Postcard #6

“It was magical.” –Faith Veikle, music teacher in Burnaby

Primary Days of Music is a wonderful annual event in the Burnaby School District where all the participating Grade 2 and 3 students gather and sing eight Mass selections, and perform two songs from their respective schools. It was my school’s turn today at the Primary Days of Music. I chose a song called “All I Do Is Work” which is a partner song with “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” The other song I chose was “Moon River.”
Learning ten different songs and rehearsing them to have the songs memorized is not easy. It is a lot of work for me, and also a lot of work for the students.
Young students never cease to amaze me. How they are able to learn new melodies and words mostly by listening and copying, it’s truly remarkable. When I see the glowing eyes of those singers and how much they are enjoying the singing, I know I’m doing the right thing, and doing the right job for me.
When it was our school’s turn to present our two songs, I was so proud of the way they conducted themselves and how beautifully they sang, especially on “Moon River.” The pleasant sounds of the young voices singing such a lyrical song, it really was magical; our coordinator of Primary Days of Music, Faith, said after the song was over. I could really visualize the moonlight sparkling on the flowing river. Pure innocent voices of young children singing together, it is definitely one of the most magical sounds of our time. I am so proud and honored to be directing them.