Difficult rehearsals, difficult singers...

http://musicasacra.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=367&page=1

A new thread, today of all days, on the CMAA forum.
Last night's rehearsal really took it out of me.
Some are feeling deprived because we are not expending sufficient energies on the "Easter Screamers. Well, doing more than two in a morning - one as a festive and unwontedly loud prelude and one as postlude, when only the festive and loud can be heard over the din of St J's Bowling Ally and Boutique - is silly, and I know my voice can't stand up to my predecessor's programming of 3 or 4 before, one (at communion!!??$?%!) during, and one after, especially after the Vigil on the night before.
Since I, for all intents and purposes, am the only "big gun," I think it my prerogative to say, nope, no anthem where the entire last page sits above the staff for the sopranos and then hangs on a B flat or a C for four measures after I have spent the rest of the anthem putting out fires in the alto or even bass line.
And a half dozen such pieces?
Not just no, but Helvetica, no! And when I offer, rather than the truthful, your voices aren't up to it, an explanation about limited time and energy, we can only sing what we get to in the rehearsals, I am assured, "oh, we've been singing this-that-or-t'other for years, we all know it!"
Well, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, may I enter into evidence the Mozart Ave Verum.
It was a most discouraging rehearsal...
But what it all boils down to finally, however, is that we are a liturgical choir, and choral showpieces are not our primary mission. And that's a hard sell, because just as they are constantly reminded (not by me....,) that "it's not a show," so are they constantly presented with, (by some of the same people,) a variety of.... well, shows.
And they are taught, from childhood, that on special occasions, special people get to stand up in front of everyone and do special things at church.
And an amazing number of those special things are extra-liturgical, to put it mildly.
So why wouldn't they expect their opportunity to wail on some favorite old chestnuts?