https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ia2UBXjNzw

Joy can come at the most unexpected moment. It can be there, right around the corner, in the middle of the city during the busy evening hours. Everyone is rushing – to get to the train on time, or do their shopping after work. I’m on my way to the city library – they’ve asked for two copies of my book “Laughter in the Shadows” to place on the shelf. I’m rushing too. It’s cold, the first days of winter and my winter coat is still in the attic. Then a hint of sound, of pure melody, so out of place in the bustle. Looking in that direction, I don’t see anything to match it. Just ordinary people, but some are standing still, expectantly looking. At what? Coming closer I hear it: full pure male voices filling the cold air with a music from another world. But who’s singing? It takes me a moment to pick them out of the evening crowd. About five young men, in jeans and wool touques, stand loosely together. Nothing in their appearance shows them to be what they are – men with trained voices of exceptional quality. Belo-Mir, Minsk, Belarus it says on a sign. Cold or not, I join the few standing there, close my eyes so as not to miss a single note until it dissolves into the Schaffhauser sky. How can such powerful pure volume come from one such young man? Something so extraordinary from one so ordinary? And how can people just walk by such a heaven as if it didn’t even exist?

I bought a CD and am listening to it this morning. From the sound, the CD was cut in a large cathedral. If I didn’t know better, I would think these were older men, in tuxedos. Certainly not the young men in jeans I heard yesterday. But the music is as powerful as yesterday. So powerful I’d like to forget about work for the day!

Maybe I’ll have to get me one of those smart phones after all – then I’d have a picture and original video to go with this post!

Listen to the link with headphones – it’s worth it!