Sunday Morning in the Choir Loft

Well, of course I had choir this morning. It was kind of nice to go back, we haven't seen each other in a week which was a welcome break from the marathon of Holy Week services.

Stanley was in rare form today. He broke out his favorite old Polish hymn in honor of the Pope. Years ago he photocopied it and wrote out a "phonics" line of the lyrics so that all of us can sing it remotely close to the way it should sound. (Every time we sing this song during a mass, some little old lady in church makes him a plate of pierogis. ) So there we were, pretty much most of us either Irish, French, or Danish, singing this Polish hymn to Mary. It cracks me up every time. It could be a drinking song for all we know.

(He actually DOES play things like "Roll out the barrell" and "Hello dolly" in tinkly-music box settings on the organ during baptisms. I usually lean forward and he softly sings whatever he's playing so that I can identify the tune. He's such a cutup. )

We were supposed to sing one song for communion, then Salve Regina during meditation (in other words while they are finishing up the distribution of communion and "picking up the dishes". Stanley's phrase.)

As we started the communion hymn Stanley was basically playing with one hand and shuffling every paper in sight frantically, muttering "I can't find Salve Regina". Well, I could see Betty just wanted to clock him one, in the way that only a lifelong friend can pull off. "What do you mean you don't have it? Don't you know it?"

Just by dumb luck I picked up a book of sheet music on the pile of crap BEHIND him and flipped through it. He had been playing a piece from that book before mass and stuck S. R. into that book by mistake. So I sort of shook it and Salve fell out.

Heeeeeeeeeere I come to save the day! He gave me a dollar.