RSCM Report: Generations

For the Lord is gracious;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his truth endureth from generation to generation (Psalm 100:4)

For the first time, we had an RSCM St. Louis Course without Mr. B. Last year, I wrote that

[Mr. B.] is the one who started the St. Louis Course from scratch sixteen years ago, and I am convinced that this is the Great Work of his life. Now he is laying it aside, and it is obvious how much it means to him, and what an emotional day this was for him. In the downstairs choir room, he told the choir of the news after the service; it was an emotional moment for us all, most of all for his own choristers who love this man so deeply.

I have not yet dealt with it; I cannot imagine this Course without him. For now, I can only thank him for what he has done: the tedious administrative groundwork that has gone into the Course, year after year; his gracious hospitality in the "big house" after midweek Evensongs which made the Course such a special place for many of the adult participants, and so much more. May God's blessings be with him, and with us as we seek to go onward next year.

This year, the leadership was largely in the hands of a new generation. Instead of Mr. B., we had an executive committee of Debra, Kristin, Debbie and Weezer. Instead of Br. V. as Chaplain, we had Michael K. Instead of Caitlin and Elizabeth, we had Meredith, Jennifer, and Meara; for the boys we had Eddie and Mike, and able assistance from the assistant proctors Mark, Jenna, and Kyle. Four of those that I have named are from our parish and the others I have know from the Course since they were children; it pleases me that they have all grown into such capable leadership and responsibility for the choristers, as well as leading the choir with their musicianship.

Among the choristers and adults were many new participants, notably the group from the Choir School of East Texas, with Jeffery Ford, musical director, and Diana Keesey, executive director, whom I hope will be my friends for years to come. The musicianship of these choristers, their spirit, their laughter and joy in rehearsals and mealtimes were a delight. The mutual affection and respect between Jeffery, Diane, and their choristers was obvious, and is the foundation for the work they do together. I consider their Choir School a bold undertaking, and wish them the best as they build something virtually unique in the U.S. May the school prosper and be an example to others.



Four of the young women mentioned above found themselves in the ATB rehearsals this year, since we had plenty of strong confident trebles. They were joined in the alto section by Susan, another veteran of RSCM Courses and now in her mid-twenties, and several of the high-school age women from the Texas choir school. Other new altos of more advanced years, some of them parents of choristers, joined them. The result: a most amazing alto sound, rich and velvety and strong.

How did they come to this sound, and that in their first rehearsal together? It is the older women's doing as well as the young. The oldest of them, Judith (who is now in her sixties) told me later that she has noticed that her vibrato is more prominent than it used to be, which is normal for older singers. I listened for it in the next rehearsal, and yes, there it was – it blended with the rest and added a richness to the sound that would otherwise have been absent. She sat between Jennifer and Meredith for many of the rehearsals, and I hope that they got to know her better; Judith's intelligence, stability, and experience are valuable qualities to find in a friend when one is in one's twenties (or any time; I consider Judith to be one of my close friends).

We need one another, and that is reflected vocally. When there is a full spectrum of young, middle-aged, and older singers in a group, the sound is healthier. And it is in this manner, this act of singing together, that the faith is transmitted “from generation to generation.” It is not just the faith, I submit, but musicianship as well. Others taught me; I now teach the choristers that are in our parish; they in turn will someday teach others. If we could know, we would find that the chain extends back many generations, probably to the first hominids who made Music in the Earliest Days.

The tenor and bass sound was equally fine this year, with almost all of it coming from the teens and young adults. I sang between two young baritones from our parish, Ken and Tom, with Emmanuel (from Dallas) beside him. It was a delight to sing at their side as colleagues, and to look across and see others from our parish and from past Courses– Mike and Mark, no longer able to sing together except for the annual RSCM week – Max, singing with the tenors beside my young friend Saul from last year, with Eddie and Spencer from the Indianapolis group, both of them fine musicians and fine young men. It seems but yesterday that they were all trebles, and now Eddie is married, Mike and Mark are in college, and Spencer will be soon.

It was good to be with these people – men old and young, women, girls, boys. Our music together was at times a glimpse of that Promised Land where the Song shall be one, all creation together.