful manner. The Institute’s mixed choir performed a few songs, and following that we could hear a few solo performances from great vocalists. After hearing the chords of my pianist colleague, I began to sing, and I felt chills. The people were all looking at us, and their smiles gave me confidence, seeing that they liked what we were doing After the concert ended, I locked all those great musical notes and feelings in my heart, along with the warm hugs and nice words that accompanied them. This year’s concert was out of the norm, making it an unforgettable event.
~ Wagner Henrietta, 2nd year Protestant Theological Institute
