The Junior Choir

As a teenager I sang in a church choir.

It was a disciplined experience.
Absence being frowned on.
A turn of the head to see what was 
happening behind you deep sacrilege.

I was stuck in a church hall
for 2 hours every Sunday afternoon.
I still don't understand why I stayed 
while so many of my peers
gave up.


We were "successful" and sang 
all over the Central Belt of Scotland 
wearing our appalling
yellow shirts!
One of my most distressing experiences
is of being fed juice and digestive
biscuits after a performance, 
while the audience were served
chocolate cake in the adjacent hall.
The injustice of  that moment
has never left me!


However, the legacy that the choir
has given me nearly 30 years on,
is to know off by heart, the words of many of our
ancient Psalms and Hymns.

This morning at church we sang "God 
moves in a mysterious way" written by William Cowper 
in the 17th Century. I can still see the facial
expressions of our choir mistress as we got to 
the lines "behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face."


A hymn written by a man who knew the darkness 
of depression and yet was able to 
write...


"Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head."


Ancient words, but worthy of 
being shared with every 
generation.


Jen