The Carthage Choir got one day off after the big weekend but was back at it today, learning two new pieces for their spring tour. My favorite moment in the rehearsal was while we were going through the second piece, a lovely twentieth century setting of the latin text Ubi Caritas- “where there is charity, there God is found.” At one point Mr. Noble was anxious to get the choir to sing these phrases more gently and smoothly, not punching individual notes . . . and in an inspired moment, he said “Jessica, it’s like the way you want to pet your dog, isn’t it?” Jessica is blind and her gorgeous seeing-eye dog is a golden retriever named Shelby. . . and at every rehearsal she lays at Jessica’s feet. And as the kids looked over at Shelby, there was this smile of recognition on many faces. . . this look that said “yeah, that’s a perfect image of what this music should sound like.” (And Shelby is there all the time and perfectly behaved, but this gentle acknowledgment of her presence was just a neat little reminder for all of us that she is there.) When I was at Luther, he often talked about how we should stress a certain note not by punching it but rather like we were stroking the back of a cat. As a dog person both then and now, I prefer the Shelby image, but either way it sure makes a difference. But it’s funny- for as much as Kathy and I love our own golden retrievers, Ellie and Bobbi, and think of them almost like family- it’s clear that music has absolutely NO effect on them whatsoever. It’s as though that’s an entire universe entirely beyond their comprehension and music is one of the things which helps define the difference between us and our furry friends. But how fun that the dogs and other creatures among us can be an inspiration for us – and a guide for us – as we make music. And of course a gentle dog can teach us a lot about a lot of things. (Okay, so can cats.)
This came at the end of an incredibly hectic day in which I felt like I spent half the afternoon on my cell phone, putting out fires. . . What could be more soothing than a quiet, beautiful dog at one’s feet?