Five Decades Later, This Oratorio Still Resonates

When I attended Eastern Mennonite College (now University) in the early sixties the highlight of its fall homecoming weekend was an annual performance of A. R. Gaul's oratorio "The Holy City." Nearly 200 students formed a mass choir for the cappella performance, joined by scores of alumni who returned to their alma mater to take part in this EMC tradition.

The first campus performance was in 1922, but the first annual rendition was in 1933, with a final performance in 1970. Many began to refer to EMC homecomings as "Holy City Weekend," and the chapel auditorium was typically packed for the event. 

Gaul's work was popular in the early part of the twentieth century, and included some beautiful arias and choruses based mostly on scripture texts.

Next only to Handel's Messiah, words and tunes from The Holy City still resonate in my head and occupy a large space in my heart.

In a recent visit with a fellow graduate and current  neighbor who is bedfast and in an advanced stage of cancer, I felt led to sing several memorable lines.

I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 

Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, 

and He will dwell with them, 

and they shall be His people, 

and God shall be with them and be their God. 

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; nor any more pain; for the former things have passed away. 

And I heard the voice of harpers 

harping with their harps; 

and they sang a new song 

before the throne; 

and no one could learn that song 

but they which were redeemed, 

they which were redeemed.

I could have wept. Some texts and tunes are enough to make your heart hurt.