2007-11-16 00:40:27

Vox Nova Reunion

It has been 10 years since the inception of Vox Nova at Mount Aloysius. The director, Nancy, decided (with a nudge from a fellow Novite, Stell) that it was time for a concert where all past Novites would be invited back to sing. Throughout the 10 years there have been about 45 members, of which around 20 returned. That's pretty good considering most have moved away.
The evening started with myself, Stell, and Britt getting dinner at Cresson Springs. I had the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Stell had a Grilled Cheese on Wheat, and Britt had the Lobster Pot. The conversation mostly was about what each of us was doing and Stell's bad luck with men. :(
Then it was practice time. Nancy wanted us there at 5:30 so we could go over the 5 songs (of the 15 in the concert) that the alumni would be singing. It was rather amazing. It was as if none of us had ever stopped being in Vox. Though we hadn't sung these songs in 4 to 7 years, we still knew them exactly as Nancy had taught them to us. We only had to go over each song once and we were ready for the performance.
7PM came and the concert started. The current Novites did some songs, then it was time for some alumni help. We sang "Come sirrah Jack ho" and "All Ye Who Music Love." Then there were more current songs, then the older Novites and the women did their pieces, "Hail, Judea, Happy Land" and "Prayer of the Little Bird." More current songs... Then it was the last alumni song, "I'm Goin' Home." The chapel was more full that it ever had been for a normal concert and everyone loved the show. As excited as the audience was, it was the singers who were the most excited. For many of us, this had been the happiest day in a very, very long time. To be able to see all of your friends again and to be front and center, this was magic. But this wasn't like seeing an old college friend. Vox Nova friends are different. They are the people who you saw every single day at practice. You worked with them. You played with them. Your lives were one for your entire time at the Mount. As a cohesive group, you were inseparable, and that showed tonight.
After the concert, Nancy was kind enough to reserve the back room at PJ's bar for us. Now, throughout the 10 years of Vox, there were 3 distinct groups. The original members, the second generation (my group), and the current members. Funny how that's how we sat initially at PJ's; one table for the originals, one for my group, and one for the currents. Once people started leaving, though, I wasn't content with never knowing those people who came before me. I took me chair and slid over to the table with the original members.
I was greeted with "hellos" and introductions and the conversation went on. I was immediately accepted into this group. Looking back though, my initial thought was false. I wasn't accepted into anything. I was already a member of Vox Nova, and that was good enough for everyone. The cliques didn't exist except in everyone's head. So I spent the rest of the night (until around 11:30) talking to them. I'm happy to say that I came away from tonight with 9 new friends. And, as Britt put it earlier, this was the happiest day in a long, long time.

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