Thursday, the 10th of August, was our final day of travel on the bus, a fact for which I’m quite sure all aboard were grateful. As fond as this writer is of the members of the Tehillah ensemble and their families alike, personal space is a valuable commodity not to be found on a bus. The trip began in Athens, Tennessee, at 9 in the morning, and ended in Elnora Indiana soon after 6. There was no program scheduled for the evening, only travel for the day, so time was passed by chatter, napping, reading, and snacking. Several kittens were “exploded” along the way, and the Royal Embroidery Society made yet another appearance.
Our lunch stop brought us to Hartsville, Tennessee, where the majority of our group ended up in a small town cafe for a delicious meal, and some were even serenaded by a drive-by harmonica player along the way. The rain chased us back to the bus, and we continued on.
Upon arrival in Elnora, we headed to the local church, Truth and Grace, where a lovely supper was provided by Eddie and Steph Kinsinger. Later that evening we reconvened at Elnora Bible Institute, as the bus we used on tour belonged there, and we wanted to leave it as we found it. We scrubbed it inside and out, and with many helping hands the large task was made much easier. From there everyone parted ways to our separate lodgings, hoping to get a good night’s sleep behind us for a long weekend of recording that awaited!
Good intentions aside, I believe the ensemble carries a reputation for a love of conversation, and not all reached a full 8 hours. Nonetheless, all showed up to First Baptist Church in Bloomfield around 9 o’clock Friday morning, not so bright-eyed or bushy-tailed, but at least halfway warmed up and ready to get to singing. The plan was to get at least 7 songs recorded, and Friday got us through the first 6. Each song was gone through quite thoroughly, accompanied by many looks across the circle and wide gesturing. One will find that singing is a full-body exercise, especially when the singers know that only the sound is being recorded. However, these movements were all silent, or at least mostly silent, as the mics were sensitive enough that the AC, half the lights, and bathroom fans were all turned off, and we paused many a time for passing trucks, lawn care, and even birds, all of which seemed to make themselves known at a higher frequency than an average day.
For our first day of recording, once again the Truth and Grace church family provided us with delicious meals, Ryan and Kelly Bucher who brought an amazing meal of tacos, fresh salsa, and fruit at our recording location, and Milton and Rachel Hershey, who served us lasagna, fresh garlic bread, and fruit pizza. These meals and much caffeine fueled us through a long and grueling (but rewarding) day of singing.
When evening rolled in, we went to Julian and Ruthie’s house to hang out as a group, as we still find it within us to enjoy each other’s company after all this time in close quarters. We got to hear the stories of the married couple’s dating days and how they got together, and thanks to Cory, many a Rubik’s cube was solved.
Day Two of Recording
Day 2 of recording started much the same as the first, arrive at 9 at least mostly warmed up, talk about what the day holds, and dive right in. Dan, the artistic director, had taken some time the evening before to listen to what we had recorded, and it was decided that some retakes were needed. We polished up tuning and timing, learned some German (dramatically and gutturally), and got recordings of both our last planned song and the newest commissioned piece. Lunch took place at the Mexican place in town, many tried out their Spanish and Jonny and Mariah cleansed their palates with lemon water with salt. Some felt ready for a nap afterward, some newly energized, but we plowed on and were able to accomplish our goals.
After a supper made by Ervin and Jackie Kauffman, we lingered and enjoyed coffee and conversation, then made our way over to Joe and Mandy Knepp’s for a campfire, corn hole, and popcorn. A few extra friends stopped in, and much laughter was shared. We also enjoyed Dave’s light show, where he used copper to turn the fire into new colors.
Overall, this weekend was filled with chats ranging from hilarious to deeply theological, many shared meals of quality food, a lot of singing, travel, and fellowship. We still have one concert left, but already this has been quite a journey, and definitely a worthwhile experience.
– Karen Martin