Years ago, Sister Victricia chose seventh and eighth graders for the Kieler Immaculate Conception grade school choir. Miraculously, I was chosen. At rehearsals, however, whenever I sang, Sister stopped playing the piano and stared at me. My voice was changing. To survive her stares, I began to lip-sync long before I ever heard of it.
A positive thinking friend told me, “Maybe Sister was admiring your singing.” If so, why did she quit staring after I stopped singing? Dad often said that the Louisburg Langes can’t sing. Fr. Ron Lange, my missionary first cousin, agrees.
Perhaps this is a senile illusion, but now I think I can sing a little better at Mass. Because of old age, however, when celebrating Mass I often refrain from singing hymns that I don’t know to conserve my limited energy for parts that I proclaim and for the Gospel reading and homily.