Read Kate’s latest for The Tablet – Back in the swing after the choir’s summer holiday.
During the month of August, our choir, like many others, was technically on holiday. Some people have even been actually away on holiday for a week or two.
Mostly we’ve seen each other around on Sundays, of course, except when someone daringly goes to a different Mass, which can feel surprisingly restful. It is wonderful to have time to concentrate on what is happening without having to worry about when the next piece of music is coming up and whether everyone is ready for it.
Choirs need holidays, partly for practical reasons (it’s too hard to assemble a full group every Sunday during the main holiday month), but it also means that the congregation gets a month off, either as a respite for those who don’t like singing, or so that they realise how much difference the choir makes, as well as how much work is involved. The choir is there simply to support and lead the congregation, not to be a concert, but it’s still quite hard work, especially for the choir leader and the person who chooses the music week by week and now has to cope with the infelicities of the new lectionary, which are very wearing.
