Yesterday at the spur of the moment I decided to make a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to see Amy Grant perform with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. Those of you that read my blog are I'm sure stunned at that news. Yes, I had see Amy perform just a few short months ago in the Atlanta area but this was a symphony show and you don't get the chance to see your favorite artist perform with a symphony very often.
From the moment the audience was asked to rise and sing the national anthem I knew we were in for a treat. The sound at the BJCC concert hall was amazing. There is something magical (I'm going to use that word a lot in the next couple of paragraphs) about listening to a group of a thousand or so people singing together. Amy's band came out and included Jenny Gill, Vince Gill's daughter, singing back up. The first song Amy did was "Stay For Awhile." The strings, percussion, and wind instruments joined in creating a new depth to music that I've loved for a long time.
From the start of the evening Amy made it clear how many family members and friends were in the audience. Two of her three sisters were there, the other one was back in Nashville awaiting the birth of a grand daughter. Of course her step daughter was there. One of the most incredibly touching moments came when her daughter, Sarah Chapman, came out and sang with one of her friends. Amy introduced her by saying that Sarah had turned 17 back in October and her birthday present was singing with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. The rest of the band members left the stage and Sarah took to the mic with her friend on the keyboards and the beautiful orchestra in the background. Sarah's voice had a smoky soulful texture to it. You could tell that she was the product of two amazingly talent individuals, Gary Chapman and Amy Grant. What made the moment more special was to look over and see a clearly proud parent watching and cheering her on.
Amy also briefly spoke about her parents being in assisted living. It was nice to hear her stories of her parents and visiting them. I work as a chef in assisted living, in case you didn't know that, and sometimes you forget how deeply your work can affect other people. At times it's hard to remember that every resident has a child or family member that cares about them. It was a nice perspective.
Seeing Amy with the Symphony was a dream come true. The only other time I've seen her with a symphony live is during her Christmas concerts, which are great but I'm a fan because of her music. I literally decided to go on this trip yesterday morning. I got the approval at work, bought my ticket, got a hotel room and here I am. Usually my trips to an Amy concert include going backstage to say 'hi' or going to a soundcheck. This time it was just to come be a fly on the wall and enjoy some music that I love.
