All my life I've been intrigued by choral music: church choirs, school choirs, barbershop quartets, stage musicals, Gilbert & Sullivan, community chorales. I met my wife of almost 38 years at a rehearsal of the Portland Choral Arts Society. There have been a few times when either what I heard, or had been part of creating, generated an uncontrolled emotional response. That perfect phrase ? balanced, on pitch, resonant with combined human voices -- causes a feeling of awe to sweep through me like a wave. Tears in my eyes, my heart in a constricted throat ? it is as if a bucket of love has been poured over me. This emotion is not something that should occur while performing as it is impossible to sing, and one can barely speak.
Since 1995 my wife Christine has directed the Washington County Children's Chorus, 30+- kids from age 7 thru high school. It was at a Chorus recording session about 10 years ago that I had a love bucket relapse. I was by "the stage" at Centre Street Congregational Church UCC in Machias with the sound technician who was making final adjustments to his equipment. The WCCChorus was warming up a piece entitled "Holiday Reflection." As they neared the end I realized that something remarkable was happening. When the final harmonic chords faded in the big room everyone stood in shocked silence. My wife turned to look at me. She had heard it, too. The kids looked at me. The bucket of love emptied. On the verge of crying with happiness I managed to squeak out, "That is one of the reasons I love you so much." My name is Douglas Guy from Marshfield, Maine, and this is how music moves me.