This Sunday marks the return of the Choir after its Summer break, welcomed by a beautiful commissioning prayer at the 10am Sunday Eucharist. The prayer encapsulates the aspiration of all liturgical choirs to lift up congregational hearts; put a song in every soul; and seek to make manifest the adage that music begins where words fail.
The return of the Choir, coinciding with my turn to write the newsletter front page, has provided an opportunity gratefully to reflect upon the privilege of being a small cog in this wondrous machine of choral ministry. If anything exemplifies the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, it is a choir. Each member brings their unique voice and talents, and singing alone is undoubtedly a joyful experience. But for me it is when disparate voices are blended into a new unified sound through careful practice and skilled direction that the magic really happens.
This vocal alchemy is all the more remarkable when it occurs in a voluntary choir made up of members who spend their working days busily doing very different things, and only come together for a mid-week rehearsal and the Sunday services. Whatever the cares of the day, coming to St Martin’s to turn notes on the page into a choral performance is a perfect and all-absorbing tonic, allowing each of us to be caught up in a wonderful and harmonious collective endeavour.
According to the rota, it was suggested that the theme of this newsletter touch upon the offering of self and talents as part of Giving Month. While that is what each member of the Choir freely gives, and the concept of giving often connotes parting with something, from my perspective serving in this way is always an enriching joy rather than assuming any sort of burden.
Matthew Morrison
