Many, many years ago (though not in a galaxy far, far away), I spent ten years as a member of the Alaska Children’s Choir.
The founder and director for many of the years I was in the choir was Renda Horn, a wonderful, energetic woman with more life bottled up inside her than most other people I’ve ever known. She had a great love of both music and children, and was able to use these to corral a bunch of children into an internationally award winning children’s choir — and those of us in the choir were as fond of her as she was of us.
One year, probably around 1986 or ‘87, the choir went on tour through England. I don’t remember the full itinerary anymore, but I do have quite a few good memories of the trip; from exiting a station on the London Underground to emerge practically at the base of Big Ben and being able to gaze up at it glowing golden in the sunset on a sunny evening, to one of the other choir members accidentally pulling the handle off of a cathedral door and being momentarily panicked when my father (who was chaperoning the trip) reminded him of the “you break it, you buy it” rule.
My strongest memory of the trip, though, revolves around a single song. Our show-stopper piece that year was a song called “The Rhythm of Life” — fun lyrics, an upbeat tempo, and a gorgeous arrangement that made every part fun to sing had quickly made it a favorite, and we’d all become quite fond of ending our concerts with this number.
We’d been doing quite a few performances over the course of the trip, were nearing the end of our stay in England, and emotions had been running a bit high as looking forward to returning home battled with the excitement of visiting a foreign country. One of our final concerts was in a little church in some town (whose name I have long since forgotten), and somewhat unusually, was a short performance during the church service — it may be that Renda or one of the other choir members had relations in this town and was able to set up this special performance, though I’m not entirely sure.
We sang a short selection of the pieces in our repertoire and, as had become standard, ended with “The Rhythm of Life”. We were all arranged on the steps in front of the altar, and as the song progressed, the clouds that had been obscuring the sky that morning parted, sending warm golden light through the windows of the church. The church building itself seemed to be acoustically perfect, taking our voices and wrapping them around us and the congregation and on up into the rafters and beyond. Renda’s smile grew wider as she watched “her kids” give the performance of a lifetime that day. Her eyes started to glisten, and soon started to overflow with tears of pure joy in the moment — and by the end of the song, most of the choir had joined her (and I’m not at all ashamed to admit that nearly twenty years later, I’m getting a bit misty eyed reliving the memory as I write this down).
We got a standing ovation that day — no small feat, given the stereotypical British reserve combined with our performing in the midst of a C of E service — and while the choir has received many standing ovations over the years, in my mind that has always been, and always will be, the standing ovation.
Over the years, that song (and that day) has popped into my head from time to time, nearly always guaranteeing a smile, no matter what I’m doing. This morning I came across an incredibly clever ad from Guinness (6Mb QT .mov, linked to the right) that uses an arrangement of “The Rhythm of Life” as its music track. Noticing a few differences in the lyrics from what I’d learned, I went searching to see what I could find out about the song.
As it turns out, the original version of the song comes from the Bob Fosse musical “Sweet Charity” (first premiered in 1966, and currently running on Broadway — starring Christina Applegate), and is far different from the version I learned. Here’s a look at the lyrics of the two versions (thanks to this page, though I’m sure that there are some lyrics missing from the choral version):
| Sweet Charity version | Children’s choir version |
|---|---|
|
Daddy started out in San Francisco, And the voice said, “Brother, there’s a million pigeons And the rhythm of life is a powerful beat, To feel the rhythm of life, Daddy spread the gospel in Milwaukee, Daddy was the new sensation, got himself a congregation, Daddy was the new sensation, got himself a congregation, Flip your wings and fly to Daddy, Take a dive and swim to Daddy, Hit the floor and crawl to Daddy, And the rhythm of life is a powerful beat, To feel the rhythm of life, To feel the rhythm of life, Flip your wings and fly to Daddy, |
When I started down the street last Sunday, For the rhythm of life is a powerful beat, [come in on the second one] [come in on the third one] |
My best guess would be that at some point, someone recognized how fun this song could be for a choir to sing, but also realized that the original lyrics might not fly in all situations and altered them slightly to form a more “family-friendly” version.
