After Rev. Dr. Leanne Walt was speaking of stone soup, I made a connection with that analogy to our choir, and to choruses in general. We all have something to contribute to the music - the soup - that all might enjoy. We can compare our voices to the different ingredients of the soup. Some voices are sweet, some spicy, some with umami. Some voices add a nuance of flavor that’s hard to describe, but it all adds up to something flavorful and delicious. Some can read music, some can follow along, some can only sing a melody.
Have you ever heard the group the Celtic Women? They all have practically the same voices, and when they sing, I feel like something is missing. It’s too perfect. It’s the same feeling I get when I hear the Tabernacle Choir (by the way, the Tabernacle Choir removed “Mormon” from their name in 2018).
There is an old quote that goes “perfection is the enemy of progress.” I feel like this can apply to singing or any other form of art. When you perceive that something is refined too much, it loses its humanity. Even a simple piano is intentionally tuned imperfectly. On many of the notes, there are three strings that are tuned to the key that strikes them, but they aren’t all tuned the same. If they were, the tone produced would sound lifeless and dull. There’s actually a physics reason for that.
So…
If you’ve ever contemplated singing in a group, but shied away from the idea thinking that you wouldn’t enhance the sound or not fit in, let me assure you that that’s a totally false assumption. And if you know for certain that you can’t find or hold a note, there’s always a bell choir spot and a bell or two waiting for you!
By Brian Gilman, UCC Norwell Choir Member
