Junior and Senior Local Church Choir

This is an attempt to offer something defi­nite in the way of a guide to the amateur musician or conductor who serves the small church. History attests the fact that wherever there has been worship there has been music. Three thousand years ago the psalmist wrote, "O sing unto the Lord a new song." Ps. 98:1. The psalms were the founda­tion of Hebrew worship, just as they are the foundation of much of Christian worship today. Our Lord and His disciples sang. (Matt. 26: 30.) Few hymnals are without some of the psalms, and may well be used often in our church music.

Unless music has something to contribute to worship, it is useless, and may actually be harmful. In fact, it is better to have no music at all than the wrong music badly performed. Church music should have one of two pur­poses: it may be an act of worship, or it may be an aid to the act of worship.

You may say, "But we have no talent in our church"; or, "There's no one able to conduct a choir." Nothing could be more desirable than the right music performed by capable, conse­crated musicians, of course. But every church, no matter how small, has some talent waiting to be developed and willing members waiting to be encouraged. Remember, the church is neither a concert hall nor an opera house. The main purpose of music in church worship should be to foster a devotional atmosphere.

A choir conductor does not necessarily need to have a degree of a Bachelor of Music. He does need, though, to know the ability of his choir members and how to choose music that will be suited to them. Often in an average small church choir there are one or two dozen voices, all amateur and all volunteer, and few of them are trained. There is, perhaps, no singer to whom a solo can be assigned. Under these con­ditions use considerable unison singing. Such a group can make a real contribution to the services of the church. They must, however, be sincere, devout, and willing to work.

A well-trained choir can be an inspiration to the pastor. Until the congregation acquires considerable confidence, it is better if the choir sings the hymns in unison. As its own special part in the service there is much that a volun­teer choir can contribute in the way of proces­sionals, anthems, responses, and the like. These contributions, however, must be regarded as aids to the act of worship and not as concert numbers or entertainment features. Dignified choir robes aid in maintaining decorum and a devotional attitude.

Whenever there is a volunteer choir you must face the fact that attendance is likely to be irregular and unpredictable. By all means plan your music at least a month ahead, and keep in rehearsal a good supply of emergency music. It is better to rehearse six numbers for ten minutes each than to spend an hour each on two, for the choir will then be better trained and the singers more confident. Experience has taught me that one evening rehearsal a month, learning the music of five or six anthems in ad­vance, with a half hour rehearsal at the close of the preaching service each week, has proved quite successful. Always rehearse the hymns. The tunes are usually easy and familiar, but it takes practice to sing the words with precision. and clear enunciation.

Here is a very simple plan for making an anthem out of a hymn. Let one stanza be sung by a solo voice or by sopranos in unison. Sing another one in harmony or without accompani­ment. This makes a pleasing variety and can be well done by all volunteer choirs. Rehearse standings, sittings, page turns, et cetera, until they can be done silently, in unison, and unob­trusively. The sight of a choir turning around, stooping, picking up music from the chairs or floor is grotesque, and distracts from the spirit of devotion.

I can conceive of the Sabbath school in no other way than as an approach to the church and its services. The proper time, then, to begin organizing and developing the church choir is with the juniors. Children between the ages of ten and sixteen can be formed into a junior choir. They can be taught discipline in choir work, sight singing, hymn study, and music in­terpretation. I have a junior choir at present of eighteen young people who take part once a month, singing all the aids to worship in the church service. It is of utmost importance that the youth be started on the right path to wor­ship and to worship music. At the time of re­hearsal they can be taught correct habits and techniques of worship.

Only when they have had this foundation will they be able to become valuable senior choir members. People often underestimate the ability of children to understand the teachings of the church, but even young children can grasp them very readily if presented in simple language. They can understand most of the hymns when the texts are carefully explained, and the meanings of unusual words are given. Bach and Mendelssohn can be taught as easily as nursery rhymes, and will be retained much longer. It is hard to build a superstructure of granite on a foundation of sand.

A choir concert once or twice a year, com­bining both junior and senior choirs, can be a great inspiration to both the choir members and the congregation. It can illustrate different types of music, such as music of the early church, descants on favorite hymns, or it can be a 'request program.

A small choir, even a volunteer one, can at­tain a precision and unanimity that is difficult with a large chorus. So do not be discouraged if your group is small or your talent scarce. There are three rules to keep in mind in build­ing a volunteer choir: (1) know what consti­tutes proper worship music; (2) know what is within your capabilities; and (3) know how to interpret it effectively.