Becoming a "Better Than OK" Chorale

This morning at 10 o'clock there is a Tennessee Mens Chorale regional rehearsal for those of us who live in the western part of the state (cowboy hats and boots .. optional) at Union University (my alma mater .. although apparently the institution has no record of me ever being a student there .. can you say cover-up??).

This is in preparation for a concert/worship experience in late June at Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center which .. in the actual words from their website .. is "nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just minutes from Asheville, North Carolina" (nestled .. sounds tranquil and serene, doesn't it? .. much better than right slap-dab in the middle of nowhere).

Because of the hectic schedule of most music ministers (not me .. but most) and the length of the great state of Tennessee, we usually get together the day of an event, rehearse for several hours, and then sing.

This works fine when the audience is mostly preachers who, for the most part, are non-musicians (there are exceptions to the rule .. but the percentages are so small, I believe I can stand by this statement).

If you sing loud enough (boy do we .. what we lack in accuracy, we more than make up for in volume) and put a high note on the ending (we have some first tenors who sing notes only dogs can hear), they'll "eat it up" like fried chicken at a church picnic.

However, music week is different.

There will be real church musicians there critiquing (that means criticizing .. in Jesus' name) every aspect of our performance/presentation and we want to do our very best.

This is why we are having a two hour rehearsal four weeks before the event.

They say that practice makes perfect .. or, as my choir often says .. practice ruins a perfectly good Wednesday.

J.S. Bach's quote on the subject?

"There is nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself."

Too bad I'm a singer.

"This has been my practice .." - Psalm 119:56a