Something Whispered . . .

Weather vane
United Methodist Church
September 2015
While walking last week, a melody and some lyrics surfaced from long ago - a memory from 1967 or 68 and a time when I sang in the high school choir. The school's music teacher was Clayton Arnold, a man who loved music and loved teaching choir and band. His wife Sammy was the accompanist for the choral performances as well the one who often came to the classroom to play while Mr. Arnold instructed and worked with the various choir sections. Mr. Arnold was demanding, and the results were phenomenal for a small school. One year the choir was recorded on reel to reel tape, and a small record was produced, basically unheard of in those days. I still have that record.

The song that popped into my head and prompted by the weather forecast was "Something Told the Wild Geese."

Something Told the Wild Geese
by
Rachel Field

Something told the wild geese
It was time to go,
Though the fields lay golden
Something whispered, "snow."

Leaves were green and stirring,
Berries, luster-glossed,
But beneath warm feathers
Something cautioned, "frost."

All the sagging orchards
Steamed with amber spice,
But each wild breast stiffened
At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly,
Summer sun was on their wings,
Winter in their cry.
Thursday morning
November 17, 2016
The weatherman and my long-lasting memory were correct . . . 

the storm hit with force Wednesday night
 and continued throughout the day on Thursday. 

The whisper became a shout, "Winter is here!"


Comments

  1. Music is powerful, and the influence of a good teacher enduring. Hope you stay warm. We got rain here, but the temps are still too high for snow.

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  2. What a pretty weather vane and I like the song/poem as well. How much snow did you receive (as though it is a gift or something...)? We had some sleet/snow Saturday night and cold temps, but I reckon nothing like what you saw!

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  3. Such beautiful lyrics! We had the snow on Friday and are expecting sleet and snow again tonight. I don't mind winter, except when I have to travel in bad weather. And I do hate shoveling so I'm thankful when my hubbie is around to run the snowblower.

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  4. Beautiful...love that weather vane!! We had one from PA we have bought at an Amish Farm...It was left back on our Acreage home... I don't like that snow picture...brrr:))))) I started that dishcloth...am enjoying making it!!

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  5. It did the same thing to our windows! Ours is not melting and I bet yours isn't either:)

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  6. I loved your choir story and the fact that you still have a copy of the recording. I once sang with a choir for a recording of Handel's Messiah. I dragged a copy around with me as we moved for years but have no idea where it is now. I wish I had it. Snow!! How can something so beautiful be so inconvenient and dangerous? I still love it though!

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  7. Nancy I love it when you tell a story. This one was just beautiful. I loved the song and I too remember some very good choir masters who turned our sows ears to silk purses

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  8. Wow, wow, wow! That's a LOT of snow. I hope you like snow. LOL

    The weather vane is adorable. Are they turtles???

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  9. walks tend to bring me memories too!!!! Love your recollection. Happy snow. We may get some tomorrow night.

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  10. What a lovely poem! When we think about it, there are so many amazing things that our Creator has done that we simply take for granted, like the geese and other creatures regarding migration. It boggles the mind. We can only bow in awe.

    What a fun memory of the record. We had a tough choir director, but after a concert we were always glad that he had brought out something worth listening to in that group of kids, and when the concert was over he always seemed very proud of us.

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  11. You are being downright poetic yourself! Love those dancing frogs. Now-a-days or at least 20 years ago when both of my kids sang in choirs, you can purchase cds but I bet now you just go download it from some site. We were blessed with a fabulous choir director for both of our kids. My son had a music scholarship to college for OPERA! He realized after 1 year there was no way he was going to take 3 different languages and learn how to play the piano. So he switched to economics. What? And, he does have a great job at the Dept. of Labor. FYI - I bought yarn for Hitchhiker!

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