St. John the Baptist Church, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare

Often listed among the “downfalls” of being a musician is the fact that you’ll most likely be the one working over the holidays. But holidays to me are the most exciting time for music, especially as I’m a lover of choral music. And this Easter brought out some wonderful surprises as I ventured back home to play my role as church organist. I’d been fearing a half-filled gallery of well-meaning but shy locals, with perhaps no director and too few rehearsals, depending on me to drag the tunes along with my accompaniments. Gladly, when I arrived home, my Dad told me that I’d been asked for by the director of the choir. I just felt relieved that everyone would know what they were meant to be doing!

So Monday night came and so did our first rehearsal. Expecting the same songs – and the same few soloists – as always, in I went mentally preparing last year’s programme. Instead, however, I was greeted with the organ opened and set up for me, with the score of Mozart’s Ave Verum. On the benches were gathered new faces and piles of new hymnals. Starting with the Mozart, I was pleasantly surprised continually as we worked through the programme. There were soloists whom I’d never even noticed in the choir before, and songs and chants that I would never have anticipated hearing sung by our group of predominantly untrained choristers. By the time we all left an hour and a half later, it was the first time I had felt sad about a rehearsal ending!

Also included in this year’s repertoire were Panis Angelicus; some lovely Taize chants (Sanctus, Gloria, O Lord Hear My Prayer, Jesus Remember Me); a few traditional hymns such as Were You There; some modern songs including Christ Be Our Light and Eagles’ Wings; and the popular Gospel hymns Honey in the Rock and Happy Days. Easter Sunday saw the church literally full to the door, the choir receiving an appreciative round of applause at the end of Mass.

There are many amateur performers and groups around the country who deserve to be credited for similar feats. I particularly respect the director of our new choir, who brings out musical talent from those never before known to have had it. My sister managed to catch a few snippets of the choir’s performance, so I decided to share a tiny taste of an achievement won over a very short period of time!

http://www.iamsteph.com/audio/Hear-my-prayer.mp3

http://www.iamsteph.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/honey-in-the-rock.mp3

http://www.iamsteph.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gloria.mp3