Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church Adult Choir

As a choir director and someone who has spent a lifetime (67 years) associated with choirs, a way to appreciate Emily’s service is to grade her on the necessary attributes of a Minister of Music.

• Interpretative Talent – A. The ability to take what is written on a score and understand either or both what the composer intended and how God wishes something to sound beyond the symbols on the page is necessary.  Many conductors are successful depending on a recording or listening to another conductors interpretation.  But a conductor that can and does go beyond that example has the necessary interpretative skills of a great conductor
• Communication talent – A.  Starting with the concept in the mind of the sound of music and communicating that to participants in an organization is rare.
• Pedantic Skills – A.  The ability to teach adults, youth, and children and make it enjoyable is a necessary but rare skill.
• People Skills – A. The ability to deal with natural conflicts of people in an organization.  Talented musicians tend to have egos that are sometimes easily bruised.  They are emotional and sensitive.  Since directors are very sensitive, and need to be, and emotional, and need to be, people skills necessary for the success of any organization, are particularly necessary for a successful minister of music.
• Applicability – A.  She always recognizes the proper place of music in worship,  that music is a part of the life of the church, not the center.
• Musicianship – A.  She always strives toward excellence in presenting herself and the organizations she leads.
• Music Literature knowledge – A. her knowledge of good music available for the church liturgy is superior.  Once a director becomes employed by a church, he or she is bombarded by publishers literature advertising their particular publications for music and must pick and choose from those publications.
• Spirituality – A.  A choir director, or leader of any organization, that pauses a meeting on hearing sirens, to pray for whomever is affected is rare and demonstrates a concern for ones fellow man that exceeds the norm.

The following attributes may not be required, but certainly make life more interesting  for groups preparing for worship.

• Sense of Humor – A.

And I don’t think anyone, except another conductor, can truly appreciate the presence of the ultimate support system, the spouse.  Even though we see Andy moving equipment, doing errands, and the like, we don’t see the support he provides when he and Emily are out of site.  The encouragement when she is down, the critique of her methods when he thinks she is wrong, and just being there when she needs it.  So, thanks for your contributions, seen and unseen.

On April 27 we have a special event in the life of GSPC. The choir has been working very hard to present the story “Elijah”, a very dramatic and emotional presentation. Even though the version, edited and adapted by Hal H. Hopson, is a more compact, it can be presented in less than an hour, and politically correct, some of the more violent parts are omitted from the original, the drama and the excitement remain.

I, having performed in the more complete version, agree with title found on the face of the music that this is a more “Accessible Edition”

Also, I believe it becomes more meaningful, if those singing it and hearing it read the story and the complete text before the actual performance. Even though you will get a copy of the text at the performance, I have posted a copy here for you to get a preview.

Click on this link to view the text: Elijah, The Accessible Edition, by Felix Mendelssohn, Edited and Adapted by Hal H. Hopson.