Cynthia Clawson - "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth"
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| Image from https://www.cynthiaclawson.com/photographs |
The piece is from George Frederick Handel's Messiah. In the 1970s, my Daddy annually sang with the bass section for a number of years in a local presentation of the scripture-based Messiah with the soon-to-disband Greensboro Oratorio Singers, or Greensboro Oratorio Society as they were known then. It was an important occasion for our family to get dressed up every Christmas season and head over to the now-demolished Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium for the event, directed in those days by Don Trexler. There, we would find our seats and wait through the tuning of the instruments and the chorus filing in. Then, we would watch Daddy among the group--along with, for a short time, my brother Mark--give earnest and hearty voice to the classical choral work. I was just a squirmy kid who probably would rather not have sat so long, but even then as a musical being I was fascinated by the orchestra, the blended voices, the conductor, and the soloists. I'd been raised on hearing my Daddy's rich, deep voice in church and in the car, so my ear was trained to follow and appreciate the harmonies.
After I became the mother to two small, squirmy people of my own, in 1991 I heard via radio of a contemporized version of the work entitled Handel's Young Messiah released on compact disc, and I quickly purchased it. Not for classical purists, one of which I obviously am not, I repeatedly enjoyed some familiar voices and many of the updated settings in this re-imagined production. The soprano soloist who performed the piece "I know that my Redeemer liveth" turned out to be Grammy winner and Southern/contemporary gospel artist Cynthia Clawson, whose beautiful voice carried the lines from Baroque page to an ethereal recitation of full-on, authentic, personal worship. I have never tired of listening to her rendition.
I still have my Daddy's worn but well-preserved Messiah score sitting on my old piano. I'm sorry to hear the Greensboro Oratorio Singers will give their last concert next week. Especially on today, Thanksgiving Day, I miss my Daddy and my brother, and their voices. I'm thankful for the memories, impressions made on a little girl, the voice of a masterful singer, and the gift-Giver who gave, inspired, and empowered all of these--and who still does for me.
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15
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