A while ago, Dr. Kenneth A. Carlson wrote in the First Methodist (Glendale, Calif.) Outlook: "A lad was having a wonderful time practicing on his father's typewriter. When he got through, the page looked pretty well beaten up with words crossed out, spellings corrected, additions made. Across the top was written the title, 'My Story About Me'. Then followed the request, 'Dad, can I have a clean sheet to write on? "This is the ppicture of your life and mine. Each of us is continually writing, 'My Story About Me'. And it is about as checkered as the boys typewritten page. There are many things we would like to cross out, much has been corrected, and we are ever conscious of the additions to be made. For, as Dr. Fosdick has sug PI gested, 'We can avoid making up our minds, but we cannot avoid making up our lives Each one is about to write "My '65'66 story About Me As a Choir Director." As September comes, our "Great Father" has given each of us a clean sheet to write on. What will we do with it? Will our summer study, the good resolves, the refreshment of the vacation be reflected in a neatly written page? Will our rehearsals reflect a thorough preparation, an expanding love of others, a truer concern for the spiritual enrichment and musical development of each child? The new choral year is upon us The clean sheet is in the typewriter "Grant us wisdom, grant us courage That we fail not man nor Thee." titiL iLtitt CHORISTERS GUILD LETTERS VOLUME XVII 1965-66 September Number 1 Federal Lee Whittlesey, Editor Helen Kemp, Norma Lowder, Nancy Poore Tufts, Associate Editors Sally Lane, Christine Kallstrom, Contributing Editors THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. Nita Akin, President Mrs. Haskell (Mabel) Boyter Mr. A. Leslie Jacobs Wichita Falls, Texas Atlanta, Georgia Santa Barbara, Calif. Mr. A. Leonard Lilyers, Vice-Pres. Dr. Shelby Collier Dr. Cecil Lapo Philadelphia, Pa. Memphis, Tenn. Nashville, Tenn. Dr. F. L. Whittlesey Sec.-Treas. & Exec. Dir. Mrs. Laurette Cotton Mrs. Earle (Norma) Lowder Dallas, Texas Milwaukee, Wisconsin Bellaire, Texas Dr. Roberta Bitgood Mrs. T. J. (Madeline) Ingram Mr. David Pew Bay City, Michigan Lynchburg, Virginia Denver, Colo. The Choristers Guild Letters are published for its members by the CHORISTERS GUILD Ruth Krehbiel Jacobs, Founder 440 Northlake Center, Dallas, Texas 75238 COPYRIGHT p 1965 CHORISTERS GUILD — 1 — TWO YEARS AFTER — by A. Leslie Jacobs Two years -- seven hundred thirty days -- seventeen thousand five hundred and twenty hours -- have rushed into the endless eternity of time since health reasons forced cessation of a long career in Church music from organist, through choral conductor and, finally, as executive secretary of the Choristers Guild. Two years ago it seemed as if my own little world had suddenly collapsed. The prospect of retirement rather appalled me, and still does, for that matter. I was not prepared for it. The finest heritage (outside her memory) which Ruth left me, was to pass from me -- the administration of the Choristers Guild. She had brought the Guild into being in 1949; we both had tended it carefully and watched it grow into national influence in its field. Our Guild, and yet not our Guild, had reached into the lives of hundreds of thousands of boys and girls. The Choristers Guild had become our lives. Do you know what it is to give up a child, whether it be a physical or brain child? Would other hands take good care of this precious child? Gloom and doubt rather quickly vanished. The ease and smoothness of the transition to the executive leadership of Federal Lee Whittlesey seemed Providence led. These two years have completely justified the confidence placed in Lee. The Guild has grown steadily in influence, in membership, in outreach. Two very successful summer seminars are now Guild history. Worry about the future had no basis in fact. All through the period since Ruth's death loomed the encouraging figure of our Guild president, Nita Akin, who with her husband, "Jake", has supported the Guild inspirationally and practically. During these two years what have I learned; why have I lived; how have I used them? To answer these completely would require too much valuable LETTERS space, and try your patience as well. Further, any and all answers would be variants expressed many times by many others, and perhaps many are even cliches. Nevertheless, since the editor has given me this platform to "speak" from you will, I hope, indulge me in the making of a few personal observations. Pride, amounting to conceit, in one's leadership easily falls before the on-slaught of realization that the world and its affairs move onward without one's help. The