Saturday, December 31, 2005
CD for Christmas
I wanted to talk about the CD we gave you for Christmas. No, I am not pushing religion. I am actually bragging. Check the credits. Davis sings with the Youth Choir on this CD. You will also see my name.
We belong to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in north Phoenix. We have been participating in the music ministry for four years. Our Music Director is Eleanor Johnson, my boss, and the Bells Director is Betsy Donovan. Both ladies have been in this music department for about twenty years. Eleanor and Betsy do the real magic. Eleanor is full-time staff and there are three part-time staff - Betsy, Kristen Cole, Music Librarian, and myself. We have about 170 people in 130 families participating in eleven choirs. We work with age four to age ninety. We have four traditional choirs, one contemporary choir with guitars, five bell choirs, and an orchestra.
Davis is in the Youth Choir (grades 2 - 6) and the Chimes Choir (beginning bells). James is in the Cherub 2 Choir (grade 1). They learn how to read music, sing on pitch, bible lessons and some fun. I figure free music lessons and these are the people we spend time with at church and school.
I am the Music Secretary. I get paid for a few hours a week and then it rolls over into the "volunteer choir mother" category (a lot). My job is to get the people to rehearsals and performances, keep parents in the information loop. I do weekly email updates. I did emails from Salt Lake City this summer. I do most of the computer work and I gather parents for volunteer assistance.
Eleanor is pretty ambitious about new challenges. They made a Christmas CD a few years ago. I think I sent you one. Last year we did a Mardi Gras concert. A few weeks ago, we did a Christmas carol sing-along. Every spring, the older children go on a long weekend to southern California. Sometimes they even sing in a church there. But it is mostly fun. We do a one week music camp in the summer. There is always something in the works.
Yes, we are busy and we do enjoy it. George even goes to church when both boys are singing. Hope you enjoy the CD.
Love,
Ellie
We belong to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in north Phoenix. We have been participating in the music ministry for four years. Our Music Director is Eleanor Johnson, my boss, and the Bells Director is Betsy Donovan. Both ladies have been in this music department for about twenty years. Eleanor and Betsy do the real magic. Eleanor is full-time staff and there are three part-time staff - Betsy, Kristen Cole, Music Librarian, and myself. We have about 170 people in 130 families participating in eleven choirs. We work with age four to age ninety. We have four traditional choirs, one contemporary choir with guitars, five bell choirs, and an orchestra.
Davis is in the Youth Choir (grades 2 - 6) and the Chimes Choir (beginning bells). James is in the Cherub 2 Choir (grade 1). They learn how to read music, sing on pitch, bible lessons and some fun. I figure free music lessons and these are the people we spend time with at church and school.
I am the Music Secretary. I get paid for a few hours a week and then it rolls over into the "volunteer choir mother" category (a lot). My job is to get the people to rehearsals and performances, keep parents in the information loop. I do weekly email updates. I did emails from Salt Lake City this summer. I do most of the computer work and I gather parents for volunteer assistance.
Eleanor is pretty ambitious about new challenges. They made a Christmas CD a few years ago. I think I sent you one. Last year we did a Mardi Gras concert. A few weeks ago, we did a Christmas carol sing-along. Every spring, the older children go on a long weekend to southern California. Sometimes they even sing in a church there. But it is mostly fun. We do a one week music camp in the summer. There is always something in the works.
Yes, we are busy and we do enjoy it. George even goes to church when both boys are singing. Hope you enjoy the CD.
Love,
Ellie
// posted by Ellie @ 3:37 PM 
