Saturday night was a fleeting moment in time that bestowed upon me one of the most blessed experiences of my life. Together with my friends James and Stephanie, I entered the auditorium at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England to hear the Young@Heart chorus.
To those of you who are not familiar with this inspiring group of rockin' seniors, I insist on the essential viewing that is the documentary Young@Heart. Capturing a year in the life of a choir whose members must be 73 or older, the audience joins their journey as they sing, and make their own, every artist from Coldplay and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Bruce Springsteen and Sinead O'Connor. Of course, with an median age of 80, there are battles and tears - and triumph and tears - made all that more earnest, all that more humane, with the intimate and topical musical score.
...and so, on Saturday night, as the opening number 'Save Me A Place' (Fleetwood Mac) came to its sombre closing chords under the angelic guidance of Louise Canady, I began a journey as musically intense as I ever have...and was reminded consistently of the power of music, the power of hope and the power of yourself.
After the concert, my motley trio managed to invite ourselves to the after-party and become enamored by the spritely old souls and learn their tricks, their ponderings, their secrets on staying forever young:
Vitamins...
Facial creams...
EXERCISE!
and...
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