St. Francis’ Handbell and Worship Choirs will be returning to their regularly scheduled ringing, singing, and rehearsing at the beginning of next month, and I wanted to write a bit about what musical ensembles mean to me. Here are a few of the many benefits singing in choirs and playing in different musical ensembles have brought into my life:
- Expression: has listening to music ever made you feel something you can’t quite put into words? I have found that singing and playing music amplifies that effect; music gives us the ability to express feelings and ideas we never thought possible. Playing or singing within an ensemble gives us a gateway to this expression without some of the pressures that may be felt when performing solo. There are few musical activities that are as approachable and easy to pick up as ringing in a handbell choir or singing along to a hymn (be it from the pews or within the choir itself.)
- Fellowship: One of my favorite things about playing music are all the people I’ve gotten to know through doing it. Music, as an inherently social activity, gives us people to create with, to share our expressions with; it gives us new friends to talk about the experience with, and so much more.
- Support: a musical ensemble is a team where members compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses. You count together, you breathe together, you express and create and function as a singular unit, and you’re rewarded with the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that comes from helping to create something greater than yourself. Specifically within the musical ensembles of a faith community, knowing that you’re undertaking this creation as an act of service to God and to your neighbor is a beautifully nourishing thing.
- Prayerful reflection and meditation; the act of studying your music, whether at home by yourself or in a group at rehearsal, is an act of connection. You are connecting with the music and the people who wrote it. In a way, you are connecting with the many thousands of people who sang or played this same music; people who prayed over these same texts, felt many of the same feelings the music might stir within you. Singing a hymn or a choral anthem forces you to think about the text more than you would just listening to or reading the words, and there are some beautiful revelations to be had in connecting with these lyrics.
If reading this has stirred any musical feelings in your heart, you’ll be pleased to know St. Francis’ musical ensembles are coming back in September and are always an excellent outlet for those musical feelings! Our Handbell Choir’s first rehearsal of the season will be held on Wednesday, Sep 3 at 6:30pm. Be on the lookout for our bells ringing during our celebration of the Feast of St. Francis on October 5th, All Saints’ on November 2nd, and Christmas Eve. Worship Choir’s first rehearsal will be Thursday, Sep 4 at 7:00pm. We’ll sing at 10am worship on Sunday, September 14th, and continue singing at worship each week except for the last Sunday of each month when the choir takes a break and the praise band leads music. Know that you do not need to commit to either ensemble for the whole season to join in on the fun – all are welcome to drop in and try things out as you feel called. Send me an email at will@stfrancismd.org if you’re interested or if you ever have any questions about the Music Ministries here at St. Francis!
