Last night we went to see the Seattle Men's Chorus perform at Benaroya Hall. They're a scream. It'll make you laugh, cry, and do a little of both at the same time. It's a very good show.
One of the chorus members also worked as the ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter downstage right from the chorus, so he sang and signed as he went.
All the men wore black suits and shirts with AIDS awareness ribbons on their lapels, but toward the end they each pulled out a pair of white gloves and put them on. They began to sign along with the ASL interpreter.
The first verse, they signed as they sang. They second, they signed silently with the accomplaniment. Then all the music stopped, but the director continued to conduct in time. The chorus signed one more verse, absolutely silently.
The hall was so quiet you could hear the men's jackets rustling as they moved.
It was a very poignant moment for me-- I'm so into music and language and sound that it nevered occurred to me how different my life would be if I could not hear. Last night, for a minute, everyone at Benaroya Hall experienced how deaf people listen to music. It was pretty moving.
1 comment:
They do that every year. I love that part.
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