Whew! We made it! We got through a very early Easter without going too crazy, pacing ourselves through the Sundays of Easter before the onslaught of major feasts: Ascension, Pentecost (and Confirmation in that same time frame), Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi.

But now we can Thank God It’s Ordinary Time! We can draw breath again. We musicians can actually take a look at our own lives and do some fence-mending, like spending time with family members who may have been feeling neglected. Like getting out in the neglected yard to trim and weed and mow. (Not fun, but it has to be done, or neighbors complain.) Like, ooh, having lunch with cherished colleagues to swap stories of seasonal horrors and triumphs. Like going to an actual movie with a friend, sitting in the dark, eating the ritual food. (Tip: 42 is an inspiring film.) Like doing something for no reason but fun. Recharging our batteries isn’t optional; it’s really the only way to longterm survival.

Wise pastors will allow their musicians time off from the regular job demands to compensate for the heavy demands of past weeks. (Pastors need time off, too.)

Some choirs disband for the summer; others continue, but with fewer rehearsals and simpler music. Some have an end-of-season choir party. (“Who’s got a pool?”)

It’s a good time to take a look at what else needs doing. Is the music filing up to date? Is the reprint license reporting up to date? Don’t try to do it all at once. Bite off reasonable bits (“Okay, I’ll file stuff for an hour”) then move on to something else.

TGIOT!

M.D. Ridge