This past weekend, I’ve been mostly holed up in my condo, working on my computer on a program booklet for the Hawaii Chapter, American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). I know, I know, I’m not even a member of this organization (!) so why am I doing this?

You’ll recall that in July of this year, Carl and I were invited to lunch at Wanda Gereben‘s apartment, along with some other people whom I called the “power brokers” of choral music in Hawaii. The purpose of the luncheon was to discuss an event coming up on October 18th called “The Big Sing,” which will celebrate fifty years of choral music in Hawaii. (See my post, “50 Years of Choral Music in Hawaii.”) The event planners hope that as many people as possible who have ever sung in a choir in Hawaii will come together and sing in a ginormous, massed choir. There will be a bunch of directors each conducting one piece, as well as a bunch of accompanists. (I’ll give you one guess as to the identity of one of the organists!)

Well, now I’ll give you three guesses as to whose arm has been twisted to type the program!  The program booklet contains a listing of all the choral organizations over the past fifty years, their directors, both deceased and now active, and even a partial listing of all the major choral works performed here. And the booklet contains all the choral music which will be sung, including a hymn (Praise to the Lord; Lobe den Herren), a round (Dona nobis pacem), a barbershop quartet, an American folk song (Shenandoah), a patriotic song (America the Beautiful), a couple of Hawaiian songs, Lux aeterna from John Rutter’s Requiem, a gospel piece, two opera choruses, a piece by the late John McCreary, and even a Bach chorale (that’s my piece!) The whole shebang will end with the Hallelujah Chorus by Handel. (In case you’re wondering, the music is either in the public domain, or has been given special copyright permission to be reprinted for this one event only.)

And get this: the souvenir program “booklet” is 80 pages long! What a huge project and am I ever a glutton for punishment!

But for nothing else, you ought to come for the roll call of the departed choral directors, accompanied by handbells. Yes, our dear Carl Crosier‘s name will be read, along with names of other beloved choir directors who are now singing in the heavenly choir.