Whatever the story behind the choral version is, I’m glad it’s out there, and I’m glad I got the chance to perform it.
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I too am a boy’s choir refugee. Although it was the NW Boy’s Choir and I never got to go anywhere. So, were you an alto or a soprano?
Over the years, pretty much everything, from soprano to bass (though that was in my last year, and was really stretching it. My best ranges were soprano (pre-puberty) and tenor (post-puberty). I used to joke (and sometimes still do) that some people hit puberty, but I just bounced off.
Nice.
It was Easter Sunday 1986 at a Methodist church in Harrogate (Yorkshire) England. I was turning pages (of course) for the pianist-turned-organist-for-the-day and I affirm it was a great moment. The organizers of the Harrogate music festival had made the location arrangement. It happened that our (John & my) “homestay parents” were members of the church. That made it nice, too.
i like your song im also in a chpoir at school
i like chocolate do you
Thanks for this! I remember singing this song in Miss Hall’s music class in 5th grade. Does anyone know where to find the music for it?
Hi, Mike—
What a great contribution!
Janet Stotts here—
I was also conducting the Choir at the time of the England trip—I think I played the piano for Rhythm of Life, though—it’s a four-handed arrangement
We sang the piece for the Easter Service at that church—amazing , isn’t it? given the “real” background of the piece—you’re right, the congregation loved it—the energy—synergy was fun!
Valley Performing Arts did “Sweet Charity” last fall—October, 2005—I directed the music for the production—I was reminded of the England trip, too—
we’re doing “Rhythm of Life” again this Spring and will be singing it on our East Coast tour where we’re joining up with Selilah Kalev (used to be Heather Kruse) who has a fledgling children’s choir in New Jersey—she was on the trip to England, too!
Hope you’re doing well!
Janet Stotts Director of Alaska Children’s Choir http://www.alaskachildrenschoir.net
I am singing this right now in choir class and singing friday in a competition. There are some lyrics missing from the choral version
Hey your like the only site out there that has the lyrics to the choir virsion to ROL (rythm of life).My chours teacher has us sing it every year and every year its out hit song!But yes you are missin some lyrics for the choir version but it’s fine!If you want the full choir version just let me know!
Dear Mike,
Ah! thanks for the memories. I enjoyed the choir years and have fond recollections of your insane sense of humor and valued vocal talent. You wrote a perfect expression of that high energy day on our England choir tour.
I live in Homer, Alaska now and have a community band of 45 musicians ages 11-81. And I sing in a vocal quartet. So the beat goes on Mike. I’ll be 60 years old this July and music remains the focus of my leisure fun and inspiration.
Love to you, Renda
aaahhh yes- i can remeber performing this to a bunch of people at a hall in dumbleton-but is seemed longer than the childrens choir but the start was the same- ow well cheers for the good memories!
I just sang it in choir. I have never heard of the Sweet Charity version. You’re missing a lot of the lyrics to the choir version. Did you do hand motions for the words using white gloves and ultraviolet light? We did.
Your Song was fun please give me a copy when you are repling me!Thank You!
We are singing this song for choir and my teacher said to practice on this so could you send me a copy plz?
This song has also been swimming in my head for years… we had to sing it for our seventh grade graduation ceremony in 1979. I appreciate you sharing your experience with the song, and illuminating me as to its origin.
Rawson Atlanta, Georgia
hheyy dis is da only site wit choir version…we r workin on dis song rite now n da teacher said dat i cant sing good n i need some pratice yea thx a lot 4 da lyrics but i rlly need da song 2 but i cant find it nowhere
can some1 help 2 find da song?
if u got anythin send it 2 an_nhien_n@msn.com or annhien_n@yahoo.com
I’m singing that in my school chorus currently- would you happen to know where I could download the choral version, or the artist of the choral version? Please post on thread ‘Music’. Thank you!
