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New Credit Card Valley of Cleveland
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Scottish Rite Chorus Notes! By Chester Willey, Jr.-- Director of Music Scottish Rite Chorus Officers
As this is written, our Fall 2002 reunion has come and gone, and what an interesting reunion it was!! Interesting, that is, in the sense of the ancient Chinese saying, "May you live in interesting times." It has never yet been quite determined if the phrase "interesting times" is a blessing or a curse! We have all enjoyed - and relied upon - the musical artistry of organist Rev. Gary Streiff to enhance the ritualistic presentation of our degrees, and keep the Chorus together. Unfortunately, this time we didn't have him there with us, due to the death of his mother in Wisconsin a few days before the Reunion. While our thoughts and prayers were with Gary and his family, Time stops for no man, and for the Scottish Rite Mason, the Time is always NOW! And we had a reunion to do, and candidates to instruct, and it all had to be done. I have done a certain amount of yapping in these pages about Masonic Leadership, and it is at times such as these that the true Masonic Leaders in the Valley of Cleveland, and the breadth and depth of our resources, come to the forefront. Everyone involved rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The degree directors for all of the degrees involving the Chorus were made aware of the situation, and advised the Officers in charge on the floor - many of them in their roles for the first time - that all would not be as expected, and to work with it - and they did. A call was made to Sublime Prince Paul Shellhammer, who has played frequently for many Lodges, and he was willing (and able!) to provide the necessary "walking-around music" for the degrees done in Masonic Auditorium. The degree directors provided prompters for him to keep him on track with the ritualistic presentations, in some cases releasing cast members to perform other such duties on short notice. One of those taken away from floor duties was Chorister Richard Phillips who, besides playing the trumpet for the 32nd degree, played an electronic keyboard (a generous gift from Most Wise Master of Ariel Chapter Alan Jones, and set up by Jim Langmead and Jack Hall, significant Masonic Leaders all) so that the Chorus had pitches to start their numbers with - although we sang without our usual accompaniment from the big organ in the loft. And what words can describe the leadership qualities exhibited by the members of our Scottish Rite Chorus, whose performance at this reunion was a revelation to many who have been attending these reunions for years! They sang so well, and so beautifully in tune, and the fact that they did so without accompaniment, which often covers up their beautiful singing, was noted by many present, who said "Maybe they ought to sing without accompaniment all the time! - they sound so good!" They sounded so good because each one of them, individually and collectively, took charge and did their part - just like a Masonic Leader should. They could not have succeeded at this reunion if we did not have a 50+-year tradition of musical excellence to draw from, and it is at times such as these that the hard work they put in year in and year out, for all that time, comes out in front. Unfortunately, this year we had to do our hardest, most difficult work without the active participation of the man who maintained the Chorus for 35 of those 50+ years, Ill... Marvin J. Price, Director Emeritus of the Chorus, and that brings us to another aspect of Masonic Leadership. For many years, the "Den Mother" of the Scottish Rite Chorus was Marvin's lovely wife Alice. Masons are always "seekers after Light", and Alice certainly brought Light and Life into every room she occupied. In the midst of everything else that happened during the reunion, our beloved Alice departed this life on November 21, 2002, and her memorial service was held after the Reunion on Saturday, November 30th. It was well attended by the membership and leadership of the Valley, as both Marvin and Alice deserved - they have well earned our respect and praise. Several of us - too many of us - have been where Marvin is now, and it is not an easy place, as I well know. If it had not been for the men of Euclid Lodge and the Scottish Rite Chorus, when I lost my beloved Marsha just over 5 years ago, I would never have made it as far as I have. I am at least 30 years younger than Marvin, and logically should be that much stronger, more able to cope. However, no one in this world could have borne up under such a devastating loss with better dignity and grace than did Ill. Marvin J. Price. Of all the many facets of Masonic Leadership we saw this week, his was the greatest - especially when viewed in the light and warmth of the memory of his beloved Alice. And so, in this Holiday season of Hanukkah and Ramadan and Christmas and Kwanzaa, we have much to mourn and much to celebrate. We mourn the loss of Rev. Gary Streiff's mother, and of Ill... Marvin Price's wife Alice, and we celebrate the Chorus and the Valley of Cleveland having overcome the challenges of the Reunion, and that we have emerged the stronger for them. My younger son Jesse the Army Brat (did I remind you yet that he is the 1st Armored Division's Soldier of the Year for 2001?) has a favorite saying: "That which does not kill me makes me Stronger." May the Chorus and the Valley of Cleveland - and all regular Masons and their families - move "from Strength to Strength" in 2003 - so Mote it Be.
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