In elementary, I was a member of a children’s choir that performed only during Christmas. We were different from other choral groups in that we didn’t sing the usual Christmas carols. Instead, we performed a number that was almost 30 minutes long, complete with choreography that required a lot of stomping of the feet and prancing around.

The song was like a gozos, only that the stanzas were recited instead of sung. It was a narrative of the first Christmas, and we played the role of shepherds telling each other hey, come on, let’s follow that star and visit this child in a manger. What about the sheep? To hell with the sheep!

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I love judging choral contests because they are funny. Gone are the days when choir singing was a serious business reserved for the musically gifted. Today, anybody with the musical intelligence of a frog can join a choir for those mandatory daygon contests in schools or the workplace. It is fun, like Christmas should be.

I’m not talking about ‘professional’ singing groups. They are the type that win awards abroad but are seldom recognized at home. They are boring. When singers start forming a perfect ‘O’ with their mouths for that modulated vocal effect, you know they are faking it. Besides, when one starts singing for awards, the element of fun is gone.

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