“Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life.” Shel Silverstein How many times have you felt you weren’t important enough? Or put another way, how many times has someone made you feel unimportant? Donald* conducts a symphony chorus in a mid-sized city. It’s a nice job; he prepares […]
The Choral Life
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Impatience
“Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise, because of impatience we cannot return.” W. H. Auden Today is Halloween and I’d like to share a scary story with you. As you read it through, think about being in a similar situation and what YOU would […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Old School or New?
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Henry Ford A few weeks ago, I ran into a young friend and colleague in the grocery store. Both of us were pressed for time but wanted […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: His Reputation Precedes Him
“The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” Socrates Finn* had heard about Dr. Marcus* for years. He taught at the local community college, had the best (and biggest) church position in town and conducted the premier community chorus in the region. Finn taught elementary school […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: Autumn Beginnings
“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!” Percy Bysshe Shelley I love autumn. The golden slant of the sunshine, the rich, beautiful colors of the trees, the crisp and […]
Choral Potpourri/Choral Ethics: In ‘Perfect Harmony’
“The hidden harmony is better than the obvious.” Heraclitus I learned about the new NBC situation comedy, “Perfect Harmony,” during the summer. I was flabbergasted. Someone thought a sit-com about a choir, a church choir, would be entertaining? Impossible! I hoped it wouldn’t denigrate what we do. I went about my usual summer activities of […]