What feelings do you hear when you see that?  (okay, that didn’t at all make sense but I thought it was funny so I decided to leave it in. So much for trying to do 2 things at once.) What I was trying to ask is: what picture does “community choir” bring to your mind? Think smaller version of Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Well, maybe not. Maybe country version of BTC. Certainly closer to that than the Antrim choir. Anyway you picture it, it was a new experience for us.

Joe, Lois and I sang with a Community Choir last night at a Thanksgiving service at a local Baptist church. Let me give you a little more information on southerners: they tend to be quite expressive and even a bit dramatic. This carried over into the singing as well. All 3 of us thought we had loud voices but we had a hard time hearing ourselves even at full volume.

Most of the songs were new for me, so I had a crash course in learning them, as the first time I saw the music was at choir practise Monday night (not having thought to check earlier if there was music we could pick up ahead of time). Having learned to sing with shaped notes, it takes me twice as long to learn a song in round notes. I still mentally translate them into shaped notes as I go. I am in some things a perfectionist and hitting the right note is a big deal to me. But the music was loud enough to cover up any goofs, and lip syncing on the few praise songs I didn’t know was relatively easy to pull off.

Well, one goof wasn’t covered up by music. We had a dramatic pause at the end of the song. Music and voices were supposed to come to a complete halt. One dear gentleman sitting behind me missed the directors cue to watch him and we hit the pause and the bass man just kind of Ahhhhhhed his way down a couple of notes ’til we came in. I had to stifle a nervous giggle for I at times have anholy urge to laugh when things are tense. I’m sure the look on my face was perplexing to say the least!

The preacher really got Joe’s attention when he was talking how nice it was to have a community service with people participating from many different denominations. He said, “We are not in competition with each other. Competition is when the Michigan Wolverines play Ohio State Buckeyes…… and win!” Joe said, “I need to talk to him afterwards!”

He was the same preacher who had forgotten his notes and had to rush back home to get the key to go back to his church for the notes and rush back to the church where the service was held. He said, “I met Jesup’s finest tonight, but I explained to him where I was headed and he had mercy on me. My wife’s car will go really fast!”

It was fun and I’d do it again! This is their 9th year for this type of service so I’m sure I’ll have a chance to participate. I would, in the meantime, be in the mood for some excellent 4-part acappella as well. Where I didn’t have to feel like I was nearly yelling.