choral


If you can make one heap of all your winnings


And risk it on one turn of pitch-and- toss,


And lose, and start again at your beginnings


And never breathe a word about your loss;


If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew


To serve your turn long after they are gone,


And so hold on when there is nothing in you


Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on;”


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,


Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch;


If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;


If all men count with you, but none too much;


If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds worth of distance run –


Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,


And – which is more – you’ll be a Man my son!


Members of the ensemble sang this in- spiring text with pride in their demeanor, beautiful, blended tone quality, impec- cable diction, ringing, balanced chords and sensitive interpretation. It was everything an adjudicator and an audience could ask for. It was a moving and emotional expe- rience for me to listen and watch them! The look of satisfaction glowed on their faces as they hugged their accompanist at the end of their performance during the rousing applause from the audience. This accompanist was also the choral director and her fine teaching was very apparent in the ensemble’s outstanding performance and these young men realized that it was her who made the difference in their choral music education.


Experiences such as these must certainly have an impact on the lives of both the performers and their audience. The


Wisconsin School Musician 25


wonderful work of this school’s choral director, and every excellent music teacher around our great state and country, will surely make music last a lifetime. Look to the text of Kipling’s “If” to find inspira- tion and “Hold on!” Give your students something to be proud of and something to enjoy for the rest of their lives. You and choral music make the difference in many lifetimes.


Reference:


Kipling, Rudyard. “If,” Rewards and Fairies. Doubleday, Page and Company, 1916. p.181.


Lynn Seidl teaches music at Luxemburg Casco Middle School.


Email: lseidl@luxasco.k12.wi.us


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