After a Short Respite……. Now that the Christmas Festival Concert is over, my attention is directed toward the Valentine Concert. Through the years here at Union, I have endeavored to be creative and present “bonus” concerts – that is, concerts that were not part of my typical fall and spring duties. One year I presented a program/concert in honor of the Wesley brothers, another year I invited some area churches to come and be a part of a program, and a couple of years ago I decided to present a Valentine concert. It was well received and enjoyed by all, so it has become an annual event.

The 2010 Valentine concert will be our third. A Valentine program affords me the opportunity to present music I would not typically perform. I highly recommend experimenting with new programming ideas. You might be surprised by the reception the concert receives. I certainly was! So, now this concert is an annual event, which is great. Nonetheless, we typically only have four and a half or five weeks to get the program together, so we really have to stay focused. But, this kind of discipline can be very good for your choir’s musical growth and for its morale. It is exciting (and a little harrowing) to have a short term goal such as this.

Having said that, not every rehearsal schedule should be so tight. Just like anything else in life there needs to be a balance. Sometimes one takes their time to study, rehearse, and present music that is challenging and has real depth. And at other times it is enlivening to embrace music of a lighter nature and to be motivated by a short rehearsal schedule. Although 2009 is coming to a close and my respite is winding down, I will enjoy a few more days in celebration of a new year. Valentine’s Day will be here soon enough!