And no choir sang to change the world

Perhaps it was the coffee,
Perhaps it was the chocolate fudge covered donut . . .

But one choir sang a phrase from Joseph Martin's "The Awakening" and it really grabbed me. Up until then, my primary critique of the choir was that they sang with no energy, no facial expression, no joy, no passion, and no message.

So, when they voiced the profound “And no choir sang to change the world” it really spoke to me, because they were singing about themselves.

There they were, dressed in their performance best and singing great music with good technique and I was utterly unmoved.

One can learn much from watching others.

Today, for the benefit of my UAB choir, I learned (again) how important the visual aspect of performing is for musicians.

Expressive choir faces are the exception, not the norm. Excitement is sorely lacking in our art form and it grieves me.

The UAB choir must not be, in the words of my teacher John Dickson, “another boring choir.” We can be a choir that changes the world with our song, one person at a time.