My friend sang for years with a particular Episcopal church, where she
not only the soprano section leader in their all volunteer choir, but also
a frequent soloist. Last year, the choir started losing members -
including three of its section leaders (alto, tenor, bass). The vestry
agreed to come up with funds so they could attract *paid* replacements.
Do you think any of them even considered also funding the soprano section
leader position - i.e., so my friend could start getting paid, given the
other three section leaders were going to be paid? When the music
director suggested that they should consider this, the vestry members
seemed truly surprised. Why should they pay my friend, when she had always
been willing to do the job without remuneration? Well, the music director
seemingly prevailed- they agreed to give my friend an honorarium (not sure
if it's the same amount the other section leaders will get). However,
despite their agreement, and the hiring of the three paid section leaders,
she has yet to actually see any of this promised money.
Now she does, indeed, sing for the glory of God, and seems willing to
continue doing so without being reimbursed. I don't fault her for this.
But I *do* think there is something suspiciously UN-Christian about those
vestry members!
KM
who restricts her church work to "subbing", for which she *always* gets
paid, or to Christian Science churches, where she not only gets paid, but
doesn't have to go to rehearsals!
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My NEIL SHICOFF Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
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I sing hymns with my spirit,
but I also sing hymns with my mind.
- 1 Corinthians 14:15
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