Blessed are they who love the voice of the singing assembly;
          the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Blessed are they who show up prepared and on time;
          they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who themselves keep learning;
          they will never grow stale.
Blessed are they who are patient and kind to beginners;
          they will reap many benefits.
Blessed are they who are well organized;
          they will not lose as much music.
Blessed are they who rarely cancel rehearsal, rain or shine;
          their choir members will be ever-faithful.
Blessed are they who tune their instruments before rehearsal begins;
          their director will rejoice in them.
Blessed are they who discourage gossip;
          they will be called peacemakers.
Blessed are they who allow adequate time to rehearse a new piece;
          their singers will be grateful.
Blessed are they who gently stretch their choirs’ horizons;
          their reward will be slow but solid progress.
Blessed are they who practice before rehearsal;
          they will communicate confidence.
Blessed are they who schedule time off for themselves;
          they will stay sane. (Well, relatively.)
Blessed are they who empower their volunteers,
          and give them the tools they need to succeed;
          they will be rewarded with growth.
Blessed are they who love the voice of the singing assembly;
          the kingdom of heaven is theirs. (It’s well worth repeating!)