The congregation plays an integral part in the worship service and this book from the pen of Hal Hopson, will help you encourage and improve their participation in hymnsinging. Perfect for musicians, choir directors, pastors, and worship or music committees, it is a practical guide of ideas and examples. Similar to the "Creative Use..." series, areas covered in this book include: nurturing the congregation, selection of hymns, the use of hymns in worship services, children and hymns, and the use of: choir, organ, instruments and handbells in hymnsinging. It's an invaluable resource that should be in every church library!

Geoffrey Forward, acting coach and leading expert in American diction, clearly illustrates for the singer how to gain control by eliminating vocal tension and poor diction, replacing it with clear pronunciation. This superb resource allows the singer to put the finishing touches on his or her singing, not only with excellent diction but through the concepts of phrasing, identifying key words and singing with emotion. This 270-page book is an essential addition to the library of every singer, voice teacher and vocal coach.

Is your church launching a contemporary service? Are you trying to balance traditional and modern musical tastes? Where do you start? This new resource will walk you through step by step, from enlisting and training an effective leadership crew to overcoming opposition from resistant Church members. Build a successful modern worship program that will strengthen your music program as you worship and grow together. This valuable text is suited for musicians, leaders, pastors, and students reaching for new horizons in ministry.

This one-of-a-kind worship guide connects you with other worshipers from the earliest years of church history up to the present, organized by the Christian calendar. The rich heritage of thoughts, songs, and prayers from historic and contemporary Christians is sure to inspire and edify you in a fresh way. It features the melody lines and words to both classic hymns and contemporary worship songs, which makes this resource both unique and valuable to worship leaders, choir directors, praise musicians and singers alike.

Here is a church musician's friend that will be taken from the shelf again and again throughout the church year. Everything is included in this practical tool, from hymn selections for church services, to choir member rosters, a Sunday-by-Sunday planning guide, reproducible letters to the choristers for major events, all the way to clip art for bulletins and printouts - this is the perfect way to organize 20 or 200 singers in your music ministry. Hymns are coordinated with the Methodist Hymnal, but are familiar across all denominational lines.

Faced with persistent intonation problems in their own choirs, authors James Jordan and Matthew Mehaffey developed an innovative new method of choral ensemble solfege that offers dramatic improvement in tuning any choral ensemble. Not just a temporary fix, this method encourages the building of intonation skills within the choral rehearsal setting, using solfege syllables in creative ways to develop aural capabilities in each individual singer. The related video shows these techniques in action with surprising results. Topics such as good vocal production, physical movement and modal analysis are also discussed to aid in the teaching and learning process. Practical and effective, this is a helpful tool for choir directors at every level.

A wonderful resource for the Liturgical church, this book of devotions for choirs is a must-have for music leaders and choir members alike. A suggestion for devotional format is included along with prayers for the choir. Approach Sunday's Gospel with new eyes each and every week throughout the church year. Truly uplifting and inspirational.

The author has brought his many years of experience to bear in this excellent book, which deals with the many facets of being a church choir director and gives helpful insights on how to be a better, more rounded one. Here's a list of the chapter titles: Recruiting; Rehearsals; Rejuvenation; Repertoire: The Church Year; Repertoire: Variety; Repertoire: Genres; Resources: Funding; Resources: Materials; Rewards; Reminders and Remaining Concerns. Whether you are a beginning director or an experienced one, you will find this book an interesting read.

This easy-to-understand book is for everyone involved with church sound: sound people, worship teams, clergy and others. Whether you want to design a new system or get the most out of the one you have, this handy guide will help you let your message be heard! It covers everything you need to know about; design and layout of your sound system; choosing the right microphones; speaker setup and positioning; feedback trouble-shooting and control; mixers; and much more.

Beloved carols, scripture passages, thoughtful poetry and historical narratives are blended together in this meaningful book that illuminates the timeless music and traditions of Christmas. Along with marvelous engraving that includes 30 individual hymns and a CD with 10 lovely instrumental arrangements, this endearing volume is small enough to be held by sidewalk carolers, and attractive enough to be proudly displayed in homes, churches or near the piano in any gathering space. It is a perfect gift for singers and worship leaders, and it is sure to deepen the reader's understanding and love for those songs that Christians have been singing for centuries at Christmastime.