Best "one-rehearsal songs" for gospel choir

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Ranked #30 in Music, #1,180 overall

Songs that are easy enough for a choir to learn in one day!

(Photo is of a section of the International Choir of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World)

Quoting from my choir directing page: "Practice the song at more than one rehearsal. I find that choirs remember music MUCH better if they are able to rehearse on more than one occasion. Two rehearsals are pretty good, three or more are great. If you have only had one, you're gambling."

But sometimes you have to take that gamble. What if you don't have the opportunity to rehearse more than once? I've been in situations where I had to teach a choir that I had never worked with before and we were going to be singing that same day.

It's good for every choir director to have some really easy choir songs in their teaching repertoire that a choir can learn in one rehearsal and still perform well.

The purpose of this web page is to collect suggestions of one-rehearsal songs for gospel choirs. I've got a few different song lists here. One list is for very well known songs, another is for songs that might not be familiar to everyone, and there's a list of holiday songs.

I invite you to ADD SONGS to these lists, and to vote on the ones that are already here. My hope is that all of us will be able to pick up some new songs that will fill an important need and be a blessing to our hearers.

What kind of music am I talking about? 

The songs should be easy for the choir AND the musicians to learn in one day. No complicated tunes or tricky harmonies, not a lot of words to remember, and chord patterns that are not difficult to play. It's a challenge to find songs that are easy without being cheesy. When you find one, it's a real treasure.

In order to widen the possibilities, I'm including songs that would require more preparation for the lead singer. Often, you can find at least one person who either knows the song already or they are a quick learner (I believe that it's OK to let a lead singer look at a copy of the words while they sing). And sometimes the director can just do the lead themselves.

One-rehearsal song sampler 

Here are excerpts from some of the songs on this page. These are the ones that are available for individual download from Amazon.

FAMOUS one-rehearsal songs for gospel choir 

These are songs that are very well known. They are easy enough for a choir to learn in one rehearsal and perform well, but since they're very popular, they might give the impression that you couldn't think of anything to sing, so you just went for something that everyone knew.

Even though most of us have been hearing these songs forever, keep in mind that there's always a new generation of kids coming up. What is old to us is sometimes new to them. Some of these songs could be just right for a youth choir.


  • In Concert

    Jesus Is His Name by Ricky Dillard
    A good, old-fashioned foot-stomper. For this one you need a lead singer who already knows the verses or is a quick learner, but the choir part is very easy. I couldn't find the Ricky Dillard version online, so this link is to the album "In Concert" by Rev. Quincy Fielding, Jr., which also features the song.





  • Why We Sing

    Why We Sing by Kirk Franklin
    Usually, a song with this many words would not be a one-rehearsal song. But with this one the pauses at the end of each phrase are long enough for the director to mouth the words to the next phrase before the choir comes back in. Also, it has lots of singing in unison, the only harmony is in the chorus. The original recording includes a spoken-word lead, but that's optional.





  • My Life Is In Your Hands

    My Life Is In Your Hands by Kirk Franklin
    The same idea as Why We Sing. This type of song is one of Kirk's best talents. Would you believe the original recording isn't available as a single? (You can still get the full God's Property album, of course). What IS available as a single is this version by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. They add some extra harmonies at the end on "I know that I can stand" and "my life is in Your hands", but you wouldn't want try that if you're looking for an easy one-rehearsal tune.




  • Oh Lord, We Praise You
    (Album Version)

    Oh Lord, We Praise You by Hezekiah Walker
    The lead singer has to know the verse, but that's it. The original version by Hez is out of print, so the link at the right is to a cover version by Peggy Lacey.









  • Emmanuel

    Emmanuel by Norman Hutchins
    It starts with unison, which is always helpful. Only few words to learn. But beautiful and inspiring.

    Kinda goofy that it's not available for purchase as a single.

Add to the list of FAMOUS one-rehearsal songs 

You can also vote for the songs you like best.

You can vote each song up or down. Please only vote if you've heard the song. An "up" vote means that you like the song AND you agree that it can be easily learned in one rehearsal, even if the choir and the musicians didn't know it already.

You are also welcome to ADD SONGS that you think would fit into this category. After you add the song, I'll try to find a link to it online and post a review.

1

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My Life Is In Your Hands (Kirk Franklin)

4 points

2

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Why We Sing (Kirk Franklin)

2 points

3

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Oh Lord, We Praise You (Hezekiah Walker)

2 points

4

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Jesus Is His Name (Ricky Dillard)

1 point

5

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Emmanuel (Norman Hutchins)

1 point

6

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Worship the Lord :)

This entry was added by a reader. Thank you very much for adding to the list, but please give us a little more information. I'm not sure what song you're talking about. Who wrote it or recorded it? Please leave a comment or email me with more info. -- Joan0 points

LESS COMMON one-rehearsal songs for gospel choir 

These are songs that you don't hear a lot (at least, I don't hear them a lot out where I am). In my opinion, that makes them better choices than the really famous ones. I generally prefer NOT to have the choir singing a song that everyone in the church was already listening to in their car on the way to the meeting.


