I bet you know the quote, “Make a Joyful Noise” (Psalm 98) and of the countless times the Bible calls on us to sing.  Maybe you know that Western Music is the richest and best-recorded music in the world.  But did you know that this preeminence is a direct result of the importance Judaism and  Christianity have attached to music in worship?  By the 11^th Century, Christianity had a highly-developed method of writing out music.  Written music can be transported and used wherever there are people to perform it.  This drive to value music in churches contributed perhaps more than anything else to the progress that Western music has made overall.  Am I saying there would have been no Beethoven, Irving Berlin, Elton John, Nirvana or Usher without the Church having developed written music and provided a stable musical culture the way it did?  Maybe, but it is less likely we would have heard them or that they would have been able to make livings as musicians.  Other cultures are far less able to support the immeasurable diversity of music that we both enjoy and detest.

            Enter a Mosque, a Buddhist Shrine, a Hindu Temple.  You may hear chanting and there may be a sung call to worship, but music does not play near the role or receive the attention it does in Jewish and Christian houses of worship.   Now for something specifically Episcopal:  The choral tradition of our church is unsurpassed by any other denomination, due to the long tradition of Anglican/Episcopalian choral music, to the high level of education in our membership, and to the inclination of our leadership to value music.  Of course, all three are intertwined and mutually supportive.  I am honored to be connected to this noble tradition and hope to be a reliable shepherd of it.

            Here at Mary Magdalene, we are a small flock with a mighty spirit, as our choir proves.  To be in the choir is to be in a group where we all know each other and can hear each other’s voices.  It is to sing one and two-part pieces with  a level of beauty, clarity and precision less possible in larger groups.  To be in the choir is for each individual to be relied upon week after week to prepare and present anthems.  It is to lead the congregation in singing and to motivate them, for if we are going to sing with the exultation that is fitting to the greatness of the Lord, we need the combined forces of choir and congregation to make enough joyful noise.  Most of all, it is to add an indispensable element of worship with pleasure and satisfaction.  To be in the choir, all you need is enough interest to learn the simple yet moving pieces we prepare as anthems (for the time being, to be presented during the Offertory), whether or not you can read music.  That skill soon comes well enough.  We rehearse once a week with a short tune-up rehearsal Sunday mornings.  We wear robes fashionable in all seasons, receive communion first, and get an exclusive special blend of Brazilian shade-grown organic coffee after the service.  Actually, that last part isn’t exactly true, but it wouldn’t hurt if you like to shake a tambourine now and then! 

                        

With high hopes for the new year, I remain your servant, Russell