Tonight was Kenosha Unified’s annual Choral Festival, which is an amazing feast of singing featuring the combined forces of every high school and middle school in the district- each of which gets their own “solo” moment in the spotlight as well as the thrill of joining forces in a roof-rattling finale.  I always play for Polly’s Tremper choirs,  and tonight I also played for the Lincoln Middle School Choir,  which Polly was guest conducting because their regular director has been out of commission due to health reasons.  It was neat to watch Polly in her inimitable way lavish just the right kind of firm affection on these youngsters- to let them know that they were in good hands and that she believed in them – but also that she in no way was trying to replace their regular director except for this special occasion.  She handled it just right and they responded beautifully.    And in the last song before the concert’s grand finale, Polly’s top Tremper choir blew the roof off of the place with Moses Hogan’s amazing “Music Down In My Soul,”  which required me to get about as musically rowdy as I ever get.  It was so fun-  and right after that,  Polly was publicly acknowledged as the 2010 KUSD high school teacher of the year, which inspired a huge ovation.

An equally moving moment for me, however, came while I was nothing more than an interested spectator.  It was the performance of the Lance Middle School Choir of John Lennon’s “Let it Be.”  As the group was introduced,  master-of-ceremonies Robert Wells announced that tonight was the 30th Kenosha choral festival for Lance’s director, Judy Kirby.  And I suddenly and surprisingly found myself with this big lump in my throat, thinking about what 30 years in this business represents….  all of the young people Judy has nurtured, prodded,  comforted,  and inspired over those three decades.   And that’s thirty years in the trenches.  Middle school can be a tremendously gratifying arena in which to work- but it’s also fraught with the kind of frustrations that can drive choir directors to leap off of cliffs.   And even when all is going well,  my sense is that middle school students need SO much from their directors  – so much guidance and mothering/fathering and even policing- and unless you have a deep reservoir of love and passion and patience and perseverance, it’s the kind of work that can drain you dry.

Which is why I find myself tipping my hat in admiration bordering on utter awe at someone like Judy Kirby,  who has been at this for thirty years and whose flame seems not to be flickering in the least.   I had the best seat in the house tonight for “Let it Be,”  standing directly behind the choir- which meant that I essentially had the same view of Judy as her students did. . .  and I had such fun watching her lead her young singers through this classic song.  Here’s a bit of interesting irony for you: her first Choral Festival would have been 1980, which happens to be the year that John Lennon was shot and killed.  Then as now,  the world is still trying to take in the powerful truth of these lyrics and what they say about the mysterious and wondrous ways in which life can unfold for us and how we are sustained through the tough times.    But for me and I suspect for a lot of people in this audience tonight, Judy Kirby herself and the exemplary work she had done over these many years thrillingly embody John Lennon’s lyrics:

And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me.  . .shine until tomorrow, let it be . . .  I wake up to the sound of music. . .

 

pictured above:  Judy Kirby conducts her choir in “Let it Be.”