...Sing Out Loud, Sing Out STRONG!...

You know much fun it is to sing, when you're a kid?

I remember belting out "Up, Up and Away, in My Beautiful Balloon" with about as much glee as we sang regular kid songs like "John, Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt! His name, is my name too!" (Only we sang "Smith" instead of "Schmidt.") That was second grade.

By third, we'd become a little more sophisticated, with "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree" and - well, dozens of others. My third grade teacher (the incomparable Mrs. Eggleston), saw to it that we got together with Mrs. Ferris's class almost every day, just to sing. The two teachers took turns playing the piano. It was show tunes, contemporary stuff (for 1978!) and songs dating back to the 30s or 40s. We learned dances or hand motions, and every kid had their special song. We even went on the road (i.e., down the hall or even nearby schools) to perform our brilliant musical review.

I loved it.

Why is group singing not something people keep doing, in our country, after they leave childhood? Did it used to be? The people in some of the books I loved, growing up, sang: Pa Ingalls would get out his fiddle, or Betsy, Tacy, and Tib would gathering around the piano with their crowd and the latest sheet music - most every Sunday night, as I recall!

Why don't WE do that?

From my mid-20s until relatively recently, group singing was part of my life again, at least as much as it was when I was in grade school. Singing was a key part of worship, and it so lifted my spirits. We sang at the office, most days - it was part of morning prayer. Extended worship sets were standard with the young adult ministry I was part of, clear up until, at 35, I could no longer pass as a young adult. We sang in church (still do), and when there was a choir, I sang with the choir.

That may have been my favorite: choir. Not just letting the songs roll by but chewing on them, getting them into my head, learning my parts, thinking about them, trying again, to wring (ring?) out every nuance from the piece. I know, some people don't like repetition. But I loved choir practice.

Now it's all changed. No more singing at the office, or, not very often. No choir at church. No young adult ministry, not for me.

We do still have "worship leaders" at church, and the pastor is fond of saying how grateful he is for all the talented people we have. He is too tactful to emphasize that we need them now more than ever, since we can't really justify hiring a staff member for that purpose.

But that's just for talented people. There's no room (on the stage, at least) for the untalented. And just singing along - well, I know we're all part of it, on Sunday mornings, but it's over all too fast.

Wonder where I could go for the chance to sing? Do you suppose the elementary school around the corner would mind an extra second soprano belting out "Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Balloon?"

Ah, well, the roommate left town this morning. She'll be gone for two weeks. So the kitty, Lucy, and I may have some musical evenings at home.