This blog is for the singers in what I'm calling the New Choir and our friends and fans. The New Choir will be singing for the New 9:00 worship service. This choir will include people who love to use their voices and skills to enhance the worship atmosphere and to create community among ourselves through singing together. I envision this group to be comprised of Sanctuary Choir and Spirit Singers personnel, but also to include some people who we haven't included before, or for a while.
MISSION
In making this change, it is helpful and important to keep our mission in mind. I don't know if our music mission is articulated anywhere, but this is what I believe about our service music:
- Music feeds souls
- Music enhances subjects, scriptures, themes of worship
- Music is inclusive of many styles, genres
- Music is inclusive of our whole planet
- Music includes many musicians in church community
- We all strive for a high quality of music and performance
- Other?
FEEDBACK, PLEASE
As we prepare to sing and launch a new program year, I would like to ask you for some information. You can use the survey sidebars and the comments box to respond.
1. When would you like to rehearse? Tuesday or Wednesday (see sidebar)
2. How often would you like to sing in worship? (see sidebar)
3. What is the choral music that really fills your soul? It's important to me that singing in our choir feeds you spiritually and expressively. (use comments)
4. Who else could/should be singing with us? Do you know how to contact them? (use comments)
5. What should our name be? (use comments)
6. I'm willing to help with: (use comments)
- publicity and marketing
- recruiting
- organizing choral library
- social events
- choosing outfits
- other (please indicate)
I'm hoping that this blog can be a good way for us to discuss and communicate choral issues at FUMC. By the way (BTW in blog-speak), you don't have to even include your name or email address to use the comments. You can, and it would be helpful, but no "signing up" is required.
Our first rehearsal will be in the week of August 25. I'll be in touch with specific calendar and location information soon, hopefully after I hear from you!
10 comments:
Type of music--I have been enjoying "almost" singing without music. It is OK to do a variety of styles from formal to more pop. I like it especially when I can sing with feeling and like the words are being directed to the congregation with a message. The more I can get away from the music the better. It will be OK to occasionally do classical.
I don't know of anybody particular to invite. I would like to have people join because they would like to sing for the fun/spirit of it. It is my guess that "difficult sounding" music might scare some people off. In the past we have accomodated to persons that couldn't even carry a tune but it worked ok. Just thought of a person--Brooke Collison--he sang with us years ago. Chris Lee sang with us and directed when Glen was gone.
Name? It took me literally years to remember to say "Spirit Singers" instead of "Folk Choir." If we were singing place to place it might be helpful for a billing but otherwise... Simple and descriptive would be my guide.
Vestments--A bunch of money was spent on them therefore we gotta use them, or do we? It takes a lot of fuss and time for me to robe up when I would rather be doing something else. However special occasions are OK--Christmas, Easter.
Comment on MISSION. I see these as great goals which I heartally support. I suggest the choir mission, as a statement, might echo the short version of the Church's mission statement and read something like this: "Through music, bring people into a living relationship with with God."
When I try to vote, it kicks me off. I vote to have practice at 7pm on Wednesdays so we can have bells practice the same night and only kill one night each week. I also like the idea of one week off each month - it leaves room for special music from other people.
I like singing spirituals, jazz, and more modern stuff, with some "golden oldies" mixed in. Some a cappella stuff would be great, too!!
Rick Schroff would be a strong male voice, but he may have too many other committments. Also Anne Foltz, if her schedule works out. It would be great if Glenn Jaquith or Jan Walker would join us again, as well.
Since we are now a combined choir,and the 11:00 service is the praise choir, how about calling us "Joyful Noise", like Wesley asks us to be?
No robes for me except for special occasions - too hot!
I voted for Tues at 7 pm, but either Tues or Wed at 7 would be OK with me. Alicia has a good personal reaon. I prefer to save the robes for special occasions and also prefer the newer, more spirited music with a few special classicals mixed in. A nice mix is great for me. I can't think of new people other than those mentioned, but we should keep inviting folks. I like Alicia's "Joyful Noise" name.
Nice idea, Alicia. Like last week's message, the UMC & our congregation is fantastic about "service", but we need the enhance the joy component.
I have sung everything from Chamber to Punk music, so I am very willing to try a variety of styles (don't recommend Punk for service, though :)
What to wear...the robes are pretty for special occasions but get pretty warm.
New voices...what about some of our youth? Abby Schroff has a great voice, and I asked her to consider our choir. Jordan (my daughter) will be taking choir at CHS this Fall, so maybe it may spark some interest for her. What we select to sing may influence who considers joining.
Re: mission, I feel music plays a huge part of setting the mood of the worship service, and feel it is especially powerful when the music and words relate to the scripture and sermon message.
An air of formality and ritual add significantly to my worship experience. My preference is classical, with something more modern occasionally. I love the organ. I like robes, and while warm occasionally, they aren't bad, but I have been wearing them since I was a kid.
I guess that makes me more eligible for, and/or interested in, the periodic oratorio choir option.
Do we need a name other than "The Choir" for the singers at the 9 AM service? Sometimes simple is best, unless there is a marketing component needed.
Just my thoughts. P.
As a newer returnee to FUMC (member in the 1970s and then a UMC pastor for over 20 years) I probably have a somewhat different perspective on these questions flavored by my experience in many other church settings as a pastor and choral singer.
Vestments - I can appreciate Paul's preference for an air of formality and ritual. My experience tells me that one can accomplish the air of what I would call "ultimacy" without wearing robes. I think people want to participate in something that matters and touches them in the hard places of life and that can be done without formality. But it helps to have some ritual framework, some dependability, some structure. A lot of people don't like surprises. I can go with or without robes.
Type of music - Whatever type the singers can sing best and the listener/participants find most meaningful. So style doesn't matter much to me.
A name - I'd try to dissuade us from using Joyful Noise as that is the name of countless childrens' choirs around the country. I hope that we sing joyfully, but that we be something more than creators of noise. My expectations as a new person for a Joyful Noise choir would be children or something shallow. So maybe Joyful Singers? If marketing is an issue then come up with a creative name like Creation Singers or whatever, but simple is also OK. "The Choir" isn't flashy, but it works, I think. I've sung in multitude of choirs and groups and the name was never what drew me or kept me.
Like Del, I sang in the old Folk Choir decades ago and one of the things that marked that group was that the music often reflected the dominant message of the day. That kind of coordination is great and people do pick up on it. Singing without music when possible is something to aspire to and works well!
Mission - To help make disciples or followers of Jesus through communicating the Gospel in song. I think that is most effectively done when the singing creates a "thin space" between people and God and draws them into an experience of the sacred. It touches them in the deep places of their lives.
How often - My wife Susan and I would both love to sing, but we hesitate at feeling that we need to be there every Sunday at 8:15 am to prepare for worship.
Sorry for the length of this!
This is my first attempt to "blog" so here goes!
Music of choice for me is classical. It's what I grew up with, learned, and is meaningful to me. Putting on my robe, lining up, singing an Introit,and processing to the forst hymn all added meaning to my worship experience. The tradition and formality add to my experience. I agree with Paul 100%! But most of all music sung by an enthusiatic, well rehearsed choir and congregation is powerful regardless of whether ist "old" or "new" music.
As for Choir names I like "Joyful Noise" or how about "The New Choir" since that is what we willbe!
I'm looking forward to meeting some new people, learning some new music and reliving some of the classics!
Helen
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