I feel very foreign on Konfirmation Sunday. This is the when the group of 13 year old's who have been attending confirmation classes for a year (the Konfirmanden) are officially made full church members. This is a big tradition here and the church is crammed with parents and relatives who we didn't see since Christmas, (and probably won't see until next Christmas either). The service goes on for a couple of hours, with a full brass band and other additions.
In the late afternoon we have a second service. In contrast to the never ending story in the morning, this has to be no more than 45 minutes long or the families complain, but at least we are allowed to do things differently, and as usual, Xpresso brought our own brand of chaos into the midst of the religion around.
When I arrived for the evening, some of the Konfirmanden were sitting in the pews, looking wide eyed at the Xpresso team who were variously talking, laughing, preparing an assortment of unusual props or lounging in the deck chairs set up for 'The Presentation'. Some instruments had to be placed in an area we'd earmarked for some stage action, so the team were already resetting a number of entrances and exits, and we hadn't practised the quick changes -points where an actor leaves the stage and then reappears a few seconds later in a different costume- but the team took it in their stride: more people turned up with more costumes and more odd props, the director played with the sound effects, I moved a potted plant out of the way while no-one was looking (If we asked permission we wouldn't be allowed, but we figured no-one would notice if it just moved) we rehearsed several times, including quick changes, and suddenly people in smart clothes were filing in, so the director left the sound effects alone and we got the backstage areas ready.
The service began, and in the song before our presentation we all disappeared and lurked in our places, and then it was presentation time. I couldn't see much as I was helping with quick changes, but despite the fact we were satirising the attitudes of many of the people in the pews, no-one got angry or threw anything which means we still haven't reached the boundaries yet. There was certainly a lot of laughter at one point, although that turned out to be our pastor playing one of the tourists that wandered across the stage -in full costume.
Then it was over, and gradually the Konfirmanden left, intermingled with people carrying props, set pieces and instruments, until numbers dwindled to those involved with the service, who hung about, as we do, enjoying the imperfect and wonderfully messy community that had been lurking alongside the tradition and religion all along.
In the late afternoon we have a second service. In contrast to the never ending story in the morning, this has to be no more than 45 minutes long or the families complain, but at least we are allowed to do things differently, and as usual, Xpresso brought our own brand of chaos into the midst of the religion around.
When I arrived for the evening, some of the Konfirmanden were sitting in the pews, looking wide eyed at the Xpresso team who were variously talking, laughing, preparing an assortment of unusual props or lounging in the deck chairs set up for 'The Presentation'. Some instruments had to be placed in an area we'd earmarked for some stage action, so the team were already resetting a number of entrances and exits, and we hadn't practised the quick changes -points where an actor leaves the stage and then reappears a few seconds later in a different costume- but the team took it in their stride: more people turned up with more costumes and more odd props, the director played with the sound effects, I moved a potted plant out of the way while no-one was looking (If we asked permission we wouldn't be allowed, but we figured no-one would notice if it just moved) we rehearsed several times, including quick changes, and suddenly people in smart clothes were filing in, so the director left the sound effects alone and we got the backstage areas ready.
The service began, and in the song before our presentation we all disappeared and lurked in our places, and then it was presentation time. I couldn't see much as I was helping with quick changes, but despite the fact we were satirising the attitudes of many of the people in the pews, no-one got angry or threw anything which means we still haven't reached the boundaries yet. There was certainly a lot of laughter at one point, although that turned out to be our pastor playing one of the tourists that wandered across the stage -in full costume.
Then it was over, and gradually the Konfirmanden left, intermingled with people carrying props, set pieces and instruments, until numbers dwindled to those involved with the service, who hung about, as we do, enjoying the imperfect and wonderfully messy community that had been lurking alongside the tradition and religion all along.
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