The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God
Nehemiah 12:40a
Today, I am thankful for how The United Methodist Church has nurtured my appreciation of choral music.
Although I came from a singing family, my first experience with singing in choir was the upper elementary children's choir at Boston Avenue in the late 70's. The choir director was none other than Mary Jean Russell who was the wife of our senior pastor at the time, Dr. John Russell (who later was elected bishop). While I would like to relay that my behavior was cherubic at that tender age, I would not be entirely truthful!
My good friend Mark Hardin and I sat together and I can remember fake hitting him and him clapping his hands down by his hips and falling off his chair as if he had been truly struck. The sound effects sold it. He would then counter and I would do the same thing.
Later, when I encountered Mrs. Russell at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference, I apologized for my previous behavior! She was very gracious in her response as you might imagine.
My parents sang in the choir at the 11:00 worship service there for probably 40 years. Once I entered junior high, I joined the youth choir which sang each week at the 8:30 service and did so until I graduated high school. Larry Dean, Fred Elder and Casey Cantwell were those who instructed me (and had patience with me) through these years.
In college, I sang in the late service choir (Heartsong) at First United Methodist Church of Stillwater under the tutelage of Jim Gilts. I sang tenor at this time next to Rev. Terry Martindale who could also be a bit of a cut-up! This choir even performed a madrigal dinner performance of John Wesley's life and I was tagged as JW!
I also sang in a choir called the Agape Singers for a time at the Wesley Foundation there and we occasionally sang in churches in the area.
When I was appointed to Drummond, we started hosting community cantatas utilizing choirs combined from the three churches in town as well as some folks from surrounding towns. Linda Belknap was our choir director and we eventually hired her there part-time to be the first staff person outside the pastor and the custodian in that congregation. I sang faithfully with this choir during my time there.
In Piedmont, I continued to sing in the choir during my years there. We had many capable choir directors starting with lay volunteer, Truda Hibbs. We grew to enjoy many cantatas throughout the years and had a strong contingent of youth sing with the adults during my years there.
Edmond was the first church I led where I didn't sing in choir each week. I did join in for special occasions like when we sang the Christmas portions of Handel's Messiah. This particular piece holds a special place in my heart.
One of my best memories growing up was in college, singing with my parents and my brother Bob at Boston Avenue while on Christmas break in the Messiah. Dad and I got to sit together for the performance and I think that may have been the only time we sang together in public. It helped make the Christmas season special and I still have a fondness when I hear something from the Messiah today.
Music has a way of speaking to us in a deep way. It communicates differently from a sermon. Sometimes it lands and sometimes it doesn't - which is similar to a sermon! But when it lands, it often impacts us significantly.
What are times that you remember sacred music especially landing with you? What hymns still speak to you today when you sing them?
 | ||
| Piedmont choir in February 2006 in the old sanctuary |
No comments:
Post a Comment