Choir Rehearsal

Dismal turn-out last night.
Or rather, small...
What was there was choice.
I do not understand the general choir awareness of and reaction to the Novena. It did not begin with me. Everyone in the choir, even the high school student who joined this year (yeah!) has lived in this parish longer than I. The novena has been celebrated, on these dates, since before some of them were born.
Every year.
Choir rehearsal takes place on Thursday night, and has always done so, within living memory. (My only change was to bump up the start time a half hour, at the behest of people who don't seem to be coming to rehearsal but that's another story...)
It therefore follows that every year at least one choir rehearsal will fall during the Novena. Which means they rehearse a bit, pray and sing the Novena, and rehearse a bit afterward. Not one minute of time is added to their usual effort.
So WHYYYYYYYYYYYY? why did people blow it off?
Though as I said, those in attendance were very good,
Only one soprano, though, so we couldn't work on the Canticle of Love. Which they all seem to like, and about which I will probably be subjected to whining when it is not programmed.
Learned all the notes for the Palestrina Jesu Rex Admirabilis, (which I misprinted as "Rex Amirab L ilis." Ah, well....) so that should be usable in few weeks. The psalm was simple, finished working out all the parts to How Can I Keep From Singing? (which I never intend to insert in a liturgy, but which I think could be a useful postlude,) learned another two lines of the Monteverdi Laudate Omnes Gentes.
The uneven part distribution was rendered moot by the unison singing I had planned, and I must say they have never sounded lovelier on the David Hurd, Christ Mighty Savior than they did last night.
Will a wobbling soprano or a bellowing baritone ruin the effect this weekend?
We so seldom sing in the evening, I can't program it often.
One of our more musical members stayed to talk about it a bit afterwards, how perfect and evocative the music was with the text, and how timeless. (Chant compatible? I asked.... yeah!)
That conversation has challenged me to find and use some more of his vocal works, (a Mass setting is out,) he is a treasure to the Church (dare I hope that he would be joining the swim team?)
Himself put me in a bit of a mood, knew we were pressed for time because of the Novena, also knew he wouldn't be there after the Novena because of Parish Council meeting, my parting words as I head out to do my pre-rehearsal photo-copying were, "Beginning at six. Sharp."
So, as the bells rang, we began to sing the Angelus (that may have been an inspiration on my part, because Fr Weber was right, rehearsal is long enough, I can't be singing Vespers beforehand and expect any participation,) and having finished that, we were half way though rehearsing the psalm when he strolled in.
He is not unaware, we talk about it all the time, one way I have reformed practice of both the church and the secular choral groups he is that if a rehearsal is called for a time, it begins at that time.
You wanna talk, you wanna schmooze, you wanna get things organized, get the local gossip, serve as the walking obituary page or police blotter, WHATEVER, you get here early or wit for the break because we start on time.
So.... well, he puts up with a lot from me, too.