Postlude

Last night Rick and Dee, as they have done in past years, graciously opened their home to choir members for the annual Christmas party. The gathering is a much-anticipated, and very much enjoyed, conclusion to the busiest four months of the choir year. There is a lot of music ahead before the summer break in the choir schedule; but, for the most part, the rest of the year will settle into a routine that is less hectic than that of the past few months.

I have written more than 3,000 words in this blog. But it may be that I could have conveyed all the relevant information about our choir in many fewer words, perhaps even in one paragraph. Something like this:

Our choir is a group of people who join together in glorifying God through music, while enjoying each other’s fellowship and friendship. We sing together, laugh together, celebrate together, and pray together. I have been blessed to be a part of it.

Lessons and Carols Service

Before I give my report on the Lessons and Carols service this evening, two quick stories:

Story 1: In the mid-60s, my home town church built a new sanctuary. Among a few controversial design elements, none was more so than the placing of the choir loft in a balcony at the rear of the sanctuary. In fact, I'm not sure that this doesn't remain a point of contention in that congregation more than four decades later. But the reason for the design always seemed to me to be a sound one. It is a symbolic way of acknowledging that choir music is not a performance for the congregation, but an act of worship directed to God.

Story 2: There was a scene in a TV series some years ago in which a string quartet made up of amateur musicians performed a recital before a small audience. After the performance, one of the musicians lamented that she had not played to the standard she had set for herself. The group’s leader consoled her, saying "I believe the audience was oblivious to the nuances of our performance." My wife and I found the remark amusing, and it has become a catchphrase for us.

Okay, now I'll try to tie those stories to this evening's service.

My view (a common one, based on comments I heard from other choir members) is that, overall, our singing was good. But there were exceptions here and there, and notably one carol that did not go as planned. So, how to grade the performance?

Answer: The question is misguided. Lessons and Carols was not a "performance" to be graded (see Story 1 above). It was a service of praise and worship. Isn't it presumptuous to think that God discounts musical praise when He hears a flat note, an error of timing or dynamics, or any other failing?

Still, while it was a worship service, not a concert, it’s still true that the congregation was of course listening to the music. That's where Story 2 comes in. Did some people notice a flaw or two? Probably. But it's likely that relatively few did, and even fewer cared; because God was in the sanctuary as His people were reminded, in word and in song, of the Greatest Gift

Snippets

snippet –noun: a small piece snipped off; a small bit, scrap, or fragment

There are some words that people just like the sound of. For the choir, one such word is "snippets"; I heard it voiced many times at rehearsal last night.

Every year at this time, Rick chooses brief excerpts from a few of the Lessons and Carols selections, and the choir sings these snippets at the beginning of the worship service a week before L&C Sunday. It's sort of an advertisement for L&C, a sneak preview of the service. Last night, Dee passed out photocopies containing the snippets, and Rick led us through it a couple of times. The whole thing takes only about a minute to sing; but in that short time, Rick's selections nicely illustrate the variety of the music that will be offered at the L&C service -- with the tranquil "What Sweeter Music" followed by the rollicking "Methinks I See an Heavenly Host", then the gentle Scottish lullaby "Baloo Lammy", and finally the familiar, triumphant closing bars of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing".

(I noticed when I looked up the definition of snippet printed above that there was a second meaning: a small or insignificant person. As I have tried to make clear in this blog, no one in our choir is thought to be insignificant. The only snippets you will find in the choir loft are those photocopied music excerpts.)

Music Binders

In an earlier post, I wrote about choir robes. There is an even more essential item for the choir member: The music binder.

The binder is a plain, black 3-ring. I have the music sorted alphabetically by title, and separated by tabbed dividers. At the back of the binder is a pencil bag, which does contain several pencils -- but also paper clips, cough drops, and Kleenex. When one of the other basses noticed this stash of supplies, he asked if I had my lunch in the bag as well.

