Day 2 ~ Choir!! (Especially at Christmas...:)) I had planned to post this last night when I got home, but after back-to-back Christmas rehearsals (children's and adult), I was wiped out. For all the hard work and chaos, though, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I have loved everything about choir since I started preschool choir at FBC, Conway almost 40 years ago. I have wonderful memories of preschool/children's choirs there...especially wonderful choir teachers like Neva Hayley, Shirley McCone, Betty Courtway, Janis Banister, and others.
I also have wonderful memories of the adult choir at FBC...both as a child listening, and as a youth singing. How could anyone who grew up under the music ministry of Don Bingham NOT develop a love of all things choir?? :) Learning to sing alto from Myrtle Lee Selig, Cynthia Lamberson, and Wanda Landers...the basses on the back row (led by my dad, with help from Bill Taylor, Bill Bounds, and Ed Eason, if memory serves correctly :)) pestering the daylights out of me during Wednesday night choir practice...amazing soloists including Janis Banister, Donna Gober, Susan Baker, the Wards, and Bro. Roy, with Suzy Ward at the piano...LOTS of good memories there.
Then there was Woodland Heights. I remember so vividly meeting at Donna Gober's house, before we were ever constituted as a church, practicing choir music around her piano...people perched and sprawled and standing in every available spot. We had amazing music before we ever had a building. :) Our beloved Bro. Roy, and then later Kathy Williford, who was an amazing musician and teacher, were two (among others) who led the choir during my years there. One of my best choir memories ever is singing "We've Come This Far By Faith" in a brand new church that had already seen God work in mighty ways. Still brings goosebumps to think about it. :)
When I moved to Fort Smith and joined Grand Avenue (where my grandmother was a member at the time), I had the interesting experience of singing alto in the midst of a group of ladies who had known my parents, my aunts, and my grandparents for something like 50 years. Not only did I have another great church music experience under the ministry of Keith Clutts, but I also got to hear lots of fun stories about my family in the "olden days". :) Another of my "best choir memories ever" was participating in the musical "God With Us" at Grand Avenue. Not only was it an incredibly beautiful worship experience, but God used the music in a mighty way during that time.
It would take a book to begin to share all the "tremendous" (sorry...inside reference for OCBC folks...:)) choir memories since we've been at Oak Cliff, but here are a few that stick out:
*All the things we've learned from Lyndel (about music, about worship, about God)...
* The worship experience every week (not just in the Sunday service, but in Wednesday night rehearsals as well)...
* Years of musicals (especially Keyboards at Christmas the last few years!)...
* Working with Kathy in children's choir (oh, the stories...and they go on and on! ;-))...
* Children's choir musicals (which I love even though I tend to be a bit grumpy about them at times...:-))...
* My dad (especially those last few years when it was so hard for him to keep going, but he loved it so much that he kept going anyway)...
* December 9, 2004...A crowd of choir members appearing at the hospital after Christmas musical dress rehearsal the night Daddy died (they aren't just a choir...they're family)...
* The intense emotion and deepened meaning as I sang in that musical three days later...
* The choir singing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" at Daddy's funeral (amid the musical sets from the night before, which was so completely appropriate! :))...
* "Lyndel is a friendel"...Katie's hilariously perfect arrangement to the tune of "76 Trombones" for Lyndel's 20th (25th? I can't remember now) anniversary, and the "secret choir" rehearsal at Carl and Frances's to prepare it....
* Lucy. Choir will never be the same without her and other faithful choir members who made such an impact on us and who are singing praises at the feet of Jesus now.
* And most of all the music...music that God uses on a regular basis to work deeply in my life...there's no way to begin to express it all. (There are probably more posts on this blog about choir music than any other single topic!)
I know I've left out something or someone vitally important. This was going to be a really short post...but once I got started, the memories began to flood. (And I left out a bunch!) And we're still making them! Emlyn's hard at work on her part for the children's Christmas musical, and last night when I wrote "Harris" on a new piece of music (as I usually do), I realized that there are now three "Harrises" in the choir...it's been such a treat to have my two oldest prepping Christmas music with us!
I am so thankful for all the ways that God has used church choir(s) through the years to bless me in so many ways!
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| Keyboards at Christmas Dress Rehearsal, 2010 |
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