I catch myself singing and humming everywhere. While I’m not a trained professional (by any stretch of the imagination), I still love music and when I feel the urge to express it, I don’t have much shame. I like to turn the radio up loud in the car and sing at the top of my lungs! Or, when I’m in an elevator alone, I use that window of opportunity to sing there, too. And, when I go for a run, I’m the person who belts it out, humming and singing my favorite parts, even though no one else can hear what I’m hearing.
But, the best places are the ones that have awesome acoustics! That open space where sound reverberates and gives your voice a haunting quality – like a grain bin, obviously.
Or, not so obvious! This is a pretty radical idea and it belongs to Farmer Derek Klingenberg. With a description like, “This is where I raise grain, beef, kids, and creativity,” on his YouTube channel, you know you’re in for something entertaining and different! This video is exactly that. From Kansas, USA, Farmer Derek built a shiny, brand new grain silo on his farm, and before he fills it up, there’s something he wants to accomplish.
The video opens to Farmer Derek standing atop his sparkly new grain bin and with the help of a drone, he’s got a beauty shot of his surroundings, saying, “We built a new grain bin and I invited the Bethel College Choir to sing in it because it sounds so awesome!” Next, he’s rolling the red carpet out and a stream of young adults dressed in black are pouring in to put on a performance guaranteed to make your spine tingle! Before they go inside, he asks a couple of people if they’ve been in a grain bin before, and surprisingly, a few have! Others have not, but that’s all about to change today!
They get into formation, and Farmer Derek opens the song, “Down To The River To Pray” with a trumpet solo that sets the tone. From the first note, the sound echoes and bounces through the silo making for a chilling tone. It’s gorgeous! And, the choir hasn’t even started yet. Moments later, when they do, prepare for goosebumps. It’s simply sublime! I don’t know how this idea came to fruition, but it sure pays off because this is a one-of-a-kind performance! Their voices are stunning, and together, they create such power and energy, using only their vocals and a single trumpet. Who knew singing in a silo could create magic like this?!
Click below to watch this with your own eyes! You have to see it to believe it!
