Good Music Extends Holiday Atmosphere

It might have seemed a bit late to get into the Christmas spirit.

After all, the new year was up and running. And if you squinted at the sky in just the right way, it was possible to pretend you were seeing an early spring day.

But about 300 people showed up at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes Sunday afternoon for a concert that the program described as “A Musical Extravaganza for the Feast of the Epiphany.”

At the big Catholic church in downtown Spokane, the Christmas season wasn’t going out quietly.

Organs, brass, percussion instruments and an impressive choir filled the seasonally decorated building with festive music.

Sometimes the sound was so loud several babies looked stunned.

More than once, the audience joined in singing hymns. Mostly, though, the event was an opportunity to soak in nearly 100 minutes of varied religious music and experience a personal, contemplative conclusion to Christmas.

This was no pops concert. Yes, a stained glass-rattling organ duet featured strains of “Silent Night,” “Go Tell It On the Mountain,” “The First Noel” and other familiar melodies. But much of the program consisted of music with challenging titles such as “Missa Solennelle in C# minor, Opus 16.”

Nobody seemed to mind. Maybe that’s because one component of music’s power to inspire is surprise. And when you hear something that’s definitely not Top 40 and it moves you, well, it’s a good feeling.

Everybody knows Christmas isn’t just a date on the calendar.

With the musicians and choir situated in a loft behind the main section of pews, there wasn’t really a visual focus for the audience. During some of the softer selections, this lent a certain ethereal quality to the listening experience.

Every now and then, someone turned around, craned his or her neck, and tried to see the horn players or the singers. Mostly, the audience just listened, eyes front.

People in churches often seem unsure about clapping. But there was no hesitation at the conclusion of the final hymn. The applause was sincere and sustained.

“Really enjoyable,” a smiling pregnant woman in a red coat said to an older man standing next to her. “I’m glad we came.”

As people filed out, several dozen members of the audience - not all of whom were Catholic - stopped by the large Nativity scene near the cathedral’s altar.

Night had fallen. Once again, it felt like winter.

A woman in a brown coat hummed as she walked to her car.

, DataTimes MEMO: Being There is a weekly feature that looks at gatherings in the Inland Northwest.