"UNTIL THE FEVER OF LIFE IS OVER..."
A TIME. FOR REMEMBERING...
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The Christmas season and the year's end are for
more than giving and getting. This is a good time
to look back and look ahead...
Somehow today my mind flashed back "through
the mists of time," as they say to a time when I
was about thirty years old and workIng in Church
Music for the Baptists of New Mexico.
At the Inlow Church Camp for N.M. youth, we were
having a choral music week for young people ages
13-18. It lasted each summer from Monday thru Friday,
and closed with a Friday morning concert of about 250
youth voices (and small orchestra) singing in the
rustic pine-log big open "tabernacle."
I had founded this camp and it was my "baby."
No cute little choruses and ditties for our kids---
this was the "real McCoy." We sang college-level
choral pieces that I cut my teeth on in A Cappella
Choir at Hardin-Simmons University.
To boot, we invited the top college and seminary
choral conductors, really---in the world.
The sounds of praise to our Creator echoed across
those Manzano Mountains. like had never been
heard before. Two hundred-fifty kids, singing
soprano, alto, tenor, and bass reverberated quite
impressively...and who knows...may still be echoing
even today throughout the cosmos...
Here is what I remembered today---this morning
during this ,Christmas time....
The camp is located on the east side of the
Manzano Mountains, just west of Tajique,
and near the Fourth of July Campground,
(famous for its red oaks in autumn),...
That day, which I remember very well, tho'
it was 51 years ago, I, being director of
the camp-- needed to head into Albuquerque
one afternoon to pick up some necessary
items---you. always run out of something...
Our excellent "choral clinician," Dr. Green,
and our esteemed Camp Preacher, Dr. P.,
decided they wanted to ride into town with
me in my 1960 Chevy, the one with a lot of
miles. A "break" would do them good, they
thought.
We were on mountain Road 10 and halfway
to town and Dr. P. said to Dr. G. (in discussing
the camp music): "Paul, why did you choose "O
Lord Support Us All the Day Long."
It was not a a rousing, fast-moving piece of
choral music by any means.
I'll never forget what Dr. Green replied---in a most
serious and sincere tone: "HAVE YOU READ THE
WORDS CAREFULLY? Then, as I drove, he recited
the brief piece from the right front seat:
"O LORD, SUPPORT US ALL THE DAY LONG
THROUGH THIS TROUBLOUS
LIFE...
UNTIL THE SHADOWS LENGTHEN
AND THE EVENING COMES,
AND THE FEVER OF
LIFE IS OVER
AND OUR WORK IS
DONE.
THEN OF THY MERCY GRANT US A
SAFE LODGING AND. A
HOLY REST....
AND PEACE AT THE LAST...
AND PEACE...AT...THE LAST."
(from Book of Common. Prayer, 1928)
For several years, my office had requests
from "youth week music directors" out in
the churches and even from adult church
choirs to borrow this choral piece from our
plentiful supply.
People have told me: "This is in my 'final
service' file."
Though my dear 250 Christian youth choir
members from that Music Camp (and the
camp still runs today) are somewhere around
ages 63-68, and I see one now and then, but
don't recognize them---I have never heard of
any of them rioting, burning buildings, being
drunk, or going to prison.
********************
BY MIL
MIL'S PLACE
December 23, 2015
A Christmas Piece
Even today, I am moved by the message.
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