Earlier this week I got to sing with Peter Yarrow. Context: members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church and Temple Choirs were invited to sing with Peter at the opening night of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. The song– Blowing in the Wind.
We arrived early to meet with Peter for rehearsal. He greeted us, as is his way, with warm embraces, heartfelt enthusiasm, and a strong charismatic presence. During rehearsal he explained to us some of what Blowing in the Wind means to him. Specifically, “How many years can some mountains exist before they are washed to the sea?” The mountains, according to Peter, are mountains of hatred, greed, indifference and the like. “How many years can some people exist before they’re allowed to be free?” This line speaks to perpetual stain of slavery of all forms.
Peter shared about singing during the Civil Rights movement here in the South as well as at the March on Washington in 1963. And he also coached us to look at one another as we sang, to truly feel the words and connect with one another.
As we sang, blinded by the lights of the Cobb Energy Center, I felt a rush of emotion. I felt confirmed in my belief that music nourishes and inspires the soul to have the strength to rise up against the forces that seek to restrain, restrict, and oppress us. I felt proud to be a part of an interfaith choir, raising our voices to share this timeless message.
Apologies that the picture below is sideways. But you get the point!
