By Marvin Neumann

ing the words in the rhythm
presented in the music.  "Hey, I can do this too.  Now I see how this works ( I think), but now how do I get all these notes into that rhythm?"  And so it goes, and each person around you feels differently, depending on their strengths and feelings towards each piece of music.  Some pieces are familiar and some may be brand new, perhaps never sung before.  Yet, no matter our affinity or struggles, we must present this as best we can, because our congregation gets only one go at it.
So now you find that your voice is a little out of practice, even tired.  Since no one else sang all summer, we all feel the same to some degree.  So it's nice to know that you are not alone.  And though you had trouble reading some of the notes and rhythms, you saw where some things made sense, like the relationship of notes on the page going higher to what your voice must do to accommodate.  And those rhythms!
Actually, just recognizing short notes and rests may seem foreboding, but it is like learning a few new words in another language.  Soon you can read street signs in Spanish, or a menu in Italian.  However, now music will come to you two or more times each week, and it will start to make sense very quickly.  Hey, all of a sudden

So now is your chance.  You decide to set aside Thursday evening about 7:30 p.m. to arrive at the Church and enter the choir loft where others will be seated.  You are not sure of your voice, but you are seated with others whose vocal range approximates yours.
Then you find out that we start to ooh and ahh on some easy notes, notes actually from some music you hold in your hand.  Hey, this isn't so bad.  Hey, it actually starts to sound pretty good.  Then we add words.  Oops, not quite as good.  But you've got the notes, and now you know what is meant by blend.  And so you work on it and VOILA!  Now you see how it starts to work.
Then we work on parts of the same piece that you have not oohed and ahhed.  A little harder, to be sure, but it starts to fall into place because others are singing along and trying to do the same musical things; hit correct notes, count, blend, interpret (if we are lucky at this point).  Chances are we will be fairly successful, if for no other reason than that the music is not too difficult; and so progress moves along.  Hey, this feels pretty good.
Another piece, another go at it.  No oohing or ahhing, but perhaps another approach, like say

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