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The Worship Choir (WC) is a large vocal, worship-leading group that supplements the Elevation Team (band and singers). The primary purpose is to aid in worship leading through Spirit-filled energy, both vocally and visually through genuine facial expression and body language.
The WC currently sings one Sunday a month in Elevation services (8:00, 9:30, and 11:15am). The Sundays that they sing vary and are communicated via email on a quarterly basis.
Lyric sheets and a listening CD are made available to all members at least by the Sunday before the WC is scheduled to sing. These resources can be obtained in a box in the lobby of the Worship Arts Building (right behind the Common Grounds Coffee Shop).
There is a rehearsal on the Thursday night prior to the Sunday they are scheduled to sing. That rehearsal starts at 7pm in the Worship Arts section of building C (choir only) and ends at 9:30pm in the gym of Building D(choir and band combined).
On the Sunday morning that the WC is scheduled to sing, the WC is expected to be in the gym of building D, ready to go by 7am. This allows time for a solid warm-up and run-through of the songs while allowing other Special Music and drama teams to get their sound checks.
An example of a Worship Choir week:
10 days out - 2 Thursdays or Fridays before the WC is scheduled to sing - Grace Music Office communicates via email reminding all WC members about the upcoming - WC Sunday (10 days away).
7 days out - The Sunday before the WC sings - WC members pick up a packet (CD and lyrics) from the lobby of the Worship Arts building (Building C).
7 - 3 days out - Worship Choir members listen to CDs on their own and get acquainted with songs.
3 days out - Thursday before the scheduled Sunday - WC rehearsal from 7-9:30pm.
Day zero - Scheduled Sunday - 7am - WC and Elevation Music Team does sound check. First service begins at 8:00. The WC is usually done by 12 noon, before the last service is over.
Prior musical experience is not a requirement for members of the WC. Faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and a humble heart that longs to please Him above all else are the only requirements for involvement in the WC. People are placed in the vocal section where they are most comfortable. This is often determined at the first rehearsal that the individual attends. We describe the 4 sections as follows (from highest to lowest):
Female Melody (soprano)
Female Harmony (alto)
Male Harmony (tenor)
Male Melody (bass) - because of the nature of contemporary praise music a true choral bass part often cannot be heard. So, we have all non-tenors strengthen the melody (the part that the main worship leader is singing). This allows for stronger support of the low melody and strengthens the overall sound of the song.
WC members who normally attend an earlier service are usually able to leave after they have sung in the musical worship of the last service (before the sermon). Likewise, later service-attenders usually have a convenient way to leave right before the sermon in the earlier services. Attendance for one full service plus the music worship portion of the others is currently expected.
Email is the primary means of communication from the Grace Music Office staff to the Worship Choir. If a choir member does not have email, phone calls will be made to communicate Worship Choir information.
Questions: Contact Nate Watkins at (626)335-4067 ext. 121 (voice mail 24 hours) or email at nwatkins@grace-church.com
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