It has finally come to an end...5 1/2 years as choir director. I have LOVED this calling and leading my dear choir friends in singing the beautiful songs/hymns of the church. It's unusual to have a calling for this long. I was put on alert that my time was coming to an end....a year and a half ago! And then the bishopric was changed and I was happy to stay in place while they figured out all the auxiliary changes with their domino effects. I was not ready to go. And then last week I was called to be the first counselor in the Young Women in our ward and tomorrow I will be released from the choir.
Today was a blessing in that our ward choir was asked to sing at our friend and most loyal choir member, Jon Ward's, funeral. He loved singing in the ward choir and on the weeks when the choir was singing in sacrament meeting he would always sit dead center in the choir seats for the whole meeting while nearly everyone else chose to sit with their families and come up for special number. Also, he beat me to choir practice EVERY week and I was always a few minutes early. The lights were turned on and Jon was in his seat in the RS room. Dead center. A director always appreciates a loyal choir member and our whole ward will always "see" him in his special seat.
So this picture is of our "funeral" choir, minus Barbara Morrell (the new YW president) who was playing the organ prelude while we practiced in the Primary room. Almost all ward singers were present today, a great tribute to Jon (we left the center seat open for him!) and also an added bonus for me to have a "full voice" choir the day before being released. We sang, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," a favorite for many of us, and it was truly beautiful. It is a spiritual experience to "sing" with a choir who loves their Father in Heaven and who believes in every word they are singing! An unforgettable experience for me!
Tonight there are 5 boxes of choir music sitting in my entranceway, ready to pass on to the new director. I'm guessing it will be my friend, Liz Liljenquist (Sorenson) but we'll see. I'm not correct very often. I hope she has a spare closet. I've accumulated a LOT of music!
So Young Women, here I come! At almost 64 years old, I have yet to have a calling in Relief Society! I just rotate music with youth and back again, but I love it! I had a strange experience a couple of weeks ago. I was attending a funeral where I ran into two "grown up" Laurels who were in my class back in the early 1980's, Brenda and Kim Butterfield. Kim, the youngest of the two sisters is now a grandmother! Well, that's a reality check! Apparently, there is still something I can offer...and that's a good thing!
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