I Was A Choir Kid!
I can’t prove it, but I deeply believe that my very first memory is a Sade song being played while I stared at shadows on a wall created by the setting sun. I’ve always loved music. When I was a kid, I remember listening to some of my dad’s cassettes (yes, I’m 35!) especially Mariah Carey’s debut album. When I got a little older, he’d take me to the local music store, Be Bop, and I’d start to pick out cassettes to curate my own music collection. Ugh!—Hanson’s Middle of Nowhere album was my SHIT and don’t you dare judge! Also, Jewel’s “You Were Meant for Me” — are you judging?!
In middle school, I joined the choir and that continued on to high school where things really got serious. I was part of the illustrious Jim Hill High School choir. I was also fortunate enough to participate in two all-state choir festivals, even though I couldn’t read music and that was kind of a big part of it…
Anyway, I got into a nostalgic mood recently, so I decided to share some of the songs of yore and one that, while we never performed it, has stuck with me to this day.
“Betelehemu,” a Yoruba carol. Try to look over the glaring lack of melanin here. I chose this video for 2 reasons: One, it sounds great and is the closest to the version we sang. Two, I had the privilege of singing this song at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah as part of a choir excursion that involved other choirs from other parts of the country. Long story short: Some of the other choirs were hating on us…
I love this rendition! “Tres Cantos Nativos” is based on melodies of the “Kurao tribe - a group of native Brazilian Indians living in the forests of northern Brazil.” I had the opportunity to sing this during an all-state festival. The body is used to simulate a downpour in the forest. We did good, but these kids put us to shame!
Possibly the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, I was introduced to “Miserere mei Deus” in high school. I love that this performance is set in a cavern with part of the choir off-screen and in another part of the cave responding to the call. This song demands superb acoustics and this set delivers. This is an abridged version. You can watch the full version here.
