Music adds to our faith what words on their own are often unable or inadequate to do. Words put to music can lift us off our feet, draw us away from our troubles and motivate us to trust and hope yet another day.
What would Christmas Eve worship be without music? Easter? And for that matter, even the melancholy tunes of Good Friday have a way to reach right into our bones and our very being. Words convince us and affirm us. Music moves us and touches us.
I am writing of this, because, after 17+ years our director of music and my partner in worship leadership Aiko Yamada Mancini is leaving us for a new adventure in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We have been so blessed to have Aiko and her manifold gifts for such a very long time.
I am certain this congregation never had someone to lead the worship music for this length of time. The pattern my first 6 years here is the kind this community had for some time. A graduate student comes for a few years, gets their PhD or MA and off they go. Sometimes we have been their first experience in congregational worship and music leadership and we then send them off as our gift to the larger church with a graduate degree and some experience gained here to continue to serve.
Musicians that have passed through here from what little history I am aware, are serving now in congregations in Berlin, Germany, Scottsdale and Sun City Arizona, Los Angeles, California, and Seoul South Korea, to name a few. Our little community is quite the gift-giver to the Church!
Now Aiko moves on from music director of ULC to ULC icon. My heart is heavy for our loss (and my personal loss) but lifted in joy for the excitement Aiko and Brian have for their latest adventure. Aiko leaves behind more than a legacy. Aiko leaves behind students and members who have been a part of the music ministry by their vocal efforts and/or their instrumental contributions. I have no doubt this will continue.
When I think of Aiko I often think of standing at the door after Sunday worship waiting to shake someone’s hand. Few come as most remain to hear the final notes of the postlude being led by Aiko and those accompanying her. That is how good Aiko’s leadership has been: people don’t want to leave! Are there any of us who will ever forget Aiko’s joyful singing of “Lay lo lay lo lie lo…”? One could feel in that very tune that in Epiphany we were indeed celebrating Christ for all the world.
I remember shortly after Aiko began directing the choir, Allan Bieber joined the choir. He told me he hadn’t sung in the choir for many years, but when he saw Aiko’s smile and enthusiasm he had to be a part once more.
An opus is defined as any artistic work on a large scale. Here in this small community Aiko’s work was large. We have become her opus as joyfully we join in her musical leadership and are lifted into a better place. We promise to work hard to remain such.
We will miss you, dear friend Aiko! But we are better for your having been here. To Pittsburgh we now bequeath you and Brian with grateful, albeit pained, hearts. Via con Dios! We wish you both many more years of joyful singing. Lay lo lay lo lie lo!