Carmen Saunders, wife of Multnomah Biblical Seminary student Reid Saunders, recently joined the Bravo! Vancouver orchestra. Bravo! Vancouver is in its seventh season.

Mrs. Saunders, a cello player, described her acceptance into the group as "a miracle."

Her long-time friend, Kara Epp, recommended her to the conductor. He then called Mrs. Saunders and asked her to audition.

"I recommended Carmen with full confidence," Ms. Epp said. Ms. Epp has played violin in the Bravo! orchestra for one year.

Mrs. Saunders said she only had a week and a day to prepare a Haydn concerto and three orchestral excerpts for the audition. She compared the experience to running a marathon without preparation. Her bow arm shoulder was still sore three weeks after the audition.

During the week before the audition, Mrs. Saunders realized she couldn't put her worth in whether the conductor hired her or not. She said she evaluated for whom she was living her life.

"When something huge happens, we either go into desperation or we trust God," she said. Preparing for the audition "was just a real dependance time for me," she said.

Mrs. Saunders has played cello since she was three years old. She said her life has always been God, family and music tied into one. Her father plays piano and organ, her mother teaches voice and her twin sister plays violin.

She graduated from Western Baptist College with a performance degree in cello and has been teaching others for the last five months.

The Bravo! orchestra and choir performed Handel's "Messiah" on Dec. 3. Mrs. Saunders said the music and lyrics are amazing; the entire piece is based on Scripture.

The musicians practice their parts at home and then rehearse together the week of the concert, Mrs. Saunders said. Ms. Epp said the community fills the local church every time the orchestra performs.

For more information on Bravo! Vancouver, visit the website at www.bravoconcerts.com.