Delf mijn gezicht op = Lay bare my face and see , 1973 - 1988

A Wisdom Love Song Delf mijn gezicht op is the first line, in Dutch, of each verse. Delven means to scoop out, to dig out. Huijbers wrote this piece with a young member of his choir in mind, whose last name was Delfgauw. Delf, to scoop, and gauw, with speed and efficiency. But what is the relevance of this? This is clearly a love song. It reveals the vulnerability of the composer. Laying one's heart and soul bare sheds a new light on how others see us and how we begin to see ourselves. We teeter on the verge of insecurity, on the edge of irrationality. The heart seizes control, anxious about feelings being reciprocated. How often do we gaze at one another directly, eye to eye? During these days of pandemic and mask wearing, we are forced to look at others in the eyes since little else is visible. At.... but into? In fact, how often do we dare to gaze into each other’s eyes with delight and wonder? And see our reflection? Oosterhuis is clearly addressing this song to One Who is ever present, the One Who calls us by name, that Ancient Voice bringing us each into being. The poem resonates with the biblical story of the Song of Songs. a cryptologists dream world, with allusion to a Deity Who us never mentioned. The subject is the woman, in wisdom literature known as Wisdom in her beauty, who is seeking through the deserted city streets at night her beloved one. She chases the beloved's shadow, always around the next corner until.... and then is no more. She might represnt Israel, known as the Virgin Daughter of Zion. God is a fickle lover. The lover is almost always treated with disdain, is ignored, left abandoned in silence, derided, and ultimately is put to death. This is the mystical presence of the Ever-present Silent One, the Everywhere-You-In-Concealment, the Voice from the burning bush, I Am For You. The onomatopoeia of this song is deserving of mention. Delf mijn gezicht op means, literally, dig into my face, followed by the contrasting phrase, maak mij mooi, make my beautiful. One cannot sing or even say mooi (a soft, extended moy) and not radiate joy, feeling its beauty. My translation approximates finds a comparative rhyme with beauty and joy The song was composed at an exceptionally tender and critical moment in the composer's life. Jesus might have founded the Church, but Huijbers laid claim to founding the Dominicuskerk as a new, vibrant liturgical community nourished by song, which still thrives to this day. Eventually, his days as music director were coming to an end, with invitations to teach in America. Leaving his entire life behind to begin a new one, the fickle God was once again to desert him. On arrival at Catholic University in Washington DC, he learnt that an edict had just been issued by Rome barring all former clergy from teaching in any pontifical institution. With a tenure cut short, he remained in the US a little longer. His reputation was known, and there were invitations to conduct workshops. alongside renewing acquaintances with his American publisher, North Amserican Liturgy Resourcses NALR. Bob Albright and he forged deep and lasting ties, and Tom Conry became a disciple. On returning to Amsterdam, he resumed his position as team leader of the Dominicus, though no longer music director. And then in 1979, bidding farewell to Amsterdam, he and his wife Annelou settled in the Aveyron Valley in central southern France to pursue other dreams. And as for his Monique, perhaps she never left his heart. - Tony Barr