Sharon Penley’s parents were both children of the Great Depression, and her father fought in the South Pacific in World War II. They were staunch believers in a good, reliable office job as a career for their daughter. When Penley decided on a rare act of resistance and chose a career in music, it became one she would never regret, and one that made her parents very proud.

On scholarship, Penley attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where she received a bachelor’s degree in music education, followed by a master’s degree in vocal performance. She eventually settled in Slidell, La., where she became the director of the choir program in one of the schools.

“It was an amazing choral program,” Penley said. “I was ecstatically happy. I was in my niche. I was surrounded by great kids with very supportive parents.”

But changes in the educational system in Louisiana began to phase out elective arts, and Penley found her cherished program waning. Her father became ill, and she returned to Vicksburg to help care for him.

Then in her mid-30s, Penley considered her options. 

“At the time, you think it’s happenstance, but sometimes . . . God lines your dominoes up for you. I was always good with numbers. Even as a musician, I was the one who did everybody’s tax returns. I was living with all the theater and dance and music people in New Orleans and Slidell . . . and so, there was an untapped skill there.”

Penley realized that, although she possessed a talent for numbers, her odds of getting an accounting job with music degrees were slim. Mississippi College had just started a special program in accounting for those who already had degrees in other fields. Enthusiastically, she dove in and completed the program.

Penley completed the qualifications for the certified public accountant designation on her first try. 

“I didn’t have time to waste,” Penley said. “I knew I had to pass those five exams in one sitting, and so I did.”

She went to work for Ergon. 

“I was the director of tax for the Ergon Corporation,” Penley said. She continued to work for the company for more than 17 years, commuting to Jackson from Vicksburg. 

“Nothing brings me such, what I call ‘8-5 joy’ as reconciling taxes,” she said.

Although she excelled at the technical work of accounting, she felt something was missing. 

“There was such a hole,” Penley said. “Because what I was created by God to do, I wasn’t doing.”

Then, she received a call from First Presbyterian Church to direct their choir and life became extremely busy for Penley. 

“I worked at Ergon five days a week, usually from about 5:30 in the morning until about 8 or 9 at night, and sometimes Saturdays. But, on Wednesday night, I would fly out at 5 p.m., and I would get to First Pres and I would do choir practice from 7-8 p.m. and then do morning worship on Sunday mornings.”

Even though life was hectic, Penley was fulfilled. 

“Being a choir director has been the greatest joy of my life,” she said.

When her mother became ill, Penley was forced to give up directing choir. It was the only thing that was expendable for her. 

“The only thing I can compare it to . . . it was like an animal chewing off its leg to get out of a trap. It was the only thing I could do. It broke my heart and it almost broke me, because I lost (my mother) and the only thing I had in my life that I loved was also gone.”

Several years had passed since she left the choir at First Pres when she got another phone call. 

“But once again, God stepped in. I get a call from First Pres. Again. They asked ‘would you consider coming back?’ At the same time, Chamber Choir called and said, ‘we’ve lost our director for Chamber Choir, would you consider being our director?’ And all of a sudden . . . I had two choirs to direct.”  

Penley retired from Ergon. She continues to work privately for several local businesses handling accounting needs.

First Presbyterian choir member Anne Doyle said Penley’s talents are many. 

“Beyond the music and accounting books, she has a servant’s heart and through the years has shared her gifts of cooking, baking, flower arranging and sewing with friends, family and the community,” Doyle said. “As a wedding gift to me, and because I mentioned I could not find a wedding veil to my liking, she hand-crafted one to my specifications with beautiful hand-sewn

pearls. Sharon is remarkable.”

Directing both the choir at First Presbyterian and the Vicksburg Chamber Choir has brought Penley deep satisfaction, but she has never lost her love of singing and vocal performance, she said.

“The ability to take the greatest joys that you cannot express (with words) and the greatest sadnesses that you also cannot express, and be able to pour those into your sound, is the most extraordinary thing in the world. But, doing it in four-part, or six-part or eight-part harmony, is something else. I can’t sing in eight-part harmony. But I can bring those 15 or 16 people at First Pres, and they can sing eight-part harmony. And that’s extraordinary.

“When I sing, it’s like running through God’s garden barefoot,” she said. “That’s singing for me. But, when I choir-direct, I go to God’s garden and I take all my friends with me.”

Penley has since retired as the director of the Vicksburg Chamber Choir.