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.