The Church's "Big" Choir
Integration of the choir into all aspects of worship and the choir's voice into the congregation's repertoire.
What if we traded in the three-minute choral anthem frame traditionally associated with church choirs and instead understood our choir's participation as part of the larger frame of worship?
Integrating the choir into every section and style of worship and weaving the choir's voice into the congregation's repertoire will ultimately encourage a singing culture to grow in your church. As participation in singing increases, so does a congregation's appreciation for singing—and for the choir. As more congregation members find their voice, more people may just join the choir. You will certainly move one step closer to that dream of the entire sanctuary reverberating with the sound of the church's "big" choir.
This journal article is first published in The Choral Journal in December 2015.