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Joan's Choir Pages - Resources for the gospel choir and choir directors

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Helping gospel choirs to be the best they can be

These pages are full of information to help gospel choirs and choir directors achieve excellence in their ministry. We talk about how to teach different types of gospel choirs, how to choose the best songs for any occasion or purpose, and how to get the best out of your choir.

Singing in choirs and directing choirs are among the greatest joys in my life. I want to do all I can to support the ministry of the gospel choir everywhere. I hope that these web pages can be useful to you in helping you develop in whatever part of the music ministry God has given you.

Our music is special!

There's nothing else like the uplifting sound of gospel choir singing. The sound of voices lifted in praise can inspire feelings of joy and wonder, devotion and determination in our hearts. Even non-Christians are moved by the beauty and power of what the gospel choir offers.

The only thing better than listening to a gospel choir is being a part of the choir yourself. We minister to ourselves first, and then to the rest of the world.

The reason why we sing

Understanding the ministry of gospel choir singing

Hurso Ethiopia Choir, 2003. Photo by Sergeant Bradley Shaver at Wikimedia Commons

Remember this: Praising God through music is something that we are commanded to do in God's word. Don't let anyone call the music ministry trivial or unnecessary. It is something that we must do.

We are instructed in the scriptures to sing to God as a form of worship, and also to sing to our fellow men as a form of encouragement.

We should take our ministry seriously. Gospel singing should be done with both sincerity and skill. God and our brothers and sisters deserve nothing less.

Choir Poll

For people who are involved in the gospel choir music ministry

A lot of us do more than one thing in the music ministry, but what is your main role?

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The International Young People's Choir of the Pentecostal Assembiles of the World

MY WEB PAGES ABOUT THE GOSPEL CHOIR MINISTRY

The following are web pages I have written that cover many aspects of working with gospel choirs. I hope you'll find something that will be useful to you.

If there's another topic that you think I should write about, make a suggestion in the guestbook.

For choir directors

The fundamentals of gospel choir directing

Any choir, small or large, has the potential for greatness and every director should strive to bring out the best in their choir.

  • On the "Directing a Gospel Choir" page, there is an overview of general tips for choir directors; iissues like understanding music, selecting songs, arranging songs, teaching the choir, and more.

    Directing a choir is a serious responsibility. The director is like a shepherd over the musical lives of the choir members. At the same time that you are working with them to minister in your church services, you are also shaping them as musicians and influencing their futures in the music ministry.

  • The "How to teach a choir song" page goes step by step through the process of preparing a song and teaching it to your choir.

  • The page on "Hand signals for choir directing" gives examples of signals to use while conducting a choir, and how to use them most effectively.
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Special situations

These pages talk more in depth about specific situations that choir directors deal with. If there's another topic you would like to see covered, feel free to suggest it in the guestbook.
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Digging a little deeper

These pages get into some more advanced things a director can do to help their choir take it to the next level.
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Video: Paying tribute to my gospel roots

"Trust Him" (Bishop Robert W. McMurray and the Greater Bethany Community Church Choir)

My very earliest memory of church was watching the man who sang "you take one step and He'll take two". Ever since those days, gospel choir music has been in my blood.

The video quality on this isn't that great, but the music never gets old.
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Being your best as a choir singer

This is information for choir singers to help them grow and develop their skills

The "Singing in a gospel choir" page includes tips on vocal techniques, help with understanding music, ideas about good choir behavior and decorum, and more.

The next page, "Those indispensable members in the choir", is a love letter to those members of the choir that everybody else leans on to help them through.

And the last one is a debate -- "Should choir members who missed rehearsal be allowed to sing anyway?"
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The Howard University Choir performs "Even Me"

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Celebrating the music of gospel choirs!

The most important songs

I have a couple of web pages devoted to some of the most important choir songs around. The songs that could be considered "standards" in the gospel choir repertoire. I will be continuing to add to this collection.
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More recommended songs

I'm adding to my lists of song suggestions with some new pages that go artist by artist.
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My favorite songwriters

As a choir director, I am grateful to those who create the music that we sing. I'm a songwriter myself, and I know how much work it takes to start with a musical idea and then develop it, shape it, and polish it until you have a song that will be a blessing to other people. Songwriters have to use both their heads and their hearts to produce music that we will want to keep singing for years afterward. I've made some pages about some of my favorite gospel choir songwriters, looking in more depth at their craft.
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A great songbook

The African-American Heritage Hymnal has a wealth of gospel songs both old and new. Some of it is congregational music, but there is also some great choir stuff. Every gospel choir director ought to have this hymnbook.
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The Chicago Mass Choir performs "Jesus Promised"

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My online business - ChoirParts.com


ChoirParts.com is a service that I offer. I make practice tracks with individual parts for each section of the choir. They're a great tool for practicing, especially with challenging material.

On the "What is ChoirParts.com?" web page, you can read more about the service and hear samples of what the practice tracks sound like.
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The Los Angeles Regional Men's Choir of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World

Other gospel music links

These are links to other people's web sites that discuss gospel choir music.
The Black Gospel Blog
Blog that discusses gospel music (not exclusively choir music).

Gospel choir music in the news

Talent Shines at Gospel Choir Cultural Celebration
Choir director: Houston's gospel roots aided in her success
Drummers, singers pay tribute at African burying ground in Portsmouth
ACC gospel choir stages musical extravaganza
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Angel, a painting by Abbott Handerson Thayer. Shared on Wikimedia Commons by Kalki.This page has been blessed by SquidAngels Charlino, EclecticEducation, nDee, Sami4u, Gods_grace_notes, LadyJasmine, and KimG!!

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JoanTheChoirLady

I've been singing in, playing for, writing for, and directing gospel choirs all my life.

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