My son is singing in a good church choir directed by a friend of mine and I'm glad he's getting the opportunity to sing some great music. It lifts the spirit so to sing great music. And the music remains apart of you forever. When you hear it again, you can still remember your part, and all the words. What kind of brains do we have that allow us to remember any text set to a tune? He expressed ideas in his blog that reflect that he has learned things and had some experiences that conductors hope we are able to teach and provide. I thought it would be worthwhile to reprint some of what he said here. Carter follows:

The concert last night was a lot of fun. The saddest part as anticipated is that we don't get to sing this music anymore...

My favorite (though it was close) was singing the Serenade to Music with the small group and Georgia State kids. It was originally written for sixteen soloists in particular (their names are written into the music with the footnote "if these singers are not available, others may be substituted"!). The words come from The Merchant of Venice - Act V: "Such harmony is in immortal souls"

Gloria by Poulenc was also so much fun to sing. The many weeks of rehearsal never got old, even when we did the same page a million times. I liked it each time (and... practically had it memorized by the end).

In many ways, our conductor, Alan Raines, reminds me of Dad. I can see why they work together on things. They are both tirelessly (obsessively) passionate about music.

Because of Alan's vision, it was a great performance and great experience for hundreds of church members and college students (ages 18-92!) who would otherwise not get a chance to be a part of such a large scale and high quality peformance.

-- posted by carter

Back to Carter's Dad.
It is a joy to rehearse and master (or nearly master) a work of art. Often the performers come to love it much more than the audience because they have studied it in such detail. They know and notice every nuance. Many times audiences are only ho hum about pieces that choirs adore (and vice versa). Sometimes the experience of getting to know the work convinces the singers that the music is not art. The audience only hears it once and thinks it is fine. They may miss how cheap its effects are.

Sadly, after that final performance of a fine work, the group dissolves and the elements that created the work dissolve too. A musical work of art exists only in the moments that it is performed. (Okay, I'll give you CD and DVD are wonderful, but it's alot like watching a baseball game on TV. You get a different show at the park.

Rehearsals of a masterwork are also a great privilege. The works don't get old as you rehearse. Singing the same page over and over does not destroy the work's beauty.

I'll come back to this idea soon.