One Korean who, according to news reports, did have a relaxed day was North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il, who attended a concert, where an army choir praised him in song.
There, at sundown, a men's choir sings praise songs known as qawwali.
Late in his career he founded a gospel choir, InNate Praise, and also played himself on an episode of the animated series "The Boondocks," singing one of his trademark hooks.
The closing track, the cover of the hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow", is backed by a gospel choir and "praises God for watching over His children".
In my own research, I've noted how Revelation employs choirs to praise God immediately after its most horrific scenes -- almost as if some justification is necessary (15:2-4; 15:4-7).
Recalling this discovery, Ms. Sabrena raised her hands to the heavens and did an impression of a choir singer praising the Lord.
And this performance was blessed with an abundance of powerful voices, including the moving mezzo Sibongile Khumalo, the Williams College Concert Choir, the Total Praise Choir of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn and the local African chorus Themba.
There is a spectacular collaboration with a gospel group, the Praise Choir Singers, for which Joseph Jennings has composed a quiet, sometimes cooing, wordless score of contrasting simplicity and complexity.
After an opening candlelighting ceremony, the museum will present a variety of performers, including the singer Tulani Kinard, the Total Praise Choir of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brooklyn, the Young Jazz Masters and the Restoration Dance Theater Junior Company.
But "Night" achieved its depth through an integration of hypnotic elements: a mobile set (part cave and part primeval forest ); Joseph Jennings's wordless score, sung by the Praise Choir Singers, and a stunning interaction of light (by Scott Poitras) and movement that gave the illusion of close-up.
After the award was presented, a children's choir sang her praise, even NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly showed his support with an appearance (this man wears the nicest ties).
