Is it hard? At times it is.
Is it time-consuming? Yes.
Is it rewarding? Oh yeah.
I lead our Ward Choir and I absolutely LOVE it. When I was called back in June of 09 I was terrified. I had sung in many choirs, but never been in front of one. In fact while at CEU I thought I might want to be a conductor of a Jr. High or High School Choir, so I took a conducting class. After one class I learned there was a lot more to leading a choir than keeping a beat. I didn't pursue that career because I didn't feel I had the talent for it.
I accepted the calling and started looking for music to teach the choir. I found this very rewarding. I love music and being able to sit at the piano and go through all sorts of choir pieces was fun.
While singing with The Mormon Youth back before I was married, we performed a song that I fell in love with. "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" arr. by Gilbert M. Martin. It was always in the back of my mind, but I wasn't sure I could pull it off. Did I know enough to get the sound I was looking for? The song has a lot of power and wouldn't sound right done just half way.
A couple of months ago I presented it to the choir and had them listen to the Tabernacle Choir sing it. We started working on it right away. Today we sang it and it was AMAZING! The choir is about a 25-30 voice choir and they pulled it off. Yes, all 8 parts with the organ. While leading it I kept telling myself to focus. I was so wrapped up in it.
This summer I get to go to BYU and take a 4 day class on conducting from Ronald Staheli and Rosalind Hall. I am very excited for the opportunity and hope to bring back with me more insights to share with the choir.
Now on to something else hard. I am excited to see what else this awesome choir and pianist can do.
7 comments:
The song was beautiful. I am so glad that you are enjoying this calling. It shows that our Heavenly Father really knows each one of us, where our talents will shine and where we will find great joy. Thank you for doing such a great job.
Denette - how AWESOME!! I love this post, especially because when we bring our fears to our Heavenly Father and serve Him - this is exactly what we get! Am going to look for that song now!! I love those so-called "hard" callings that just make out talents soar!
again, you are AWESOME! And it's time for lunch!
Isn't it amazing how music can speak to the soul so beautifully! Glad you're enjoying it so much and that it went as well as you had hoped it would!!!
I bet you are great at it. I wish you could have recorded it so we all could hear. That is awesome that they sounded so good. We had one of the conductors and organists from BYU come to our stake for training and they were awesome! I might be going to BYU this summer as well for the organ. I will let you know and maybe we can see each other.
I am so jealous!!! I wish our choir would do more. Can I move to your ward. We only do hymns and no arrangments just the four part hymn.
I bet you are the truly the best at that calling! I would freak if they called me to lead the choir! I can't sing either, so I think I'm pretty safe... I happen to think that I have the best calling in my ward too! Primary is perfect for me! I wouldn't trade it! Amazing how we all seem to fit in where we are needed!
Way to go, Denette! How blessed you are to have such a talent and how blessed we all are that you are willing to share it. Wish I could have been there.
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