Faith: Sing Your Way Home

“Sing your way home at the close of the day.

Sing your way home. Drive the shadows away.

Smile every mile, for wherever you roam,

It will lighten your load, it will brighten your road, as you sing your way home.”

I love this song from my childhood. I taught it in my music classes and sang it with my children. I find singing one of the great joys of my life, and plan to keep singing all the way to my heavenly home.

However, the pandemic has been especially hard for singers. Singing seems to spread COVID, so no singing, masked singing (No fun), no chance to hear others singing. Choir rehearsals and concerts cancelled, No singing in church, schools or other places. Sad.

When singing in public began to happen again, I was horrified to discover that my friendly singing voice had not yet returned from its vacation. It creaked and cracked and I couldn’t sing formerly comfortable notes. I wasn’t using it, so I had been losing it.

Choir directors everywhere were discovering that their choirs needed some rehab. This year, the Mat-Su Messiah Choir (volunteer singers performing in the valley since 1990) is—hooray—planning a performance for this December. Key concern for organizers: get everyone using their voices. Sing. Lots.

Despite the ravages of COVID, however, I noticed that my daughter’s lovely soprano voice was intact—I heard it whenever we washed dishes together. She sang through her favorites from the 1940’s, and sometimes we would sing rounds. She smilingly confessed that sometimes she wanted even more dishes, because she was having so much fun singing as she scrubbed.

I knew I needed to rejuvenate my voice, so I decided that milking time was the perfect opportunity—daily, to a patient audience. So I began crooning to Maybell as she chomped, and I led her to and from pasture singing children’s songs, hymns, and some occasional Italian warm-ups. Sometimes I printed off the words to help me sing every verse.

As the months have stretched into years, I have tried to memorize more hymns to sing in the barn. However, I’ve noticed that the hymns don’t stay in the barn. I find myself humming them all day. Musical phrases of praise, pleading, reverence, and gratitude provide a welcome backdrop to my daily life. They become an inward prayer throughout my day.

One recently-memorized hymn I found particularly beautiful: Jesus Savior Pilot Me. Known also as the Sailor’s Hymn, it was written by Edward Hopper, a humble minister to a New York congregation that included many seamen, often considered a rough-and tumble crew. It is full of nautical references, probably in an effort to create meaningful parables for his beloved parishioners: “Chart and compass came from thee, Wondrous Sovereign of the Sea, Jesus Savior, pilot me.” Hopper published the hymn anonymously, and John Gould, a local music teacher, set it to music, unknown to Hopper. Seven years later, when Mr. Hopper shared his poem in a public forum, he was surprised that it was known, and even sung by many in the audience. This is Hopper’s only surviving hymn.

Warren Shiver, of the Courier-Tribune (2016/09/08), shares this sweet story from a Major D.W. Whittle about the power of this hymn:

“I went with General O.O. Howard to hold meetings for the soldiers at Tampa, Fla., and one day while going through the camp I found a young man dying of fever. I knelt by his side and asked him if he was a Christian. He replied that he was not, but said that his father and mother were Christians; and he asked me to pray for him. I did so, but no deep impression was made upon his heart. I went away with a sorrowing heart and promised to return another day.

“Two days later I visited him again and, praying with him, the Lord put into my mind to sing, ‘Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me.’ The dying soldier said: ‘Oh, that sounds good; it puts me in mind of my beloved sister in Michigan, who used to sing this hymn for me before I entered the army.’

“He wanted me to repeat it over and over again for him, and finally he asked: ‘Will Jesus be my pilot into the haven of rest?’

“I told the young man that Jesus would. Then, he said, ‘I will trust him with all my heart.’

“The next day I called to see him again, but his comrade said: ‘He passed away during the night.’ “

A song accompanied him on his way home. Hymns such as this one lighten my load, brighten my road, and point me toward Home as well.

Kristin Fry is a local amateur musician who loves to sing in The Messiah whenever she gets the chance. Would you like participate in the Messiah performance? All are welcome! See the Mat-Su Messiah Facebook page for rehearsal and performance dates, times and information. The more the merrier! Kristin is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.