What does singing in Kroon van Wonders mean to me?

To say that taking part in ‘Kroon van Wonders’ is the highlight of my choral career is an understatement. Coming from a very small agricultural town, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined a production as significant as this, never mind actually participating in one. I think that it might be one of my favorite elements of singing in a choir – we are a spectacular musical soup of improbable acquaintances that have the opportunity to, as our brilliant Maestro puts it, change the vibrations of a space and contribute to history with what we spend hours, weeks, months preparing for.

Vox chamber choir performing Kroon van Wonders

Franco Prinsloo Conducting Kroon van Wonders

Vox chamber choir performing Kroon van Wonders

Franco’s work is inconceivable to me – the combination of voices, instruments, percussion, and words to weave together this incredible tapestry is something I could never explain. I truly believe that God uses Franco, his artistry but also his beautiful character, to speak to us, but also through us to touch our audience’s hearts. When we are performing and I see the joy emanating from Franco, I know we are busy with something incredible. In those fleeting moments, all is well – nothing else matters – I know we are actively touching hearts. This brings me to one of the moments in Kroon van Wonders:

“Here, U weet álles!” – “Lord, you know everything!”

This is much more than Simon Peter answering Jesus when asked whether he loves Him. This is a statement relating to our whole lives – God knows everything.

Vox chamber choir performing Kroon van Wonders

Franco Prinsloo conducting Kroon van Wonders

Vox chamber choir performing Kroon van Wonders

This is truly what I experienced while rehearsing for Kroon van Wonders – depending on what I was going through, one of the movements would always touch me in some inexplicable way. That is, until I realized that the explanation itself is God’s majesty and his omniscience. He knows everything, thus He knows what struggle I am experiencing in my personal life, and during rehearsal of a movement emotions overtook me, I in turn knew, it was Him comforting me. Even as I am writing this piece and reflecting on the music and the moments, I am driven to tears. Speaking of tears and emotion, one of my absolute favorite moments are during movement V. “Vrou, waarom ween jy?” where Jesus asks Mary why she is crying at His empty grave, just before she turns around finds Him standing there. For every instance of us rehearsing this particular movement, I can honestly say I cried – mostly because I feel personally touched, as if Jesus is asking me, “Why are you crying, who are you looking for?” He has always been just here - I do not need to look for Him, to cry for Him – He is ever-present and the only constant in our lives.

During movement XII. “Antifoon en Resitatief: Soos die Vader My gestuur het, stuur Ek julle ook.” I feel a great sense of responsibility – as the Lord sent Jesus, He then in turns sends his disciples to further expand the kingdom of God. Participating in this wonderful piece, I feel it is now also part of our responsibility.

That might be one of the aspects of choir singing I enjoy the most – to convey a message but also receive the message myself. It is so wonderful that we can convey this with words and also with the music itself – there are so many symbolic parts that stand out to me; for example when Jesus appears at the sea of Galilea, the strings play a melody that already implies the back and forth movement of waves, before we have even added any words to the mix. Just after that, in our different voice groups we sing in layers with our consonants sounding like a big swarm of fish actively swimming into the fishing nets, along with the ‘shimmering’ sound of the glockenspiel. Thereafter, Jesus asks Simon Peter three times whether he truly loves Him – we do not only sing this three times, we do so in different combinations of voice groups – firstly all voice groups together, then ladies with men echoing the question, and then sopranos and basses with altos and tenors echoing. This speaks so beautifully to the symbolism of Jesus asking thrice – not only once – specifically mirroring Peter’s threefold denial of Him before He was crucified. These are but a few examples of the symbolic uses of music to convey the story.

I also think that Kroon van Wonders fits so beautifully into the world of the trilogies Franco has made, with so many melodies and themes repeating in each of the oratoria. It is wonderful to be a part of this last piece of the trilogy – I only wish I could have participated in the others as well! Some themes that were sung by the choir in Lig van Waarheid or Kruis van Liefde, are now represented by the bassoon or brass instruments. It is like tying a ribbon around the most perfect present.

Concert master violinist performing Kroon van Wonders

Timpanist performing Kroon van Wonders.

Kroon van Wonders miniature triptych artwork.

Looking back at the actual performances already fill me with a sense of nostalgia and longing – I want to do it again! There is nowhere in my life where I have been closer to God than while singing Kroon van Wonders. I am so looking forward to the recordings and being able to listen to this piece whenever I feel despondent, to fill me with hope and childhood excitement all over again. This experience feels like a spiritual treasure chest, something incredibly precious that no-one can ever take away from me.

Being a member of the Vox Chamber Choir is akin to wearing the most wonderful rose-coloured glasses, which render the unpleasant aspects of life smaller and easier to bear, while amplifying the already beautiful elements and also adding even more beauty. I am so looking forward to what comes next – for us and for Franco. I look forward to growing even more vocally and spiritually and sharing my experiences with my family, my friends and the public. To sing transports me to other realms, and I only hope that our audiences transports with us and enjoys the journey.