Universalis, your very own breviary in pixels...

Tuesday 23 December 2008

"Because I'm the Mommy, that's why..."

In all honesty, this is not pride (and I am a sinful, sinful woman, pride is one of my faults,) or rather, perhaps it is, but it is not because my authority is being question, or even my skill -- it is because my industry is being called into question, (but I am a lazy, lazy, lazy woman, so I shouldn't object to that, I suppose. But I do.)
But when we have been working on the program for months, and you waltz in late for the final rehearsal and we start to sing Adeste Fidelis, and I remind everyone to sing unison on the final verse...?

Okay, that is NOT the time to question my decision..
Do you think I do this crap on WHIM? that I gave no thought to it, that I'm makin' it all up as I go along??!??#?$?%???!?

Anyway, Himself said it was the coldest and angriest he'd ever seen me at choir when I hissed though my teeth, well, we have a trumpeter, you see, and he's very good, and he is going to be playing the Willcocks descant on the final verse, and it clashes horrifically with the harmonies you sing on the other verses so if you don't sing unison on the melody but ignore my direction and sing the alto part it will be beyond wretched.

And smiling my most saccharine smile, Is that all right with you?

It's the implication in her constant questioning, that I have put no thought into anything, that gets to me. Why are we taking the last verse slower, that's not the way we did it with choir director X...
Well, choir director X died before I was born, so that makes him, let's see.... NO LONGER THE CHOIR DIRECTOR.

4 comments:

Dad29 said...

and you waltz in late for the final rehearsal

We had four (!!) people show up for rehearsals around November 15th--all new to our choir.

I told each one that they would not be singing for Christmas and they should return January 8th if they wished to sing with the choir.

There is nothing more like a bloodsucker than a "Christmas singer."

Adrienne said...

That was sooooo funny. Good for you!

Dad29 - I sometimes end up being a Christmas/Easter singer only because the choir director drags me in screaming and planting my feet firmly on a stationary object.

However, I am a muscician and so I know enough to keep my mouth shut (except when singing) and to do, to the best of my ability, EXACTLY what I am told to do. It's the regular choir members that cause all the problems.

Adrienne said...

...and may I also say your use of fonts, italicized, and bold really added to the humor of this story.

I printed it out for my hubby (the master musician of the family) and he and I both had a good laugh together.

He's the director of the New Horizon's Music Program at Holy Name Music Academy in Spokane and he goes through that (and worse)....

Anonymous said...

Adrienne, than you so much for stopping by.

(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)