We entered our first community performance not on a wave of momentum, but with measured determination. Our chorus is small, and the weeks leading up to the event had been riddled with absences – deserved, but still absences – illness, travel and more. You might just say: life.
Even in our final rehearsals, we felt a little shaky. I secretly wondered if we’d pull it off.
But as the music began, something shifted. The rough edges softened. The notes met in mid-air and landed in harmony. Suddenly, what Southern A’Chord Harmony had was enough. More than enough.
That evening, the weather didn’t do us any favors. Wind had been whipping through the streets, and rain made a forceful appearance within a couple of hours of the performance. Still, people showed up. Friends. Supporters. Fellow music lovers. Some who knew us; some who didn’t. They came and sat in the chairs, expectant and gracious, and we sang – not perfectly, but with heart. Maybe that’s what mattered most.
Because folks had every reason to stay home that night – the bad weather, busy lives, even just the lure of comfort. But they didn’t. That speaks to the deep-down hunger we all have for beauty, connection and maybe even a little surprise. About how music, even from a brand-new group with barely a dozen singers, can be reason enough to venture out on a windy, thundery evening.
Afterward, people told us we sounded really good – and not just the polite kind of “good.” They leaned in and said it again, with emphasis. A charter member of another longtime local a cappella group made a point to say so, and that meant a lot.
One listener, who’s heard both the larger chorus many of us previously sang with and our new, smaller group, told us she thinks we sound even better now. That was never really our aim – comparison – but it was a generous compliment, and we received it with gratitude.
Because really, we weren’t out to impress. We just wanted to sing well enough to share something honest and moving. Something that connected.
On a personal note (ha – a personal note), I had a small solo baritone part in a couple of the songs, and just before the first one came up, my voice began to falter. As usual in Louisiana in July, it had been a long, humid day, and we’d set up the chairs and tables ourselves just a short time earlier. I could feel my throat getting dry and raspy. My notes weren’t sitting where they usually do.
I took a sip of water, whispered a prayer and hoped for the best. It wasn’t my strongest delivery, but it held. And again, it was enough.
I learned something that night. Sometimes what we think are shortcomings turn out to be the very places where something meaningful begins. The places where people step in, where support shows up, where grace – not the formal kind, but the quiet kind – fills the gaps. When that happens, it humbles you. It lifts you. It changes you a little.
That realization reminds me of a favorite verse: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” – 2 Corinthians 12:9.
We didn’t bring perfection, but we brought ourselves. Our best efforts, our vulnerable nerves, our desire to create something together. Truthfully, that was enough.
Southern A’Chord is just beginning. We’re still finding our voice, still learning how to breathe together, how to blend. But if this performance is any indication, we’re off to a promising start – not just musically, but relationally.
It’s a gift to stand in a circle of women and trust that your note matters, even when it feels small. It’s a gift to share that music with others.
So, no, we weren’t flawless. But there was a sense of wholeness. The whole night felt real – and for me, that’s a harmony worth holding onto.
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Sallie Rose Hollis lives in Ruston and retired from Louisiana Tech as an associate professor of journalism and the assistant director of the News Bureau. She can be contacted at sallierose@mail.com.
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