I love going to mass. On so many levels, it is nourishment to my soul, whether I am singing or participating in worship with the congregation in the pews, I am blessed no matter what. But some days are more … interesting… than others.
Yesterday we started out on an unusual footing, since I had all five children and Oma with me in the van. Usually Paul takes Junior when he goes to pick up the rest of the kids, because the girls and I all have to be at choir rehearsal at 8am. However, yesterday he had extra people to pick up, so we had the little guy as well. I decided we could try taking him to rehearsal and hope he wouldn’t be too enormously much of a distraction. (He is very cute, you know, so it’s a little distracting even if he’s NOT running from sister to sister giving smooches and climbing from one lap to the other!)
Anyway, it all worked out on that front. However we somehow ended up short at least 3 people (all schola members) who had been at the Wednesday rehearsal, which left us with only 8 to sing the mass. Not to worry, though. We knew we could handle it with Laurent, Megan and I on soprano, Geneva and Emily (a fabulous soprano and schola member) on alto, the two Groft brothers on tenor, and Joe holding down the bass. We had lots of chant, which of course we love, and I was especially giddy to be able to do the Ave Maris Stella during communion – all seven verses! (You can listen in here if you jump to 01:06:56)
What really made yesterday something to remember, though, was that part way through the mass, after the homily and the prayers, I can’t remember exactly when, but it was during the preparation for communion, a gentleman walked up the side aisle nearest the choir, around behind Maestro Meloche at the organ, up onto the choir platform, approached Laurent, and spoke to her. Yes, we were all in shock that anyone would do something so extraordinary as to step onto the choir platform and begin speaking to a choir member, during the TV mass no less! She deftly rebuffed him, he marched back to his seat, and we proceeded to finish the mass… I was actually blissfully unaware of exactly what he had said, for some reason my hearing went into mute in that bizarre moment, so I didn’t realize till afterward what was going on. Just as well, I would have had a conniption and then they’d have had to call an ambulance. He had asked her to marry him!!
And this, my friends, is reason number 973 why choirs should be seated in the — wait for it — CHOIR LOFT, above and behind the congregation, out of sight and out of reach of persons with questionable intent!!!
My modest proposal?
Move the choir upstairs where it belongs. Pronto!!
