The Konkurss

Saturday night my wife & I went to a Youth Music "Konkurss". We didn't know what it was, only that our teen friend, Anna, & her friend were playing a song in it. Anna is this tiny girl with a huge voice & a giant smile who, whenever she sees me, she nearly breaks my neck with her hugs. She & I have led worship together a couple of times. She's really an awesome young lady, so I was glad to walk into this "konkurss" not knowing anything of what to expect just to see her play & support her.

After we found one of my wife's English students (who turns out to be her biggest troublemaker) who politely told us what to do (buy tickets & go in there & wait for the line to move), we bought tickets, went in there & waited for the line to move. The line consisted mainly of about 200 teens & pre-teens from all over Talsi & beyond. I didn't have to wonder where the kids were on this Saturday night!

We stood there feeling a little old & yet kind of enjoying being "out" for a change. After a while, the line, in fact, began to move... and rapidly. It was like watching sand go down a funnel. Giddy excitement surrounded us, as we tried to cautiously make our way into the gym without getting condensed.

We located some seats, which didn't turn out all that great, since they were against the wall a meter or so away from the main seating area, & folks found that standing in front of us was the best way to locate seats down below. I guess that we were located center stage didn't help either.

I forgot for a while that the "acts" were actually teens (usually) & I plunged into a massive critical time, which proved humorous to me & mildly embarrassing to my wife. The term "wet wriggling puppies" came to mind as this girl in orange sherbet shorts & top sang a mediocre version of "Walking on Sunshine" while two, I must say attractive, yet terribly rhythmless young men, dare I say danced? No, I dare not. They were wriggling. That's just all there was to it. That was embarrassing to me.

Finally after about 5 such strange hormonal displays, Anna & her friend took the stage. I didn't know she had such long hair... down to her bum. Normally she has it tied in a bun... kind of odd for a 17-yr-old, but hey, she's a musician. They sang a gentle song of "You're my angel" & it was a special time. You could sense that it was special, & refreshingly different from the other boom-boom-boom. It was just Anna, her guitar & her friend.

When they finished I think there were one or two more songs by a couple other acts. Then there was a 10-minute intermission. We decided to leave, since the whole reason we came had come & gone. As we began to make our way out, we saw another friend, Arta. She's a young Latvian lady who's in university. I first heard of her because when Anna & I along with another friend led worship together for the first time, we learned a couple of songs that Arta had written. I was amazed & wanted to meet this lady. I have had such opportunity a couple of times since, including this time.

Arta talked with my wife & me for a few minutes, as we related in having a mutual friendship with Anna. Arta then invited us to attend a musicians' meeting that would take place in Talsi. I was floored! This is the very thing that I was hoping to find or start myself... and here it was presenting itself to me! I, of course, accepted the invitation, & after a phone call from Arta, I was again invited to help lead worship with her for the meeting! Once again I was floored.

We left the konkurss & went home. A little while later, we received an sms that Anna & her friend had won 3rd place. Not too bad for the first time in the competition (which is, by the way, what konkurss means in Latvian).

So I've got practice Thursday night at 7 pm with some of the brightest young musicians in the region who love God. We plan to meet for the musicians' meeting on Saturday, I think. I'm so excited about this! My heart is to see these young musicians write original worship music in Latvian & to see them & their music promoted in this country. I so want to see Latvians be Latvian & worship God in their special Latvian way.

Cheers,
~t