How many verses?

Annie to me: How many verses of the Psalm?
(It's a long psalm)
Me: I don't know, we'll play it by ear.  Maybe 3.

Cut to mass as we're doing the psalm.  We get to the end of verse 3, and I'm thinking, "Wow, this is just as long as we thought it was."  Then I look into the congregation to try to read their mood, and I see a woman weeping.  4th verse it is!

I really like my job.

Value choices

It's funny, I find that I'm faced with making a basic choice between values here at Loyola: 1.) To make sure every "performance" is as high quality as possible, and 2.) Trying to include as many people as possible.  I've worked at other schools in other parts of the country, and I bet I would be making choice number 1. a lot more often at those places.  But one of those places was in New England, and it may have been more appropriate in that culture.  I don't know. It would be interesting going back there after having worked here in New Orleans.  It's about the culture here, too.  Also, even a "performance" (in quotes because I'm mostly talking about Catholic masses) that isn't quite "perfect" is still very good, because the students in the CMFA (College of Music and Fine Arts) are damn good! So when they're involved, it's going to be of a certain standard automatically.  But I do enjoy choosing more often than not to go out on a limb and invite people to participate who wouldn't automatically choose to - even if it means it might be under-rehearsed, or under-soundchecked, etc.  I hope my bosses agree!