Enter the Triduum
And now we come to the most intense three days of Holy Week, intentionally designed by early Christians to drive choir members and O/CMs insane. It's interesting to note how various Organist/Choir Masters approach Holy Week and, in particular, the Triduum. Most seem to have things fairly locked down well in advance of now in order to minimize the insanity. Others, however, seem to fly mostly by the seat of their pants so they can stay relaxed (!) through it all.
I seem to have stumbled into the domain of the latter by standing in with St. P's choir. Last night's service was a casual one starting in the Parish Hall of the church and everyone dressed casually. Choir not vested, etc. (it would have looked really odd, I now realize, if we were). And -- completely the opposite from what I was used to at St. J's, there were only like a dozen or so congregants. Once we moved into the church the congregation plus the choir and altar party all fit up in the chancel and it's not a large one seating-wise. And stripping the altar was the noisiest I've ever experienced, and the priest didn't scrub the altar when it was done, which was weird. We also left the hymnals in place up there. Also odd. I know every church has its own tradition but this is also a church that has a thurifer on Sundays which is to say higher than some. And yet.
And so this brings us to today, where I'm singing He Was Despised on essentially 24 hours notice. I'd raised it with T, the O/CM a couple weeks ago when I started singing there, and so started working it but he completely forgot the discussion and I ended up with a text yesterday that said "Want to sing the noon service on Good Friday?" I deleted that "Ummm.... didn't we already discuss a couple times already that I was?" response I wanted to send and sent back a calmer "Sure. What do you want me to sing?"
It was interesting experiencing my first worship service last night there, to be sure... T is clearly a member of the Leadership team... this was pretty much his service to run... he taught the choir a brief call to worship by singing it and our singing it back to him. I was very envious of the choir member who had the skills to scribe it as he was singing so she had it in front of her when it was time to sing. We did sing it over and over and over and over in order to be solid enough to lead the congregation when he taught it to them but still... haven't had to learn music like that since I was REALLY young. Even singing back complex warmups is hard for me.
I've also determined that my full set of vestments isn't here. Which means, I hope to God, that they are at the church I sang Thanksgiving at. Thought I brought them out of there but perhaps not. I'll likely go looking for them Easter Sunday. I also have determined that the cassock I left at the tailor a year ago is still there so that's good... will get it between the services today, and I'll have at least a cassock to wear tonight; I'll do all black at noon. Here's hoping St. P's has a surplice for me... mine -- if I find it -- is cathedral-style... long and full... the choir at St. P's wears, essentially, cottas... very short. I'll stick out like a sore thumb in mine.
I'd better get out of here... want to get up to St. P's around 10 in order to stretch and warm up and sing in the church... want to walk the whole thing and get comfortable in the space, as is my tradition.
Thankfully, no singing responsibilities tomorrow (we'll be all sung out tonight!) so I may have a day to spend with Mama or at work or some such and then on into Easter. Monday we return to life as regularly scheduled. Thank goodness. I'd forgotten what all this was like, and I'd really like to feel more grounded about it all. Clearly that's not going to happen here, and I just need to go with the flow. Hard to do in a worship situation for me. I want it all neat and tidy and locked away. Have to remember it's a learning process, and that's okay.
Onwards.
I seem to have stumbled into the domain of the latter by standing in with St. P's choir. Last night's service was a casual one starting in the Parish Hall of the church and everyone dressed casually. Choir not vested, etc. (it would have looked really odd, I now realize, if we were). And -- completely the opposite from what I was used to at St. J's, there were only like a dozen or so congregants. Once we moved into the church the congregation plus the choir and altar party all fit up in the chancel and it's not a large one seating-wise. And stripping the altar was the noisiest I've ever experienced, and the priest didn't scrub the altar when it was done, which was weird. We also left the hymnals in place up there. Also odd. I know every church has its own tradition but this is also a church that has a thurifer on Sundays which is to say higher than some. And yet.
And so this brings us to today, where I'm singing He Was Despised on essentially 24 hours notice. I'd raised it with T, the O/CM a couple weeks ago when I started singing there, and so started working it but he completely forgot the discussion and I ended up with a text yesterday that said "Want to sing the noon service on Good Friday?" I deleted that "Ummm.... didn't we already discuss a couple times already that I was?" response I wanted to send and sent back a calmer "Sure. What do you want me to sing?"
It was interesting experiencing my first worship service last night there, to be sure... T is clearly a member of the Leadership team... this was pretty much his service to run... he taught the choir a brief call to worship by singing it and our singing it back to him. I was very envious of the choir member who had the skills to scribe it as he was singing so she had it in front of her when it was time to sing. We did sing it over and over and over and over in order to be solid enough to lead the congregation when he taught it to them but still... haven't had to learn music like that since I was REALLY young. Even singing back complex warmups is hard for me.
I've also determined that my full set of vestments isn't here. Which means, I hope to God, that they are at the church I sang Thanksgiving at. Thought I brought them out of there but perhaps not. I'll likely go looking for them Easter Sunday. I also have determined that the cassock I left at the tailor a year ago is still there so that's good... will get it between the services today, and I'll have at least a cassock to wear tonight; I'll do all black at noon. Here's hoping St. P's has a surplice for me... mine -- if I find it -- is cathedral-style... long and full... the choir at St. P's wears, essentially, cottas... very short. I'll stick out like a sore thumb in mine.
I'd better get out of here... want to get up to St. P's around 10 in order to stretch and warm up and sing in the church... want to walk the whole thing and get comfortable in the space, as is my tradition.
Thankfully, no singing responsibilities tomorrow (we'll be all sung out tonight!) so I may have a day to spend with Mama or at work or some such and then on into Easter. Monday we return to life as regularly scheduled. Thank goodness. I'd forgotten what all this was like, and I'd really like to feel more grounded about it all. Clearly that's not going to happen here, and I just need to go with the flow. Hard to do in a worship situation for me. I want it all neat and tidy and locked away. Have to remember it's a learning process, and that's okay.
Onwards.