“To participate, then, in the pomp of the orchestra, in the full scintillation thereof, was in the highest degree thrilling. Is this not the image of the perfect republic -- each instrument singing its wonted melody, endeavoring at once to express its part, and, in the same instance to conform its voice to the conversation of the whole?”

“At every moment, each instrument knew what to play. Its little bit. But none could see the whole thing like this, all at once, only its own part. Just like life. Each person was like a line of music, but nobody knew what the symphony sounded like. Only the conductor had the whole score.”

“When a group of people sing together, we make up a chorus. When birds do, it's more like a whole symphony orchestra.”

“Prayer at its highest is a two-way conversation-and for me the most important part is listening to God's replies.”

“God sings, we hum along, and there are many melodies, but it's all one song - one same, wonderful, human song.”

“Somehow during their aimless but oh-so-significant conversation with its delicious pauses and thrilling undercurrents of emotion, they came to know that they loved each other passionately.”