A Glorious Way to Begin

December, with all of its holiday joys, is officially off to a great start, thanks to an incredible concert by the Shenandoah Valley Children's Choir this evening!  (The fact that one of my very own children is in the choir in no way, I'm sure, affects my judgment as to the performance I heard tonight.)   ;-)

 I will admit to this: when the Treble Choir of which Josiah is a part first walked onto the stage, and I saw my boy (my boy!) looking so handsome in his plaid vest and bow tie, and I watched how confidently he sang the carols, my heart swelled and part of it came out through my tear ducts.  :)

 Of course I'm very proud of him; but as I glanced at the faces in the choir, I couldn't help but be proud of the other choristers, too--not just in a vague sense of "you're part of the SVCC so I think you're awesome," but in a more specific way.  For example, there was a girl whom I had seen on the first day of rehearsal back in the fall; since it was her first time being part of the choir, she was quite nervous.  And now tonight, there she was on stage with the Treble Choir, cheerily and courageously adding her voice to the beautiful sounds of rejoicing.  I saw a girl who has hearing loss to such an extent that she has to wear a hearing aid, yet she has a lovely voice and is part of the Preparatory Choir.  Another chorister was so scared when she first auditioned that she felt sick enough that she couldn't even sing; fortunately she tried again later and was able to control her nerves enough to finish the audition, and now look at her: sparkling away in the Concert Choir.  I saw Olivia with her sweet smile; she's in the Concert Choir and is several years older than Josiah, but she is always so kind to him, and he loves every chance he gets to talk with her and be noticed by a "big kid" friend.  There were several of the choristers that have been with Josiah from the beginning; and as I watched them tonight, I couldn't help but remember them as five- and six-year-olds, sitting cross-legged on the floor in a circle with Mrs. Anderson, learning for the first time what mi and sol are, hopping around during the "Shoo, Turkey, Shoo" song, listening for the drum and the signal to chase each other in "I Am on the King's Land."  "Now look at you!" I want to say to each of them. "You were so little, and sometimes you didn't listen to Mrs. Anderson very well, and you didn't always find the right pitches, and even getting into your head voice was a challenge sometimes for you.  But now--just look at you!  You're amazing!"

 Remembering the challenges the current choristers have overcome and watching the way they've matured gives me hope for my little ones who are coming along and who desire to be in the performing choirs someday.  I think of David, who was so excited before the concert started that he was literally jumping up and down in the lobby because he knew he (and Tobin) would get to go to the front to play the bells while everyone sang "Jingle Bells."  As much as I'm grateful for his enthusiasm, I also realize he needs to learn when it is appropriate to jump up and down and when it is not.  :)  He's learning.  :)  I think of Tobin, who, during the concert, wiggled more than he should have and whispered more than he should have and laid down on the floor more than he should have and turned around and watched the people behind us more than he should have and tried to climb on the back of the pew in front of him way more than he should have.  He, too, is learning what is acceptable and what is not and how to control himself so he can do the acceptable thing.

As I've said before, the SVCC is about so much more than just music.  But it IS about music--glorious, soaring, contemplative, exciting, rhythmic, celebratory music...and tonight, Christmas music.  *happy sigh*  It was lovely!

The official Christmas season can now begin.  :)