A sign in the choir loft at St. John Baptist de la Salle Church reads: "Three rules of choir singing --- Watch Gerry, Watch Gerry, Watch Gerry."

For 50 years, choristers at the Granada Hills parish have watched Geraldine (Gerry) Biggs McGrath as she has directed her 60-voice choir. On Nov. 21, she was honored for her long service at the 10:30 a.m. liturgy and reception.

A young wife and mother of two when she began leading the choir, Gerry bridged a liturgical musical revolution as she raised seven children along with her supportive husband, Herb. She credits her musical success to her parents, Lucienne Gourdon (who helped train choirboys) and Richard Keys Biggs (a renowned organist and composer at St. Paul Church in Los Angeles and Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood).

A 1951 graduate of Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles with a bachelor of music degree in choral conducting, piano and voice, Gerry overcame a bout with polio that she contracted after the birth of her second child. Reflecting back on that time, Gerry believes her recovery was a miracle, especially since she has had no polio-related repercussions.

In fact, when St. John Baptist de la Salle's then-pastor, Father Peter O'Sullivan, came to administer a blessing for healing during her recovery at home and learned she could sing, he asked her to take over the all-male choir, which had met for a year at San Fernando Mission because the parish church hadn't been built yet.

Nor were women ministers familiar sights. Gerry integrated the choir with women and taught them Gregorian chant. When the vernacular Mass was introduced a decade later, Gerry led the choir in the transition from Latin to English. The choir still sings the "Our Father" composed by Gerry's sister, Marguerite.

Gerry taught music at Our Lady Queen of Angels Junior Seminary (1974-89), the seminary's first laywoman instructor. She also taught music for many years at St. John Baptist de la Salle School and served on the Archdiocesan Music Commission.

Her "greatest grace" over the years has been the blending of "old" and "new" liturgical music. "Our church is so graced that it's not afraid to change," she remarked.

Choir members travel from as far as Fillmore to sing a diverse repertoire of Gregorian chant, Latin hymns, American spirituals and contemporary liturgical music. "Gerry saved my life, musically," said choir member Cy Dionne, who joined the De La Salle choir when his home parish choir floundered several years ago. He especially enjoys singing the once-a-month Latin Mass that Gerry has directed at San Fernando Mission since 1986.

Longtime choir member Charleen Bennett called Gerry an inspiration. "She has excellent musicianship and tremendous strength, courage and creativity," said Bennett. "She knew she had a mission."

And she intends to stay with it. "When I can't sing, I won't do it anymore," Gerry chuckled.