Easter Program

I am the music chairman of my ward or congregation. This means I am a facilitator more than anything. But sometimes, my job is more demanding. Today we had our Easter program. Although I was rawther busy, Eloise-style, I did notice from time to time that people were listening and and were touched by what they heard.

The choir did three numbers, a quartet including my honey sang, we had two solos, a young women's choir and the children sang too. We had scriptures read in between all the numbers.  A beautiful young mother from our ward read all the scriptures. She's studying broadcasting at a local university. Her readings were beautiful and touching. The performances represented many hours of practice and it showed. The messages came through loud and clear.

A hint to those putting on this kind of thing. We are often tempted to end with the big finish. But I had felt inspired to end the program very quietly. I had a tenor soloist sing "Lean on My Ample Arm." If you don't know the words to this hymn, they are here. This website is really cool. You can also listen to the hymn tune here. That page takes a while to load so you might have to be a bit patient. But it will play you the hymn in any key you want. It will even just play your part so you can learn to sing alto, tenor or bass. How cool is that?

I had many hats to wear--choir director, accompanist and organist. I didn't play or conduct as well as I usually do because of ....NEW CONTACTS! Sorry I had to yell there. But I haven't had them for years and years. And these new ones seem to be really working. Even though they're new this week, I decided to wear them because church day is one of my most frustrating days vision-wise. When I'm playing the organ I have to wear my computer glasses which means that chorister (music director) is blurry. Then I have to use regular glasses to see distance. And to read scriptures in classes and things, I might have to pop off my glasses altogether to read small print. So even though it was not my best idea to try out the contacts on the service, it went well. I dropped a few notes on the piano and I had trouble reading the words to the music I was conducting (note to self. I should always memorize the music beforehand.) But the prospect of not having to tote around two pair of glasses and alternate between them was so tempting.

When I arrived here two years ago, there was no called organist. I had an instant job. We had one young father who was teaching himself to play the piano and another gentleman who played by ear. (They're both gone now and we miss them.) But now we have a pianist for the children, a pianist for the women's meeting who also does choir and who loves to play the organ when I'm not there, a lovely lady who plays beautifully by ear and moi. Amazing!

The picture of the iris is from last year. It doesn't look very Easter-y outside right now. We've had a couple of freezes and my crocuses are the only things blooming and they look rather limp. I see why my cousins always had Easter coats! Br-r-r. But I"m thinking spring.