Singing

I love to sing. I really do. Sometimes when I am happy, I will just randomly start singing. It might be a song I have learned in the past, or it might be a strange song I just make up on the spot. This has led to some odd songs about things like grocery shopping or taking a shower. But the song just sort of rises up inside and has to be let out. I am notorious for singing along with my car radio, drumming out a rhythm on my steering wheel, only to realize my windows are down, I'm stopped at a light, and someone in the next car is looking over and grinning. (Yes, I can carry a tune. Quite nicely, most of the time!)

In the past couple of years, I've been in the choir at my church. Occasionally I'm given a solo, but usually I just sing as part of the group. We don't have choir during the summer, but the music director wanted to do something a little different this summer. A few of the services will run "contemporary" music instead of the standard stuff out of the hymnal. Oh yes. We have a guitar. We have rhythm. And it is so much fun! (My one complaint about my church is that the music does not dance-- it's pretty, but it's not good rollicking fun.)

The little "band" of musicians already did one service last month, and they'll be doing another this Sunday. I was asked to come sing with them, so I went to practice yesterday expecting to play backup singer.

Well! The very last song we're doing is a responsive one, where the cantor sings a line and the group echoes it. Apparently I was having quite a fun time singing along with the CD when we were listening to get familiar with it, because the director asked me to be the cantor for this one! But she said, "You can't be a pretty little soprano on this one. You have to be a rock star." Yikes! It's a very spiritual-bluesy-gospel sort of song, and if I can pull this off, it is absolutely going to rock. The congregation will LOVE it. I hope my voice can do this one justice!

Holy Spirit, I offer you this song as a gift! Be with me and guide my voice to make it a worthy one. Maybe help me channel the voice of Janis Joplin or something.