Barrett, the youngest Angel in the Choir

Barrett, The Youngest Angel in the Choir

Introduction:

Twice a year the Primary prepared for a concert program to be performed for the entire congregation during Sacrament meeting. The Christmas program was always an annual highlight, with many visitors in attendance. The children began to practice during their Primary Sunday meetings, many weeks in advance. Oftentimes the leaders of the Primary would add actions to be used to accompany the words, which had 2 advantages, it provided a means to keep the children engaged and it gave the members of the congregation additional reasons to appreciate the performance.

Barrett was the youngest child in the primary choir, being only 3 years old. This Christmas would be his first performance having just graduated from nursery. His infectious smile, rosy cheeks, long curly brown hair, and large blue eyes made him a favorite of the Nursery leaders. He was always enthusiastic, attentive and obedient to all of their instructions. You could often hear them whisper to each other, “oh, isn’t he the cutest! or isn’t he the best little boy!”

The Primary soon found out about Barrett.

Part 1

The first Sunday to practice for the Christmas program was also Barrett’s first Sunday in Primary. Barrett’s smile was in full evidence as he was shown where to sit in his Sunbeam class by his proud Father. He had no fear at all as he joined the other 3-year-olds in their front row sitting in front of the older children. Barrett was overjoyed to be joining his older brother and sister in Primary and to be one of the big kids. Barrett was loved by his family and they were especially proud of him.

The Primary music leader Sister Swan, was a very patient and kind woman that loved music. She had been a high school choir director in her younger years. Her love of music was driven by the effect that the Primary choir had on the audience.  The Primary choir included all of the boys and girls ages 3 through 11. She loved to see the hand waving as the children waved to their parents and family members competing to recognize their little ones first, pointing out their little boy or girl when they were spotted. The Primary choir Christmas performance was always the highlight of the year and she was thrilled when the little voices combined into a beautiful chorus that brought tears to the eyes of the congregation.

Barrett knew the first song, Joy to the World already; his family sang this hymn many times throughout the season, and then some, every year. He had been singing the whole first verse from memory since before he was 2 years old. (This was one of the of the main reasons his family was sure that he was a genius, and clapped their hands whenever Barrett sang it.) He was proud of knowing the words, and when Sister Swan announced the first hymn to be practiced, Barrett exclaimed out loud that he knew the words to that song! Sister Swan smiled and said she was very happy that he knew the words to Joy to the World.

When they started to sing, Barrett sang with enthusiasm, as loud as he could, so that everyone could hear that he knew the words. He was so cute, and many of the adults attending smiled during his performance, but not Sister Swan. Barrett sang so loudly, he was practically yelling. Worst of all you couldn’t hear any of the other young children. And to top it all off; Barrett couldn’t sing! Sister Swan smiled patiently as they practiced the song and the actions, as she thought of the colossal disaster the Christmas program would be if Barrett was allowed to shout out the words, out of tune, while the other children sang during the performance.

Afterwards Sister Swan explained her concerns about Barrett to the Primary leaders. They understood, they really did.  They also wanted this year’s performance to be special and touching. They had never had anyone with so much enthusiasm and that had been so off-key. It wasn’t amusing to any of them, that Barrett was so loud, drowning out all of the other children. Sister Swan agreed to talk to the parents, to see if they could work at home with Barrett before next week.

Barrett’s parents couldn’t understand what the problem was. They responded to Sister Swan by telling her about how cute Barrett was, how he knew all of the words to Joy to the World, and wasn’t it great that he was doing so well. It was amazing that he was the youngest child in all of Primary. Sister Swan agreed, and went home mystified as to what to do.

At home she talked it over with her husband, who was glad that she asked him for his advice, but as usual, she found that his ideas about children, just wouldn’t work. But even if it seemed to be a waste of time to ask him about any potential solutions, she did come up with an idea while he was talking. She said, “thanks honey for trying to help, but I think I’ve got an idea of what to do.”