Wow, Im doing this song in choir at the moment, I really do love it but the only choir version I can find is this on the youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wnwtXqGzf4&mode=related&search=
but it has lots of background noise…any other ideas?
Hey! I was in ACC from 1988 to 1996, and I also got to perform “Rhythm of Life” with them. I really do miss those days…
Hi!
I was in a choir in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2004 when we learnt and performed the “Rythm of Life” under the excellent direction of a fairly well-known “Mr. Matthyser”
I was just wondering, where can one buy the music and/or sheet music?
To me (just a listener) this song always is a showstopper. If it is of use to anyone, i could provide a good MP3 version sung by the Christian Mens Choir Glanerbrug at Enschede Concert Hall in 2001. Just drop me a message at stuartlajoie AT plek DOT demon DOT nl
I was in the Alaska Children’s Choir from 1988 to 1992, and your story brings back some wonderful memories. I also remember singing Rhythm of Life. During rehearsals when we sang the line, “Flip your wings and fly up high,” some of the other students and I used to wave our arms as if we were flying. Janet taught me so much about music. I am now pursuing a master’s degree in piano accompanying but I still love to sing.
I loved performing the children’s choir version at school. it is one of my most remembered songs.
Thanks so much for these lyrics! Lol, I’m supposed to be singing this song and 3 others at Honor Choir Tomorrow, but he he, I don’t know many of the words. This is the only place I’ve been able to find the lyrics and I want you to know that your a real life saver!
Hello!! I’m a middle school choir teacher, and my choir is performing this song!! The students really enjoy it, as do i—its really fun! and yes, a couple ppl said this earlier, your missing a lot of lyrics. I only recently heard of sweet charity (with other songs such as Big Spender…i didn’t care for the summary online very much =( ), but the choral version of Rhythm of Life is fantastic! well, i hope u continue singing and i hope u keep up with ur own rhythm of life!
I was in my school choir when I was about thirteen, and we learnt the choir version - but it was practically the musical version, with the ‘flip your wings and fly to daddy’ and all, but it was still different. Argh, I can’t remember it all. Amazing, though.
Hi Mike, I was in choir with you and your brother. I was in 3rd grade on the England trip (I don’t remember much of it, although I am fairly certain that I was obnoxious). I am now teaching middle school choir in CA and I have had my students sing ROL several times, it was my Granny’s favorite song that ACC did. What a fun memory!
Angelina
Hi Mike,
I have just been looking for a bit of background on “The Rhythm of Life”. I’m with the Dunmore Church Choir and Musical Society from Dunmore, County Galway, Ireland. Apart from being one of the basses, I double as M.C. We’re going to New York on October 26th. We sing in Harlem on Sunday 28th and on St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday 29th. We have “The Rhythm of Life” in our repetoire and we love it. (I have to say however that our standing ovations usually come for our sig tune which is “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”). I enjoyed your reminiscence and the comments - it’s a small world!!
I like to consider myself one of the last members of a Boys Choir—Singing Boys of Pennsylvania—that was struggling to survive the late 90s and early 00s. Boys Choirs seemed to wane in popularity (at least around here) sometime during the 90s. Although the choir still “exists”, from my understanding the membership mostly consists of people from Michigin (since the director/founder moved there) so I don’t consider it the same choir that I left.
I always knew the song: The Rhythm of Life as part of Sweet Charity (my parents—mostly my mother—were Musical junkies). So I was quite surprised by your comment to find that it’s been arranged for a choir.
~Chas
Hey Mike. I was in the choir with you and your brother Kevin if I recall correctly. Kevin and I were on the Austria trip together. I was fortunate enough to sing under Renda and later Janet. My early memories of Renda are much the same as yours. Such a vivid and abundant person full of life. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane!
what a trip to england and wales that was!!!
i remember us on the tour bus and a guy zipped by on his rollerblades… and a g-string.. that was it lol .. sigh… loved singing for the queen. 
ROL remains in my top 5. 
xo j p.s. both my baby brother lou, and i, sang with the children’s choir… i remember my mum going back to work part-time, just so i could afford that european tour.