  • Making A Way
    (Album Version)

    Making a Way by Milton Brunson and the Thompson Community Singers
    Has a very easy choir chorus and vamp. The lead part is easy, too.








  • He's Alright by the Bay Area Chapter Choir of the Music & Arts Seminar with Edwin Hawkins

    Now this one would be for a choir that has strong singing skills but limited rehearsal time. The tune and words are very easy to remember, but the song uses some high notes to make its declaration.

    The album is out of print now. Here's a YouTube link for the song.


  • Mighty King (an original song)
    Yup, I wrote this one. I specifically wrote it to be a one-rehearsal song for our District Choir. It has a lot of words which gives it some interest, but it's an echo song. If the lead singer knows the words that's fine, but they could also read the words as they sing, and the choir just repeats after the lead for most of it.


  • My Soul Is Satisfied written by Rev. Alex Hamilton

    My Soul Is Satisfied is my favorite one-rehearsal song. It requires a good lead singer, but it's super easy for the choir. They only have to say three words, except for the altos who say six words. The lead does all of the heavy lifting. I used this song the first time I ever directed a mass choir at a church conference and it was perfect. I introduced it to the lead singer the evening before and let him read the words as he sang. The choir ate it up in the rehearsal, and when we did it in the service, they wouldn't stop singing!

    For years I've taught this song without knowing quite where it came from. But I just recently got an email from the gentleman who wrote it! So now I can list the author and link you to his website where he has a recording of it with his community choir. The album is called "God Can" by Rev. Alex Hamilton and the Voices of Inspiration.

    (Hear samples from "God Can" album)

    (Purchase "God Can" album)



  • Can't Hold Back

    Redeemed by L. A. Mass Choir
    For this one, you need a really good lead singer who can carry the song and minister to the congregation. The choir has a chorus and bridge that are short and repetitive but very beautiful. The album it comes from is out of print, but copies are still available from resellers.

    Redeemed by L.A. Mass Choir on YouTube.




  • Job's Song
    (Blessed)

    Job's Song (Blessed) by Hezekiah Walker
    The chorus is easy and repeats a lot. The only potential challenge is the bridge, but that's not too hard either.









  • I Just Can't Tell It All
    (Album Version)

    I Just Can't Tell It All by the P.A.W. Mass Choir

    This is NOT the old Edwin Hawkins workshop song.

    An easy chorus that's done first by the lead, then the choir. On the middle section also, the lead sings it first, and then the choir follows. The vamp is a lot of fun and if you wanted to make it even easier, you could have the lead singer introduce the vamp parts as well, doing it "audience participation" style.

Add to the list of LESS COMMON one-rehearsal songs 

You can also vote for the songs you like best.

You can vote each song up or down. Please only vote if you've heard the song. An "up" vote means that you like the song AND you agree that it can be easily learned in one rehearsal, even if the choir and the musicians didn't know it already.

You are also welcome to ADD SONGS that you think would fit into this category. After you add the song, I'll try to find a link to it online and post a review.

1

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Vote Down

Mighty King (Joan Hall)

2 points

2

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Redeemed (L. A. Mass Choir)

1 point

3

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Job's Song (Blessed) (Hezekiah Walker)

1 point

4

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I Just Can't Tell It All (PAW Mass Choir)

1 point

5

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My Soul Is Satisfied (Rev. Alex Hamilton)

1 point

6

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Making a Way (Thompson Community Singers)

1 point

7

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Vote Down

He's Alright (Edwin Hawkins)

1 point

One-rehearsal songs for the HOLIDAYS 

Most of the time we try to plan our Christmas and other holiday music well in advance. But if the situation arises where you need a holiday song that you can teach fast, what can you bring?


  • Still The Lamb

    Still the Lamb by Mary Mary

    This relies on a strong lead singer and some dramatic spoken parts, and then goes to a choir chorus that is very repetitive and easy.






  • Emmanuel

    Emmanuel by Norman Hutchins (which is listed in more detail in a previous section on this page) is also a good one-rehearsal song for Christmas.

Add to the list one-rehearsal songs for the HOLIDAYS 

You can also vote for the songs you like best.

You can vote each song up or down. Please only vote if you've heard the song. An "up" vote means that you like the song AND you agree that it can be easily learned in one rehearsal, even if the choir and the musicians didn't know it already.

You are also welcome to ADD SONGS that you think would fit into this category. After you add the song, I'll try to find a link to it online and post a review.

1

Vote Up
Vote Down

Still the Lamb (Mary Mary)

0 points

2

Vote Up
Vote Down

Emmanuel (Norman Hutchins)

0 points

Check out my other choir pages! 

I've got several web pages that deal with choir ministry. You may find some of them useful.
featured lens Joan's choir pages

This is a directory of all the web pages I have that focus on gospel choir music. Browse through them and see what you find. I love working as a choir director, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to share anything I know with you. Please return the...

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by _Joan_

I've been singing in, playing for, writing for, and directing gospel choirs all my life. I live in the Los Angeles area.



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