The next week Sister Swan made Barrett the chairman of the actions or gestures that were used by the children in timing with the words that were sung. She had him come down from the stage and stand on the pew next to her (so the children could see him), turn-around and face the boys and girls and lead them in the actions…while not singing. Sister Swan's assistant guided Barrett's arms during the song to teach him how to lead. Barrett was actually very happy to lead everyone in the Christmas hymn’s actions. The solution worked! Even Mom and Dad were happy, their boy was the chairman of the actions!

So that was how it happened that Barrett was chairman of the actions for the next 9 years, never singing again in another Primary program at church.

Part 2

After Barrett turned 12, he graduated from Primary and joined the youth, the young men and young women, for their meetings. By default, he became part of their youth choir that also sang every Christmas, after all it was a tradition. At the first practice, the young men and women found out their song that year was to be, yes that’s right, Joy to the World. Barrett sang at that first practice as loudly as he ever had in Primary (and yes, whenever Barrett performed at home, his family still clapped for their youngest child) and he was just as much off-key. The youth had a different Choir director, Sister Prudence. The youth didn’t practice as much as the Primary, because most of the youth already knew the words of the most popular Christmas hymns and there were no actions. Consequently, Barrett was out of a job.

Sister Prudence approached Barrett after that first practice and asked “Barrett, do you have a few minutes so that we could talk about our Choir’s performance?”

Barrett beamed as he thought that this year would be his first chance to sing in the annual Christmas program, and said, “sure, what’s up Sister Prudence.”

She explained, “Barrett, the words to this hymn, Joy to the World, are very important, maybe these words are some of the most important words of any hymn, don’t you agree?” 

“You bet, that’s why this is my favorite hymn!”

“Then you know the part about that the saints and the angels sing together the words ‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King! Let every heart prepare him room?”

“I sure do. I have had those words memorized my whole life! The first verse is especially awesome!”

“That’s true Barrett.  In the first verse we learn, I believe, that Jesus Christ is the Joy given to the world, and that all angels, and all of the saints sing together that they recognize Jesus as their Lord and King and make room for Him to rule and reign in their hearts. Do you understand what that means?”

“I think so. We are the saints and they are the angels, and together we recognize Jesus as Lord and King”

“That’s right. Do you know why that is important?”

“Well, let me see, I’m not really sure,” said Barrett as he sat down, rubbing his forehead and looking bewildered.

“Because Jesus is our Lord and King, that makes us His servants,” explained Sister Prudence. “When we recognize ourselves as His servants, we understand our relationship to Him. We understand that He is greater than us and our duty is to obey him just as the angels do. If we learn obedience now, we will be accepted to live with the angels in Heaven that also obey Him. Then we will all be united in this life and united with the saints and angels in Heaven forever.

Barrett brightened up, “I get it! We are obedient because we know He is our King, and at Christmas time we are so happy about it, we want to sing about it!”

“That’s right. So, when we sing, we think about the words, and when we think about the words, we want to sing with others so that they also can think about the words, those in the choir and in the congregation. We want to sing the best we can so that we show God we love him and the spirit can teach everyone while they are singing.”

“I know, that’s why I sing as loud as I can, because I am so happy and I love God so much!”

“Barrett, it is more important that the spirit helps others to feel the spirit, to think about the words, and be happy, than we sing more loudly than everyone else. If we think about the words and we know they are true in our heart, our music is beautiful to our King, and it doesn’t have to be louder than everyone else. God will know that we love Him, and that we have made room for Him as our King in our heart and that we want to be obedient to Him.”

“I never thought of it that way before, thanks, that is just perfect!” exclaimed Barrett. “I am going to sing so that everyone can be touched by the spirit so that they can make room for their King in their heart and be obedient to him.”

When Barrett sang with the youth during their Christmas program that year, his voice was beautiful and a joy to listen to, as he blended his voice with the choirs. His heart had been touched. He had learned that it wasn’t the volume that mattered. What mattered most was if his heart was His, if he was His servant, then his voice was beautiful indeed.