But there is an "us" in chorus.

This week I got to resume something I was doing a few years ago, when our Temple (Shaare Emeth) was between cantors. I am the interim, temporary, fill-in, subsittute volunteer (ITFISV) choir director. I like to call my position "choir catalyst" as I see my job mainly as helping the inevitable happen more quickly.

I get to pick out music, conduct rehearsals, and arrange things for the services this choir sings. Occasionally they'll let me play piano or guitar if no better instrumentalist is within earshot.

One of the most rewarding things I did this past time was to arrange music, and you can find some of my efforts on that front here. There are several arrangements of Debbie Friedman tunes there, which leads me to the next bit of the story.

I posted these things on the web a few years ago, when I was the ITFISV choir director last time. About a year later, I was contacted by the Debbie Friedman Copyright Police (DFCP) and informed that I was in violation of the copyright of Debbie's tunes (which I was, I admit). They also told me the words were copyright, but then the words predate Debbie by quite a bit, as they are the blessings of Havdalah (separation after Shabbat). The DFCP told me all I had to do was to reference Debbie's recordings of the works, and that was no problem, so I am now in compliance.

One of my goals is to make a book of music arranged for the volunteer choir. I plan to put a picture of a volunteer tomato plant on the cover. I've got a bunch of other stuff arranged on my Mac here (ancient G3 running MacOS 8.6 but it does Finale very nicely).

There are various things that make my life better, and doing this music stuff is one of them, so if you see me smiling more you'll know why.

And if you try to convince me that there is indeed an "I" in "choir" I will stubbornly stick to my story that there is not. And if it turns out there is one, it is a silent "I".

Posted by: Ed at September 6, 2003 5:10 AM

Posted by: rkc at September 6, 2003 5:22 PM