CHRIST IS RISEN

Sunday, March 28, 2010 Today was ours and the Seventh Ward’s choir’s combined Easter program which went off very well. It all started when Judy and I ran into Fred and Chris (Christina) Finlinson in Costco a few months past. They used to be in our ward. We got talking and Judy (or was it Chris?) mentioned that it would be nice if our two wards could get together and do a combined program. The Finlinsons, and many members of their ward where in our ward prior to a realignment. Chris is now the choir director of their ward. Fred said, “I can arrange that. I am now the bishop of our ward.” One thing led to another and soon they were having meetings, picking out music and arranging a cellist and getting our Jim to play the flute. Judy played the harp for one hymn. That almost fell through when she cut her finger and got a blister on the end of another one; but she figured it out, persevered and made it work. We had many practices, sometimes combined and often in our respective wards, Judy leading ours and Chris, hers. Judy put in so much energy today, leading, that I wondered if she was going to collapse from exhaustion. Of the eight numbers, Judy led five and Chris led three. Judy played her harp for one of those. Today we sang in our ward first at nine a.m. then the seventh ward a one. One of the choir members from the other ward came up to Judy after the second performance and said how much he enjoyed singing under leadership. He asked her if she was a professional conductor, and Judy laughed. Nevertheless it made her feel really good. She has been conducting for over thirty years.