Singing in such a choir you get to attend more than your fair share of weddings and funerals, and even though you mostly don't know the happy couple or the deceased person (delete as applicable) they are usually emotional occasions so that's when, despite it being a choir of amateurs (in the true sense of that word), the professionalism kicks in and emotions are put to one side in order to get the job done. That job of course being to be a part of the team (clergy, servers, organist, conductor, choir, etc) who make the event happen and facilitate whatever spirituality or other feelings the people in the congregation are having. Whether the individual choir members feel that spirituality too is secondary, but discussion of that is for another time.
Much is made of the fact we sometimes sing on the radio ('Scotland's most broadcast choir' is the phrase regularly bandied around) but that stuff's just icing, today is the real thing.
Today will be difficult, but it will be done because Alistair was not only our friend, but he was one of us, and it'll be done because it's our job.
Well said.
ReplyDeleteI know as a life-long singer just how difficult it can be to contain one's own emotion in order to make the 'experience' a good one for the deceased.
Easier I suspect, for those who play an instrument because singers are their own instrument and singing is both physical and emotional.
Blessings for today.
Thank you Ray. The day went well, with a busy cathedral and good music.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post. You should blog more often. Are you doing anything to celebrate Brittain's 100th and Wagner's 200th!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Marginalia. Yes, I should get back to blogging more but real life has been getting in the way and I've got out the habit. No, no plans to celebrate Britten whose music I'm not especially fond of with a couple of exceptions, or Wagner whose music I don't like!
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