I can’t decide which is worse. Being in the rinky dinky ward choir or leading the rinky dinky ward choir. Without a doubt, I enjoy singing more than I enjoy conducting. However, I also enjoy having a say in the musical programming (what songs are being sung when) so it’s nice to have control over the choir music. None of it is very fun when five people show up for choir.
Because of our low, low numbers, I have curtailed ward choir to a seasonal thing. I’ve learned that most people don’t enjoy being at church for an extra half-hour to hour, even if they enjoy singing. Besides that, ever since I have been the primary music leader, I’m rarely in the mood to cheer lead another music session. So, ward choir will learn something for Easter, usually something for the summer, like Pioneer Day or Fourth of July and then, of course, music for the beloved holiday season. It’s not asking for a lot of extra time. Still, there are usually only about five people that come - three of them frequently relatives of mine. It’s disheartening.
A very talented musician in the other ward and I have become good friends and two years ago, I helped her put together a musical fireside for Christmas. She did most of the work but I had our choir perform a few numbers, I sang a solo and I accompanied a string ensemble on the piano. I can’t quite remember why we didn’t do it last year but we decided to do it again this year but have it even more combined. We’re going to combine our two rinky dinky choirs into one small but stable choir and add other numbers to enjoy the wonders of Christmas music. Our first practice was right after church today.
There were only seven people there. I know we’ll get more trickling in for our next three rehearsals but it’s still so frustrating as a director because you can’t really ever do much more than teach parts when you have new people showing up each week. The great thing about this exercise in gratitude had me searching for the good, however. And I found it listening to Henry’s wonderful, off-key, enthusiastic young voice.
There used to be an unspoken (well...it was probably spoken. I’m sure Jay did some vocal encouraging) rule that my family was in the choir. They were there anyway and I wanted other families to know that choir certainly wasn’t limited to only the adults so for the past few years, all of my boys have sung with us. Henry often didn’t as quick speech and quick singing are so hard for him but as he’s gotten older, and he’s become a solid reader, he’s become the most eager to sing, by far. In fact, Seth and Sam have reached an age (Sam earlier than Seth because younger brothers are so heavily influenced by their older brothers) where no amount of persuasion really can get them to sing with me anymore and I would never force it. So...Henry and Jay were it from our family today. Henry (and any child) really should stick with singing the melody but he sits with his father and, truly, whatever he sings is usually in an endearing and loudish monotone so he learns the men’s part. As I went over the part a few times for Jay and one other young man from the other ward, I looked over the top of the piano at Henry, sitting on a chair where his feet couldn’t touch the floor, glasses sliding down his nose, hands struggling to hold the music open and singing of Christ’s birth, my heart nearly burst from love and pride.
Henry is who he is. He has no real guile. He is charming and friendly and innocent and unique. There really is no one quite like him. For years, I haven’t quite known how to handle this curious person sent to our family. He is not always easy to handle but I know I can learn a lot from him. When I watched him enjoy each “Gloria In Excelsis Deo” and my brain connected the dots between teaching everyone the notes and Henry reminding me about the spirit and joy of the phrase, even with only seven singers, I felt grateful.
