The music that first 'transported' me was in church. I was reared Amish and they don't have accompanied singing nor do they sing harmonies at the Sunday morning service.

The second song each Sunday morning by tradition was the 'Lob Sang', 'Zum Anfang der Versammlung'(closely allied to Gregorian chant). It is a s l o w song that rises and falls and curls and swells and falls and drifts away... (I just checked my memory- the first syllable 'O' alone has 6 notes in it) Sung in unison, it was a dense, almost solid wall of sound with the silvery high voices edging the low voices and blending into one, especially because I really didn't understand the words. It begins "O Gott, Vater, wir loben dich"; that much I understood and not much else.

Sitting here typing, for the first time I understand why I love operatic duets above all tonal music, especially in a foreign language. I truly didn't know before this moment where that love stems from.

Ebbie