First Gospel Rehearsal

Sunday was my first rehearsal with the Archwood UCC Gospel Choir. (See Audition or Party Game? post.) There were about 5 or 6 really nice people who made up the choir. Andrew, the director, was under the mistaken impression that our first song, "Soon and Very Soon," was in the hymnal. Nope. Did I already know it/ever hear it before in my life? Nope. Luckily, he had the CD and boombox handy. It was pretty easy to learn, although in the key of F# (or Gb) major. No matter how you slice it, that's 6 accidentals in the key signature. Why oh why are none of the songs on this CD in normal keys?! Not that it matters, since obviously I don't have to read any music anyway. Andrew kept stopping and starting the CD as I was rapidly trying to write down chord symbols.

I finally asked him to just let it play through once so I could write down the structure of the song (verses, bridge, etc.) Now he wants me to play the parts. I hadn't been listening for that, so I just made them up. He seems to be sort of disorganized, with the emphasis on fun/spirit over precision. Now that I know that, I can just relax and not stress if a rehearsal doesn't seem that productive. I'm not the director, so it's not my place to fill any vaccuum of leadership I might see.

Evidently they had tried starting the Gospel Choir with the regular pianist at the church, Dorothea, who had a hard time learning the music by ear. So here I am, little Miss Classically-Trained-and-Everything-Else-I've-Learned-is-a-Second-Language-White-Girl-Faking-Gospel, and she's the Black lady! :-D