old saying that there are many pebbles on the beach, 4111. certainly applies. The successful life cannot live in the past; it must move on. The usual view of retirement, that it is a time of no worry, complete happiness, and all that sort of snare and delusion is just not true. No one can live happily and be completely free from some responsibility, and even worry. A need to live for someone or something is paramount. God never promised anyone freedom from troubles, mistakes, failures, anxieties, but did promise strength and courage to live through them if only we believe Him in this promise. This Christ- ian attitude requires experience, time and faith to learn, but the rewards are a happy life. Like many others, I have only gradually learned to live with, but not necessarily accept, my health condition. Though I accept my chronological age, I refuse to be the usual "senior citizen" for whom entertainment must be found — shuffleboard, lawn croquet, square dancing and the like. The years remaining to me ought to have some purpose of outreach, a touching of other lives. Two years of experimentation have not as yet dis- covered this purpose. However, in the very act of seeking, a finding usually comes. One idea -- intriguing possibilities of helpfulness to the Guild and its members and purpose for me: I would like to visit our Guild family members with words of encouragement -- not to conduct workshops, but for friendly visitation, to answer questions, visit your rehearsals, hear your choirs, be helpful and to help extend the horizons of us all. This dream, at the moment, seems unlikely to be fulfilled, for neither the Guild nor I at this time can afford to carry out such an ambitious project. This ramble must end with encouragement to you children's choir directors scattered everywhere who share in the big job of rearing young America. The temptation comes often to each in his seemingly isolated position in feeling that he is alone with his problems, troubles, and even inadequacies. At such a time the Guild family, members of which also are subject to the same personal aspects, can loom large for his strengthening. No one is ever alone in his work as long as he can find strength in his Guild membership. Be challenged always by the thought that in your work of instilling Christian attitudes in children you have as powerful tools two of the most potent forces in the world -- the Christian religion and music. On the other hand, remember always that the limitations generally of your choir are your very own shortcomings. So find strength in the tools you use, and learn to use them better by becoming a better person, and a more skilled person. It is little enough to expect of one's self, considering the enormity of the job it is our privilege to do -- Christian Character through our Children's'. Choirs. Life has been good to me. For thirty-one years I had as wife and companion, a brilliant, dedicated woman. Then came close contact with the Choristers Guild which, while a small organization, is nevertheless, a power- ful leaven in the Christian church. These two years have been the more worthwhile because the Guild has pros- pered. You -- each individual member -- binding yourself to other members, has made the Guild strong. Thank you for your share in my happiness. May God bless you and your work. • — 2 — THE '65 SEMINAR — Reported by Dona Hoffman, Seattle, Wash. There's only one word to describe it -- an abused but all-encompassing word: grand! "Higher than others having the same title or designation; pre-eminent; foremost, notably great; magnificent; excellent; in best of looks or spirit." Each of these dictionary definitions contributes little more than a glance, however, of the true spirit of the Seminar. With Dr. Frederick Swanson's help we caught a glimpse of the boy-choir at work. Boys have something to give their Lord, he said, and if we are ignoring the boy choir as a possibility of bringing out 000 • • latent talent, then we are actually cheating our adolescent boys. Several "plain, • • garden variety boys" (quote Dr. Swanson) demonstrated their vocal • °Lk agility while in the so-called "voice break age". Two pertinent we rules: (1) Take the boy where he is and begin there; (2) Work from .000 the head-tone down. .0 •O.• "God has a definite reason and a place waiting for our talents. We must work on better and better technique so that our purpose (God's purpose for us) is fulfilled. Always have a plan, work it with imagina- tion and ability, but plan no small thing for God!" Thus began a week with Dr. Nita Akin who gave us pointers on sensitive organ accompani- ment for children's choirs, and for general service playing.