Chiming In

"What would you like to play in chimechoir this year?" I ask The Saints, my chime ringers. After all, if you are going to work on music and learn it, wouldn't it make sense if the song were something you knew and liked? I am constantly selecting music I grew up with, music that I assume to be standards that are well known, only to discover that my ringers have never heard of the piece!

They pore over the repertoire books and make a list of the pieces they would like to ring this year. After the excitement dies down, I take the books and the list home, lie on my bed and compare the two. Several pieces are listed more than once. I check those first to see how difficult they are and whether we are advanced enough to ring them without killing ourselves.

Some of the are doable, some a stretch, and some out of reach at the moment. I cross some titles off the list and circles others. Then I look at pieces that are too easy for us now - isn't that marvelous! We have advanced. I cross them off. I look at pieces that don't fit easily in the liturgical year and cross them off. I am down to a handful of selections that I think can be reasonably done.

I try out the order against the seasons of the church year to see what might make good sense. I find a good fit for the fall lineup. How Great Thou Art at a challenging but not undoable level for November. Two arrangements of Christmas carols for December, and one easier hymn for October. Yes. That will work. And I know the pieces for November and December will go over well because they both received numerous votes.

I like this process. They provide input and I provide oversight. It works well.