HEAVENLY VOICES

(Originally run 3/3/04 on our old site)

Bobby Scott Fuller

I have a follow-up to Ernie's piece about San Antonio.

Several years ago, I attended the national convention of The American Choral Directors Association there in south Texas. Approximately 3,000 of us choral directors met in the city for a four-day convention. There were elementary people, junior high, senior high, college/university, church, community and those who conducted professional choirs. There were four days of intense workshops, concerts and demos.

On Saturday night, following the final concert (conducted by Robert Shaw, of the Robert Shaw Chorale), the entire force of choral directors descended upon the River Walk for a night of revelry and celebration. Somewhere around midnight - I'm not sure where it started - a song began to be sung. Before it was over, the entire River Walk, from one end to the other, reverberated with the singing of most of those 3,000 choral directors. Now, I'm still not sure I have a place on the other side of The Pearly Gates, but I'm sure that the sound of the angels singing will not surpass the sound that I was part of that night. Wish all of you could have been there.

Bob, you just jumped into the fray the right way: you sent it to that Old Gatekeeper, Me.

With the echo chamber effect of the Riverwalk, I’m sure it was an intimation of the Heavenly Choir. –tlp-