Music is a universal language. It has the power to make bubbles of happiness rise up in our hearts. It evokes memories, taking us back to other times in our lives so much so that it’s like being there all over again. Music can make us laugh with joy . It can soothe our soul in times of grief. It can make us tap our toes . Sometimes we can’t sit still while listening to a piece of music and sometimes we drift off into a cloud of peace. Music connects our emotions with something deep inside of us. Music is art. Touching. Soothing. Inspiring. Music makes us more fully human and accepting of other cultures and traditions. It is history with musical notes attached to it.

I felt all of this while listening to the virtual performance of How Can I Keep From Singing by the New York City Choir and Orchestra. Not only is it beautiful and uplifting but it’s a master piece of technology. As they performed, I found that by honing in on the musicians I was able to hear the instruments more clearly, much more so than if I would have been sitting in an audience in a theater. When I saw the face of each person singing, I felt immersed in the performance.

How do you get 140 singers and musicians on one screen? I don’t have the answer but I’m grateful that we live in a time where such technology is possible, where we can bring performances like this into our homes and watch them over and over again. I’m sure it’s not an easy task to put something like this together and I thank all the artists involved for giving us the gift of their time and talent.

Really. How CAN we keep from singing?