Our very able pianist went to a conference today and couldn't get back in time. So we all got text messages that we could cancel tonight, and the director will either do a solo or find someone who would. We have a very small choir. Those of us who still attend do not have outstanding voices and are aware of that. However, we blend together fairly well. No show-offs are in our group. The director is very patient and tolerant and tries to select numbers we either have done when we were more than twice as many or is just plain simple sight reading. We are self-conscious of the meekness of our sound. The piano we are now using in the sanctuary is on loan from an elderly member now in a home. Her granddaughter will get it next year. It's a beautiful old grand piano with excellent sound. Even with the top down, it is extremely loud and drowns out the choir, which is fine with us. The audience has complained that they can't hear the voices. A few weeks ago, we did a very simple song in 4 part harmony a capella. We were surprised at the compliments and cheers. They liked the harmonies. I listened to the tape, and it was subtle, but on key and all together. We proved we didn't need the piano to carry us (sometimes we really do). I miss choir when we don't meet. It's not just the singing, the discipline of following the musical rules and the leader, but the fellowship. Some weeks it's only five of us, plus the accompanist and director. and some of us are aging and losing our singing voices. But we keep trying and trying to recruit. |