I just came from a night out with my choir friends. It was a belated celebration of Jonavie's birthday on Jan. 16. Our shared interests? Choral singing, good food and reminiscing 'bout old times.

We go a long way and we hope to go a longer way still. Earlier this evening in one of the biggest malls in Asia, five of us met again. Alex could not come for some reason and for a

Herbert, Naomi, Jonavie, me & Bong

moment that was a damper. We had fun taking pictures of ourselves together though. Some of us heavier, all of us definitely past our thirties but just the same, we gamely posed for photos to treasure.

Herbert and Bong, whom the former brought along to our group years ago as its latest member, and Jonavie are all from the Our Lady of Grace Choir, the parish choir of Our Lady of Grace for decades before its members left to serve in another church.

Our neighbor in Caloocan, Mrs. Dely Zubieta, asked me to join the parish choir when I was about thirteen. She sang with the group and I went to audition one night. After my rendition of Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal, I was accepted as a member. I looked around me and felt daunted by the strange faces before me. I looked for someone about my age but found none. The choir consisted mostly of married people and college-age kids. So even with the encouragement of Mrs. Zubieta, I left the rehearsal that night with the certainty that I would never come back. I was too shy and had felt so awkward before the more sophisticated older girls I had seen there.

Years later, I would regret that decision. By then, I had joined Barangay Choir, that was touted to be one choir to beat in the barangayan, a chorale contest among the barangays. Most of its members were offshoots of the parish choir like Mrs. Zubieta. This choir sang every Sunday at 6 P.M. at the Our Lady of Grace.

My voice joined others in singing liturgical songs for nine years. And when I left the choir because I was experiencing a personal crisis, there was a void that was left in my soul that only songs of praise and thanksgiving to God could fill. Later, when I was already married, I had joined other choirs but stayed rather briefly for various reasons. I had started serving as lector and commentator in another church, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Project 4, Quezon City but the times as a commentator when I led the congregation in singing could never compare to the joy I had felt when my voice was soaring on a choral high note.

When I got home, it was about midnight. One of the first things that I told my partner Tony was that I would be singing with a choir again. Herbert, as the incumbent president of Our Lady of Grace Choir, invited me to sing with them regularly at Saint Michael Church at Don Antonio Royale near Commonwealth. I said yes after Herbert assured me that I could sing most of their songs. Jonavie who used to sing with the choir at Our Lady of Grace Church sings with the altos for them and Omie occasionally lends her voice to the sopranos. Omie is from the Fugue Antiphony Choir that Ronnie Pasajol formed in 1986 with me and Jimmy Chua in tow to assist in the auditions.

I love hearing chorale singing and I love singing in a choir. On Sunday, around 10 A.M., I will be singing with Our Lady of Grace Choir again. Though most of the original members have moved on to other things and only about nine are regularly serving now, Herbert's presence is a sign that the choir is as solid as ever. The Carlos' and Anupols' contribution to chorale singing is the legacy that he will pass on to others who are willing to serve God in song.

As for me, I have assured Tony, that it would only take a few hours off of my Sunday. Besides, the church was not very far. How could it be far when I know that when I go, I would be home at last...singing in a choir.

written on Jan 19 2009, lifted from Translucence by Mae Ann, my friendster blog