I have a separate binder for Lessons and Carols music. That one is arranged in order of performance rather than alphabetically – but with the name of each piece on the divider tabs, so I can turn to any of them quickly. Some of my colleagues in the choir look askance at this level of organization on my part. Perhaps they’re right, and I've overdone it a bit; but I must admit it is satisfying, when Rick says “turn to ‘The Truth from Above’", to have my binder open to the right page within two seconds, while those around me are riffling through stacks of music, saying “what does that one look like? Is it in the packet? Is it a Xerox?”

There’s one thing I don’t like about the binder: It’s hard to balance in one hand while turning pages. I have toyed with the idea of attaching some kind of strap to the binder, into which I can slip my left hand to get a secure grip. But if my divider tabs and Kleenex have been noticed by others, I can only imagine the kidding I would take if I were to customize my binder with a hand strap. So I will leave it to someone else to revolutionize the choir world with that invention.

Optional Rehearsals

For the next few weeks, Rick will conduct informal Lessons and Carols rehearsals during the Sunday School hour, between first and second church services. The group attending these extra rehearsals is usually a small one (nine people this past Sunday). Some may be there simply out of dedication to the program; others are there because they can use all the help they can get between now and December 12. I am in the latter group.

Choir Robes

Years ago, an offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers wrote about the love-hate relationship he had with his football helmet. While he appreciated its protective qualities and liked its utility as a blocking weapon, it was very uncomfortable to wear.

I have a similar ambivalence about my choir robe. I like to put on the robe Sunday mornings; it's a nice ritual, a final preparation for the morning's singing. But the robe is not very comfortable on warm days. And I constantly bemoan its lack of pockets.

A question heard in the choir room almost every Sunday is "what color stole today?". The stoles that provide the final touch to the robes match the seasonal colors: green for ordinary time, purple for Advent, red for Pentecost, and so on.

Only 50 singing days left...

... till the Lessons and Carols service. So this morning, we gathered in the Sanctuary at 9 am to rehearse the music for that service. Fortified with coffee prepared by Dee, and with food brought by several choir members, we advanced steadily, for the next three hours, through most of the 15 carols in the L&C packet. Beginning the week after next, Rick will lead weekly L&C rehearsals during the Sunday School hour, for those able to attend; and he'll also hold sectional rehearsals a half-hour before regular choir practice on Wednesday evenings.

The Lone Tenor

I noted in an earlier post that tenors are underrepresented in the choir. That was certainly true this evening -- Bill was the only one to show up. This has happened before; I've told Bill that he's a braver man than I. If I were to be the only bass at rehearsal once, I might survive it. If it were to happen a second time, I might not come back.

This Sunday is Youth Sunday, with the kids taking the entire service; so, as it is for some football teams, this is a "bye week" for the choir.

"By George... they don't quite have it yet"

Correct pronunciation and emphasis of certain words is an ongoing challenge. My theory to explain this is simple. It's not that easy for the amateur singer simultaneously to process:

- notes -- pitch and time values

- changes in key and time signatures

- dynamics

- tempo variations

- lyrics

- instructions from the director in addition to those on the printed page

As tenor Bob told Rick, "you can have the right note or the right word -- take your pick!"

Of many examples I could give, here are two recent ones – both pertaining to music for this Sunday’s service:

- In "Marching to Zion", it is "ZI-un" -- not "ZI-ON"

- The "Kum" in "Kum ba ya" does not rhyme with "plume"; the "u" sound is more like the diphthong in "look"

How many times has Rick reminded us of the correct way to sing these words? I lost count a long time ago. Will we, as Eliza Doolittle did, finally "get it"? We’ll find out Sunday.

More Stats

Here are the attendance numbers for rehearsals and for worship services the first seven weeks of the choir year:

I notice a couple of things. First, there is no correlation between attendance at Wednesday rehearsal, and that on the following Sunday's service. Second, while we have the upper and lower registers covered, there's a scarcity of tenors -- and sometimes altos as well.

