Hello friends.

Every musician had one experience or the in the course of his or her development. I'm glad to share a bit of mine.

In Nigeria, West Africa, I used to attend church service with my mum in my home town Presbyterian Church as a young boy.  The church was built like a cross. I could not see the choir because, first, they usually sat at the left hand corner  of the cathedral. Secondly, I was too small to see them as adults always blocked me. I only did whenever they processed into the church, then I say them dress in beautiful robes and sang melodious songs. I can still remember in nostalgia such songs as "I've reached the land of corn and wine...O Beulah land", etc, and how their harmonies gave me some palpitations.

Then I was just about ten. In our Presbyterian church, children were supposed to be in the children's Sunday School. Often times, the church warden used to snatch me away from my mum's side and take me forcibly to the children's church amid cries,I always struggled with him, and sometimes I still ran back because I was scared of the cane wielding Sunday school teacher.  My main interest was the choir.

One day, I decided I was going to join this somewhat mysterious choir. After church service, I went into the corner where they usually sat and saw them having a meeting. They were on mufti..I  sat with them. My elder sister was then in the choir. Even though they were mostly youths, I was obviously too little for the adult choir. But I got to find out when they came for rehearsals etc.  Surprisingly, The choirmaster didn't chase me away.

I sang 'treble' and soon became the best treble (mezzo soprano) according to the choirmaster. Each time we were putting on our robes before procession into the service, there was no robe that could size me! They were all too large. My elder sister, Rose used to look for one of them, pull it up and tie it up with her head gear, then cast the upper tonic upon it. No one ever knew!  I enjoyed singing in my first choir. They gave me the first foundation in music which stirred up my childhood musical talent.

Would you allow children sing in the adult choir today?