When the Joymakers Choir gathers for practice each Wednesday morning in Del Cerro Baptist Church in La Mesa, Eldon Emig, president of the choir, directs them all in their warmup song, “This is the Day the Lord Has Made.”
Then the director of the choir, Paul Plunk, has them line up so they can give each other a light massage on the upper shoulders before they sit down to practice.
When the Joymakers Choir gathers for practice each Wednesday morning in Del Cerro Baptist Church in La Mesa, Eldon Emig, president of the choir, directs them all in their warmup song, “This is the Day the Lord Has Made.”
Then the director of the choir, Paul Plunk, has them line up so they can give each other a light massage on the upper shoulders before they sit down to practice.
They are already working on Christmas songs for their annual trek to cheer people in nursing homes. Just a couple of weeks ago, they returned from a trip up to northern California making their round through towns such as Gilroy, singing at churches, retirement homes and other places. Joymakers put on a presentation called “Happy Days” with skits and music from the 50s through the 60s.
Lynnette Wilson, one of the newest members of the choir, said she enjoyed the trip very much, but she never worried too much about forgetting her words.
“When you’re on stage with other people, there’s not as much fright than as being alone on stage. If you forget a few words to a song, you lip synch until the words come back to you. Not like a solo,” she said.
The best thing about the performances, according to Wilson and other members, is the smiles that they put on people’s faces.
“We made some people laugh in the audience. That’s always worth it,” she said.
Emig agreed. “Singing brings joy and its great belonging to a loving group,” he said.
Anyone can be in the choir, so long as they are age 55 and older.
“I could hardly wait to be old enough to join the Joymakers as I went to all of their plays,” said Emig’s wife, Judy.
When Wilson retired just two years ago, a church member approached her and said she should join the Joymakers or at least come and try the choir, since she did not have anything else much to do.
“I told her I was still finding my way around finding things to do, but I’ll show up just to see what goes on,” Wilson said.
When she did show up one Wednesday morning, Wilson took an instant liking to the music, as they had already begun practicing for the “Happy Days” performance.
“I grew up singing…TV theme songs and listening to the radio,” she said.
Singing is only part of the reason Wilson and other members have stayed in the group. They are all supportive of one another, in good times and bad.
“You don’t know how important that is until you really need it. When I started the spring of last year, I was going through chemo therapy and having fun with wigs along with the ups and downs that go along with it all,” said Wilson who today remains cancer-free.
Tenor Doug Battey joined Joymakers nine years ago.
“We have lots of fun, great food, encouraging devotions and trips,” he said.
Battey told the story of one special friend with whom he sang bass and was the first chair with the San Diego Symphony.
“We would always greet each other in German and have little conversations in German. He was quite the prankster so we got along famously. In his latter days he was living in an assisted living facility and the Joymakers took our show there. He was sitting on the front row.
Battey explained that the caretakers at the home said he had been falling recently and not talked for about three weeks.
“But when he heard us sing he brightened up and followed intensely. After we finished he motioned for me to come over and we sang a classical German hymn together,” he said.
Battey told another story of the joy that the choir brings to people. He had a good friend in the choir with whom he sang bass. They would always greet each other and have little conversations in in German.
“He was quite the prankster so we got along famously,” Battey said, chuckling.
In his latter days, the friend was living in an assisted living facility, so Joymakers took their show there. Medical personnel said that he had not been able to talk for about three weeks.
“But when he heard us sing he brightened up and followed intensely. After we finished, he motioned for me to come over and we sang a classical German hymn together.
“So if we can bring joy to others, then it is a worthwhile endeavor,” Battey said. Director Paul Plunk encourages people to join in with the fun and friendship of Joymakers.
“You don’t have to be a member of Del Cerro Baptist Church. We have several people who are members of other churches. Anyone can join us,” said Plunk.
“Come see if it’s what you’re looking for,” Wilson said.
For those interested, just show up in the Choir Room any Wednesday at 9:30 at Del Cerro Baptist Church, at 5512 Pennsylvania Lane in La Mesa. The church’s phone number is 619-460-2210.
