Choir Director Report 2016
Every year, I give a report. In these reports, I try to explain what the choir does, and why, and the role of music in our worship. I always give thanks for the year past and those who have helped in this awesome ministry of choir director. Thank you to my right hand woman, Xenia Pollard, without whom my ministry as choir director would be more difficult; thank you to Kat Broberg and Abby Eller for jumping into the breach when I was absent; thank you to all the singers and readers for your faithfulness to your ministry, and for putting up with me. As the late, lamented Joan McMillan used to say when I would tell the choir to watch my direction, “It's always all about you, Denise, isn't it?” and we would laugh. There is a bit of truth to that, because there can be only one person at a time directing a choir.
However, this year is different. This year I'm looking ahead. This year, I am asking some questions for every one of us to think about, whether we sing in the choir, sing in the nave, or don't sing at all. These are questions for every person, young and old.
What would you do if the Queen of England invited you to dinner? Would you respond yes or no? If no, would you send your regrets, maybe a brief explanation as to why, and express the hope that you would be invited again? Would you get ready for the big event in some way? Maybe get a haircut, a new lipstick? Would you put the date on your calendar to be sure you didn't forget? Would you ask for time off from your employer, or make arrangements with your school so that you could attend this amazing event? On the day, would you dress in your best? Would you arrive early or late? Would you be excited? I would, for sure, because I admire her. Once there, would you be on your best behavior, try to remember the rules of courtesy that your mother taught you? Would you eat whatever they served and be thankful to just be there? Would you be picky and refuse the chef created dishes? Once there, if she wanted to talk with you, would you listen? Would you respond? If she asked you to do something, would you say yes or no? Would you do your best to do whatever she asked? If she invited you again, would you go, or would once be enough? Would you appreciate the beautiful surroundings? The golden place settings? The candles? The beautiful and historical paintings?
My friends, God invites you to dinner every week. God invites you to vespers on Saturdays. God invites you to vespers and liturgy for the 12 major feast days. God invites you to Holy Week. God invites you. Is your response to God's invitation different than your response to the Queen? God invites you to participate in the life of His church. God invites you to build up his church here in Rincon. God invites you to love each other and to form a family, and to forgive each other everything. God invites every member of the family, young and old – every member – to do their part.
I have, in previous years, talked about how music is integral to our worship, so I will not do so again today. You know exactly what I would say already, because I've said it before. This year, we lost half our choir due to moves of various sorts, and within the next year, will lose three more. I think most people know that two choir members are contemplating retirement within the next year or two, and I am one of them. The choir is in a state of flux, as sometimes happens when a parish has been around for a long time.
The choir needs your support. If you sing, please sing in the choir. If you have never sung, but would like to try, please sing in the choir. For prospective choir members and current choir members, we must rehearse regularly. Without rehearsals, we are not offering our best to God and our fellow parishioners; instead, we are offering leftover crumbs. Singing in the choir is a commitment of three rehearsals a month, two vespers a month, and four liturgies a month, maximum.
The other need that the choir has is simply this: we need someone to step up to the plate and learn to direct. Directing is more than giving pitches and waving your arms around. I would say that it takes about three years to become a good director. In three years, Fr. James will have most likely retired and moved to Hawaii, I will have retired and may possibly have moved to wherever my daughter is, Xenia will have retired and moved to where her son is. The teens currently in our choir will most likely be in college or moving on with their lives. Which of you present in this room will serve God and your church in this way? Which of you is willing to learn?
Now, there is a lot of work involved in keeping our church open, and there are few laborers. Look around. These are the workers. There is no one else to do the work. Yes, we are all busy with our jobs, family and other things. Yes, we all deserve, and need, some down time to relax and not do work, even if it is the work of the church. We are all in exactly the same boat.
Singing in the choir, or directing the choir does require some specialized knowledge and skill, so you may be thinking that you have an awful voice so you just can't sing and you are off the hook. I want to tell you, from my personal experience, that singing is a skill that can be learned. It's a muscle that needs training and exercise.
I was an awful singer. My voice sounded like it was muffled by a pillow and I had a range of maybe 5 notes. I never got chosen for choir at school. At Girl Scouts, I was actually asked to not sing around the campfire. Seriously! When I was a newlywed, my husband had a good voice and he got drafted into Church of the Redeemer (Antiochian) choir, and I wanted to be near him, so I attended choir rehearsals every single week, but I didn't sing, I sat in the audience and did needlepoint. After a while, the choir director, Joe Baba, told me to sit with the altos because the needlepoint thing was getting on his nerves. Imagine that ! I got on someone's nerves! I could read music already, but it really wasn't necessary – I just had to follow along. I learned by following along.
After a year of singing at three services a week, I had a range of an octave: 8 notes! I was a decent alto! Who knew? The choir invested in voice lessons for a year, and I learned a lot. My friend and I split a voice lesson once a week and I learned a lot more, and suddenly, I had a range of two octaves! Over three years, I went from nonsinger, to pretty decent singer!
The patron saint of choir singers is St. Romanos the Melodist. He wrote many hymns that we still sing today, including most of what is sung at Christmas. History tells us that he would stand on the kliros and when he would chant, his voice was so awful that the worshippers threw rotten fruit at him. Really! He dreamt of the Theotokos who gifted him with a beautiful voice. When he sang on Christmas everyone was amazed at the beauty of the hymns which poured out of him. Now, I am no St. Romanos, and probably you aren't either. But singing in church is truly to pray twice. Singing encourages a deep participation in the Liturgy. Singing the beautiful words set to beautiful music, instead of only listening to them, is edifying and soul stirring. Choir members will tell you that at some point in every service, I am deeply moved spiritually, and they are, too.
Brothers and sisters, this could be YOU. You could open up a whole new world of participation in worship and in the life of the church. This could be you.
Your choir needs you. Your choir needs you now, while there is still time to teach you what you need to know. Like Father James has said so many times, this is YOUR church, not his. It's not mine either. It's yours. The future will be here in the blink of an eye. Will we be ready?
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