There are certain seasons that are inherently stressful, and we are currently in one of them. There were Christmases past in which it was difficult for me to keep the proper perspective. I felt overworked and underappreciated, and the added pressures I put on myself to have a beautifully decorated home and provide a “perfect” holiday for my family only produced feelings of personal failure and silent resentment toward others whom I believed had it easier than I. Does this sound vaguely familiar to anyone?

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …

The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything. How we choose to live in each of these times affects our own well-being and that of others. I can relate to this passage more as I have gotten older, and I can relate to it in my vocation as a church musician as well. Here are a few thoughts:

I take great care in selecting my organ preludes and postludes for each Sunday. A prelude prepares the gathered community for worship. Whether the listener prays, reflects, or simply listens, they are still an active participant, and, as such, I believe they deserve the best the musician can give them. Likewise, the postlude, as the last thing they hear on the way out of church, is an opportunity to lift their spirits as they reflect on the worship that just ended and prepare to go about their week.

How do you thank your music volunteers? The gifts they give are quite precious. Not even considering their varying talents, the hours alone they give are almost innumerable. Some churches honor their volunteer musicians with a special event at the end of the choir season. Perhaps you write special holiday cards or acknowledge individual birthdays.

My theme for this past year became flexibility. It took me some time to get there. I’m a planner. Any good church musician needs to be. Pre-pandemic, I planned my entire choir year in the summer before rehearsals started. Every anthem, every rehearsal, every worship service was organized around the lectionary, the school breaks, confirmation, and other youth activities. It was a puzzle I enjoyed working on, and it enabled the year to go smoothly. Sure, there were little bumps in the road, and I would make adjustments, but the puzzle pieces all fit. It worked until March 2020, when the puzzle fell apart. Actually, it wasn’t even a puzzle anymore; it was a whole new game. New feelings swarmed: fear, excitement, disinterest, exhaustion, and curiosity, to name just a few.

December 2020 will be like no other holiday season we have seen in our lifetimes. Gatherings are limited, and singing is prohibited. We church musicians are accustomed to being extraordinarily busy during this time, often to the point of exhaustedly cranking out notes and crossing each musical concert or service off our list. This Advent and Christmas, my schedule is drastically reduced. Is this a loss? Yes, but could it also be a gift?

Some directors dread doing musicals, and even avoid them. I direct both a Christmas and a spring musical every year, because I believe that the positive benefits of these performances are huge. I am well aware of the cons, the biggest of which is simply the work. A LOT of work! Depending on the musical, there’s dialogue, staging, costumes, sets, props, and choreography. I guarantee that there will be some aspect of undertaking a musical that will take you outside of your comfort zone. Here are some things to consider:

The texts we choose for children to sing are as important as the musical qualities of an anthem. What better texts are there to teach our children than words of scripture? The following anthems are just a few of the ones I have found to be worth teaching and repeating.

I no longer assume that the children entering into my choir are familiar with the Lutheran liturgy and standard hymns, even Christmas carols. There are several reasons, including the lack of sacred music in the schools, families’ sporadic worship attendance, and attendance at “alternative” services. Our staff is making more deliberate efforts to encourage families to worship together regularly. I schedule our 2^nd-6^th grade choir to sing for worship at least once a month. One of the third grade boys recently told his mother that church was more fun when he was in the choir, because he had more to do. Yes, indeed - church is much more fun when you can participate because you have rehearsed the responses and know the hymns!

What to play?