Ordinary Time

The church year has several different divisions, such as Advent, Easter, and Pentecost. But most of the year is designated "Ordinary Time" -- the weeks between those seasons. In the same way, while some choir rehearsals have special aspects to them, most are "ordinary". Tonight's rehearsal was a good example. A brief summary will give the reader an idea of a typical Wednesday evening:

7:32 Began with "The Church's One Foundation"

7:50 Moved on to "Marching to Zion"

8:10 Rick took the men to the Sanctuary, while Lynda and the women stayed in the choir room, for sectional practice on "Shall We Gather at the River"

8:32 Gathered together in the Sanctuary to go through "Zion" a couple more times (it is this Sunday's anthem)

8:43 Went through "Kum ba ya", the anthem for October 17

8:48 Closing prayers

Does this summary give a complete picture of what rehearsal is like? Not at all. It does not record the atmosphere of camaraderie, the good-natured joking, the sharing of celebrations and concerns. All these things, together, constitute "ordinary time" for choir rehearsal.

Energy Source

Choir rehearsal comes at the end of what, for most of us, has been a long day. Some have had a tough day at work. Some have had to get kids to school and back home, get them fed and otherwise taken care of. Most have had errands to run, obligations and responsibilities to meet. It would not seem unreasonable to expect the choir room on Wednesday evening to be a place of relatively low energy.

Instead, what an observer would see is a group of people enjoying fellowship, laughing often, and singing with enthusiasm. (It is, after all, difficult not to feel a burst of energy when joining in a brisk rendition of "Marching to Zion"). I think the energy level of choir members may be higher at the end of rehearsal than at the beginning. Perhaps this recharging of batteries results from the fellowship and the singing. Perhaps some of it also comes from another source of energy: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them”.

Some Stats

I looked through all the music in my folder, including the Lessons and Carols music, and counted the number of pieces in various key signatures and time signatures, including changes within the pieces. (Why did I do this? I just like statistics).

Here's the time signature breakdown. 3/4 and 4/4 lead the way; but there is a wide selection, including some you wouldn’t expect to see too often: 5/4, 5/8, and 7/8.

Here's the breakdown by key signature:

(Note to musical types: Yes, I realize that this chart is inaccurate, because it shows only major keys; and some of the anthems are undoubtedly in minor keys. But I'm not a musician; I can't tell, from a quick look, if two sharps denote the key of D major, or B minor. I could employ the trick taught me by my music major daughter, looking at the final note of the melody -- which usually matches the key. But this was a quick exercise, and I didn’t want to spend that much time on it. So let’s just say that the chart shows what per cent of the anthems are in each major key; or, in some cases, its relative minor key).

Support Group

We worked hard this evening on a number of pieces of music. But we had fun doing it; there is always an atmosphere of good humor and fellowship during rehearsals. There is also, however, time to be serious: Every rehearsal is concluded with prayer. Tonight was typical, in that there were prayers of gratitude as well as supplication. In the former category, thanks were given for Bobby's reaching an employment goal he has pursued diligently for some time; and for Debbie's continued successes in graduate course work. In the latter category, God's blessing was sought for Kim's mother, who has been battling serious health issues; for a co-worker of Lynda, who has a blood clot in the leg; and for a relative of Debra, who was injured in a motorcycle accident.

Most, if not all, of us have been supported at one time or another by the prayers and love of our brothers and sisters in the choir. It is far more than the common love of singing that binds the group together.

Degree of difficulty

How difficult is the music we sing? As I noted earlier, there’s a broad range of skill in the choir, so the music is easier for some than for others. Also, the complexity varies from anthem to anthem.

For example, one of the pieces we rehearsed this evening, “Marching to Zion”, had a couple of elements that I – one of the less skilled choir members -- like to see:

- Sections where all voices are singing in unison

- Easy intervals, such as strings of ascending or descending seconds -- just strolling up and down the “do-re-mi” ladder

But we also worked on a couple of other pieces that were not so simple. “Psalm 46” had none of the easy patterns I described in the previous paragraph. There were many changes in time signature and key signature, and numerous accidentals; not the easiest sight-read. Then there was Rick's arrangement of "Kum ba ya", which has challenging rhythms; it is not often that I have to decipher a measure containing a mix of dotted eighth notes, regular eighth notes, and quarter notes.

