Singing in a Church choir is a great way to participate with and help lead the worship of God. This page is the material I use when I give a 4 week series to introduce my views on singing in a Presbyterian Church choir. I am always happy to hear from people who find this material useful or perhaps have suggestions or corrections to offer. I have made this material available under the Creative Commons Non Commercial Share Alike license. Please contact me with any questions.
"God plays upon the harp of the Spirit,
Sounding the strings strongest in love:
And to this mystical music
Humanity is beckoned to sing."
St Mechthild (1240-1298)
Week 1 - A Singing Church
Throughout its history, the church has made joyful noises with its instruments and voices to God. The early forms of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs are recorded in the Bible and are still used today. Over time, men have created many new and different ways of praising God in song. During this lesson we will explore the history of music in the church and examine some of the different forms our music comes in including hymns and anthems. More
Week 2 - Reading Music
Music notation is a language to describe the mechanics of musical performance. Understanding the meaning of the symbols and the structure of music can speed up the processing of learning music and can add nuances if interpreted correctly. This lesson will focus on basic musical notation and learning to sing along with simple musical phrases. More
Week 3 - Singing Music
Singing combines music and words to communicate something more than either does alone. Being able to sing well is a skill that requires an understanding of how the body produces sound, how to sing confidently and on pitch, and how to communicate clearly. This lesson will teach the proper way to breathe and sing, as well as the musical notation that directs the voice. More
Week 4 - Singing Together
Singing as a group, especially singing different parts together, can be a challenge for new singers. This lesson will focus on reading and learning to sing songs that require blending different notes and voices into a choir. More
