Just a Little More

I know you are getting tired of these piano stories, but I want to tell you just a little more. They say confession is good for the soul...

I also wrote my name on top of my face

The biggest reason I don't accompany groups is because of 7th grade choir. There were two of us who played well enough to accompany our Jr. High choir that year, me and Catherine. She was a favorite of the choir teacher and (in my somewhat biased opinion) she got all the good songs and I got all the hard ones.

I practiced and practiced for hours so that I wouldn't make any mistakes and still my fingers shook when it was my turn. I'm thinking the year was 1978 so I would have been about 13 years old. I was assigned a song that was written by the Carpenters, a group that was pretty popular back in the day.

I was ecstatic! The song was difficult but doable and after several weeks I had it completely mastered and mostly memorized. I rarely missed a note during rehearsals and was looking forward to the upcoming concert. Catherine, however, was not happy. She was struggling with her song but eventually it came together and both of us were ready.

The night of the concert I was very nervous as I slid onto the piano bench. The lunchroom was filled to capacity with adoring parents. My friends were lined up on risers behind us. I played the introduction and they all began to sing.

All went well until about 10 measures from the end of the song. Wait, first let me say that I do not hold grudges and I have long since forgiven Catherine for her careless or deliberate behavior, I'm not sure which. But as we were heading into the final lines of the song, her page-turning left the song book on top of my hands on the piano keys.

There was a loud and gut-wrenching clatter of keys and the band teacher shot me (not her) a withering glare. She snatched the book away and after a couple of awkward attempts I finished the ending of the song by memory.

The following morning I tendered my resignation as choir pianist and from then on I was simply a member of the choir. And other than a brief stint on the organ at church, I have never really accompanied a group since.

Wow, I do sound a little bitter, don't I? Maybe I need to go practice some more...


Anybody know this song? It's called

"Top of the World" by the Carpenters.

Such a feelin's comin' over me
There is wonder in most everything I see
Not a cloud in the sky
Got the sun in my eyes
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream

Everything I want the world to be
Is now coming true especially for me
And the reason is clear
It's because you are here
You're the nearest thing to heaven that I've seen

I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world

Something in the wind has learned my name
And it's tellin' me that things are not the same
In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze
There's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me

There is only one wish on my mind
When this day is through I hope that I will find
That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me
All I need will be mine if you are here


I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world

*Hi, this is Prima Donna! I hope mom won't get mad for me putting this is in here but I didn't recognize the song until I listened to the tune.  I think our choir sang the chorus and a girl did a solo in elementary school because I know all the words to the chorus and I'm remembering it slightly. I should probably look for a program in my scrapbook.*