So, to recap: Some of the anthems are relatively easy; others, more difficult. But all are manageable with multiple rehearsals over a period of weeks, and Rick’s guidance over the rough spots. By the time we sing each anthem during a service, even a slow learner like me will have a good handle on it.

With the end of summer, we resume the normal schedule of two worship services, at 8:30 and 11:00. This Sunday is the second one of the month, which means we’ll sing at 11:00 (we sing at the second service on the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Sundays of the month, and the first service on the 3rd and 5th Sundays).

Qualifications

How good a singer do you have to be to join our choir?

Ours is not an audition choir; there is no test to pass. You do not have to sing before a panel of judges, a la “American Idol”, in order to be issued a music folder and a choir robe.

There is a spectrum of talent in our choir. Some members are skilled musicians; some play no musical instrument. A few might have perfect pitch, or at least perfect relative pitch; others rely on a starting note from the piano -- and maybe a few subsequent notes – to find their place. Some can sight-read almost anything; others are challenged in that area. Some have big voices; others, more modest ones.

My own situation might illustrate the point. My last formal music training consisted of short-lived piano lessons in first grade. My comfortable singing range is very narrow, in the no-man’s land between baritone and bass. My sight-reading skills are rudimentary. My pitch control is good enough to blend in (I think), but not solo-quality. Yet despite these weaknesses, I was not only welcomed into the choir last year; I have been treated as a valued part of the group.

Tonight we began to settle into our weekly routine, getting familiar with some anthems that will not be sung in church for a few weeks. As he sometimes does, Rick divided the group for part of the session, working with the sopranos and altos while Lynda (our organist/pianist/accompanist) worked with the tenors and basses. We finished by reassembling in the Sanctuary to rehearse Sunday's anthem.

Annual Retreat

The formal beginning of the choir year is the annual retreat, a two-day event combining work with fun and fellowship (that being descriptive, by the way, of the rest of the choir year as well).

Friday evening's agenda included dinner, celebration of the Lord's Supper, a light rehearsal, and time for fellowship.

On Saturday, practice began in earnest on the two dozen or so pieces of music that had been handed out -- anthems for upcoming Sundays, plus 15 selections for the "Lessons and Carols" service during Advent. The choir loft was a bit crowded at first, with no fewer than 37 taking every available seat. It's often noted that having "too many people" show up is a good problem to have; and in fact it was no problem at all: During the break for lunch, the low wall at the front of the loft was moved out, as it is designed to do, to make room for another row of chairs.

Many of the choir members reconvened Saturday evening for dinner at Macaroni Grill. A young waitress with aspirations to be an opera singer performed two Puccini arias. By way of thanks, Rick told her we would sing for her; and we did, joining together in a choir favorite, Peter Lutkin's benediction "The Lord Bless You and Keep You." There was appreciative applause from nearby tables. It was gratifying to share a choral blessing with strangers in a restaurant, and it was a memorable end to the retreat.

First Rehearsal

The first day of choir rehearsal is much like the first day of school when you were a kid – but without the bad parts. (Now that I think of it -- that makes it nothing like the first day of school). Wouldn’t it have been nice if, on the first day of school, you had already known:

- your teacher

- your classmates

- where your classroom and locker were

- what to expect for the day

That pretty much describes the comfortable environment that greeted returning choir members this evening. Even the new people had an easy time of it; there was none of the discomfort of being the new kid in class. They were warmly welcomed and made to feel a part of the group right from the start.

There was a big crowd tonight, consisting of 11 sopranos, 6 altos, 4 tenors, and 7 basses. Our director, Rick, led us through several pieces of music, some new and others familiar, the latter including Sunday’s anthem: “On Eagle’s Wings”.

Prelude

This blog will chronicle my observations as one of a thirty-some member church choir.

The church is a Presbyterian congregation near Dallas-Fort Worth.