My saddest day in Choir (Retirement)
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| Choir retirees facing the choir for "Good Be With You" Picture from Eric Huntsman, choir member |
Yesterday was the day of choir retirements for 28 people in our company. It was a bittersweet parting.
To participate in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir a person must retire either when they turn 60 years old or when they have reached 20 years of service, which ever comes first. The 28 people who retired had a total of over 350 years of service to the choir. Can you imagine if we converted that to hours? All unpaid, devoted service.
I watched as some of my brothers and sisters as we sang our last songs together. I have grown with these people. We have endured good, tough and bad times. We have rehearsed together. We have laughed and cried together. We have shared very profound experiences together. We have become more than friends, we have become family. It's hard to describe but there is a true feeling of brotherhood and love in the choir loft.
These people embraced me when I joined. They helped me. A simple kind word, a gesture of friendship, a warm embrace.
Now they are retiring.
It is bittersweet for sure.
Bitter in that my friends are leaving. Sweet as I watch the new members watching, excited to join us in the loft next week. I realize I am in the loft because someone retired. I'm grateful to them.
As much as I would love to stay in the choir loft forever I feel more inclined to be sure someone else can have as much joy in the calling as I have had. I would love to have everyone that wanted to have this experience to have it because it has changed my life.
In the early days of the choir people would join and remain until they died. Having a set rule for retirement allows many people to serve. This gives me comfort.
As I watched my dear friends during this last broadcast and during the retirement program I felt such love and peace for them. We are involved in a work larger than ourselves. We must enjoy it while we are allowed to do it with the understanding that the work continues to go on even when it is time for us to move on. Just like in life. Just like with other callings.
One of the comments from the retirement came from a fellow bass member who quoted Dr. Suess. "Don't be sad that it is over, smile because it happened."
At the end of the retirement ceremony these 28 people turned and faced the loft as we sang our parting prayer, "God Be With You Til We Meet Again." There was not one dry eye in the loft. I could not even finish song in full voice.
My time will come and the sweetness of this experience will end. I will embrace every moment I can.
My thanks to some of my fellow basses: John, Brad, Kevin, Karl and to Syndy (soprano) who is the only person I knew in the choir before I joined. She and her mother were both choir members. She is Hawaiian and I went to school with her brother so we've known each other for many, many years. I will miss them so much but I'm so grateful to have known them. They changed my life.
