Singing in Chapel

I am pleased to have been invited to cantor for Community of the Savior today. Not that I think I am a particularly good singer or anything. But given the trouble I have been having singing at all, and remembering the break through I had at the Worship Conference at St Olaf, I believe I will be able to do justice to the Psalm.

I am a bit concerned that I have not yet seen the music. Usually it gets sent a few days in advance so you have a chance to read through it. But they are not normally too hard, and I arrive early to connect with the music.

They have changed the orientation of the chairs, and the piano is now in a little alcove, a bit removed from the front where the cantor usually would stand. I chat with Pastor Cullum for a bit, waiting for the pianist to arrive. The usual pianist is not there today and I have not met the gentleman who is filling in.

Unfortunately, I cannot see the music since he has the copy. And we won't be able to make a copy since we do not have access to any office copiers. Not to worry. I can just stand by the piano and look on. The pianist arrives, and I am fortunate enough to have a chant Psalm instead of a melodic one. Sometimes the melodic ones are a bit tricky.

I pray that God will help my voice cooperate. No drop outs. No raspiness. No vibrations where there aren't supposed to be any. I enjoy the service, but during the Scripture reading right before the Psalm, I have to confess I was not really focused. My turn to sing. I open my mouth and - surprise! A voice that is clear and pretty floats out!

This is not my usual voice. Its actually pleasant. What happened? Did the cancer treatment burn off some nodule that was always getting in the way? Will this timbre last? I am loving it! I don't even have the usual nervous lump in the throat thing going on.

Hey - pay attention to what you are singing about. This is praise to God, and my heart is fully in it. He has delivered me from cancer yet again, and I am blessed with this amazing side effect of a clear voice. Yahoo!