17. Presbyterian Chorus for seasoned singers and choir directors of all seniority.

2020/03/31 12:00 starting writing as prose:

Singing has been an important part of Christian life and church life. Singing loudly in unison or harmony is also a special attribute of Christianity. Christian churches have been attracting people who like to sing regardless of their belies. Most of the congregations struggle to maintain choirs of several kinds. Many music professionals admit their musical headstart in the church singing.

But, as the singers grow both in physical age and musical skills there is a tendency for the seasoned singers to leave the church choir behind, for tightness of available time squeezed by the activities of making-a-living and also for the increasing pickiness of the singing partners and the choir directors.

The on-going church choir is trapped and handicapped by the weekly performance, short hours reserved for rehearsal, "no one rejected", limited budget that could not attract seasoned choir directors, etc.  The time-consuming development of voice blending and tacit understanding, depending also on attendance, are likely missing from church choirs where most of the time is spent in singing correctly as the foundation of group-singing.

The whole world of singing lacks the opportunity for the seasoned singers to advance in chorus-singing and enjoy the challenges of difficult pieces without long term commitment of a conventional choir.

Ideally, the Presbyterian chorus is designed to overcome those issues and keep the seasoned singers growing with increasing opportunity to serve the churches at larger scope beyond one congregation.

The P-chorus would be volunteered from congregations in the commutable distance rather than a limited neighborhood. The directors are volunteered with proposed song-selection, schedules and location. The sheet music could be provided by the proposing directors free of charge or at a price paid by the singers. The proposing directors would negotiate for the rooms for rehearsals. The particular interpretation of the music and the strategy of rehearsing would be an attraction to recruit singers. The singers sign up for any given schedules. There is no limit to the number of concurrent rehearsals at any different locations. The singers only need to commit to the scheduled rehearsals and performances if any. The rehearsals and the performance could be recorded for further study or publications. The potential directors could plan to meet the needs of any special event. Every church at every level might have unlimited resources for a special choir for special events if planned properly.

The singers would vote to produce managing officers to lead a group of volunteer administrators, including journalists and promotion-executors.

I recommend that the ministry team of "The Dismantling Racism and Privilege (DRAP) Ministry Team" be the managing unit of the Presbytery as the project appears to be a practical means to promote equality and opportunity spontaneously, especially in the opportunity to learn and appreciate church music of others' cultures. 2020/3/31 14:51
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The scenarios of Christian singing in the churches so far:

1. Small congregations maintain church choir differently from large congregations where paid singers are the key member.
2. The paid singers make it easier for rehearsal because there are leading voices to follow.
3. The small congregation can not afford to hire singers as leading voices and the ordinary choir members tend to have limited capability for challenging songs. The seasoned singers in a small congregation tend to avoid the burden of singing in the choir for the lack of fun/challenge and, perhaps, the lack of time for commitment/
4. The choir directors everywhere lack the opportunity to observe how others lead the rehearsal and learn from one another.
5. The denomination lacks the high-grade choir to lead the worship of special events.
6. A special chorus across congregation could be developed and maintained to facilitate the advancement as well as the basic training across the congregations.

A new form and format is worth-trying:

1. A church choir across parishes and congregation without fixed membership, fixed directorship, fixed accompanist, fixed schedules for rehearsal or performance.
2. potential directors present plans that include selections of songs, locations of rehearsals, designated or openly invited accompanist, plans for recording with a schedule to the managing council, which consists of volunteers across the congregation. A template of such a schedule and plan would be developed and attached.
3. The schedules would be publicized to the churches involved and accessible to the potential singers.
4. The singers would sign up for the schedules of their choices with limited commitment specified in the schedules.
5. Every schedule could include different numbers and names of the singers.
6. A method of maintaining the managing council would be developed at the beginning. It could be revised continuously, jointly by the Presbytery and the participating members. The mechanism of revision would be further developed.
7. Recording of the rehearsals and the performance, if any, is recommended as souvenirs of the participants, as well as the collection of the Presbytery, and the material for future study that helps the potential directors.
8. Every participant has the opportunity to volunteer as director, accompanist, solo singer, composer, video/audio recorder, etc.
9. The writing along with the recording will become the treasure of the Presbytery as the testimony of presbyterianism and the presbyterian life that benefit all the congregation.
10. some volunteers are needed to capture the schedules and the actual implementation of the activities for history's sake and for the promotion to recruit new members as well as spreading the methods beyond the Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery. The documentation would also serve as the report to the Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery to be shared with all in the Presbyter1:y. (2020/3/31 10:46)

The organization, components, and the roles: (2020/3/31 10:46)

1. Groups of singers - whole chorus, parts of voices, territorial groups, ad hoc assemblies, voting members,  
2. Administrators - elected officers including the president, the secretary, and the treasurer, volunteers of non-singing members
3. Representatives from the Presbytery - to be appointed by a ministry team
4. General members - sign up voluntarily to receive notifications and newsletters.
5. Voting members - commit to the management of the organization by signed agreement and a token fee paid, to be determined by the steering committee.
6. Bylaws - to be ratified by the voting members and accepted by the Presbytery