Singing Again

I really had forgotten how wonderful it is to sing in a place made for singing.

Vocal Arts did a concert today in the San Miguel Mission in San Miguel. San Miguel is a very small town north of Paso Robles (California). The town and the mission began in the 1700's. We were asked to sing at their Fiesta Days and we jumped at the chance.

The remarkable thing is that the Mission was nearly lost in the Paso Robles earthquake. Three hundred years of history almost went to the ground.

But it didn't. And the community began saving money and raising money for the restoration and retrofitting of the old adobe buildings. And this year the Mission opened again. The frescos inside are original and are now being meticulously cleaned to show their true color and beauty.

But even without that, seeing them on the walls and realizing that someone, 300 years ago, placed paint on the wall that I was looking at was astounding.

It is hard to imagine, but the steps to the alter are the original wood. The beams are 300 years old. The frescos and the alter icons are the same.

I think it was the best we have ever sung Anton Bruckner's "Ave Maria" It was magical.