CHORISTERS' GUILD LETTERS Vol. 7 No. 1 Choristers' Guild 305 E
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CHORISTERS' GUILD LETTERS The Choristers! Guild is an organization dedi- cated to Christian Character through Children's Vol. 7 1955-56 No. 1 Choirs. It was started in 1949 to help church musicians with the many problems of maintaining a children's choir. The churches that expected Choristers' Guild an inclusive choir program were increasing; 305 E. Anapamu St. schools were graduating church music majors Santa Barbara, Calif. without training in children's choir techniques; and both churches and directors were at a loss as to objectives and methods. Ruth Krehbiel Jacobs President Realizing the great potential influence of the children's choir movement, the Choristers' Guild has undertaken to give it purposeful leadership. Its program has come to include: 1. The Choristers' Guild Letters, published monthly (Sept. to June) filled with suggestions and practical advice on the many subjects related to children's choir work: discipline, organization, selection of music, re- hearsal plans, hymn learning, parent cooperation, equipment, sight-singing, tone, etc. 2. Better standards of achievement through the Guild Merit System. 3. Choristers! Guild chapters, for the encouragement of local directors. 4. Progressive material for children's choir notebooks, 5. Short seminars in all parts of the country. 6. Summer Schools. 7. Children's Choir Festivals. It is our firm belief that the choir can be a profound factor in the religious growth of children. It teaches them to give themselves wholeheartedly to group endeavor; it gives them happy associations with the church; it trains them in the fundamentals of leadership: regularity, loyalty, dependability and ideal- ism; it teaches them the great song literature of the church; it provides a satisfying means of self-expression; and through a responsible part in the ser- vice of worship it opens the door to the experience of worship. Furthermore, the children's choir bridges denominational differences, as it can be a means of tying together the far corners of the whole Christian world. The Children's Choir is a powerful tool, and the Choristers! Guild is dedicated to its use in the intelligent shaping of worthy Christian leadership. Working together toward that objective there are now 1200 members from Canada, Alaska, the Phillipine Islands, Hawaii, South America, India, the Malay Peninsula, Egypt and almost every state in the Union. More than 60,000 children are dir- ectly affected by the purposeful training of Guild-associated choirs. If the Choristers' Guild is to realize its full potential, it must appeal to the faith and generosity of a large number of people. Each of us can help in our own way, with Contributing Memberships, special gifts, and by interesting others in the movement. The directed efforts of a world-wide association can accomplish things that are impossible to an individual, or any number of unorganized individuals. The more you do for the Guild, the more the Guild can do for you. -1- Guild Membership Membership in the Choristers' Guild is open to all people interested in Chil- dren's Choirs, and their potential influence on Christian education. Annual dues are $2.00, which entitle one to receive the Choristers' Guild Letters, published from September to June. Members who are actively in charge of a choir are encouraged to: Reach as many children as possible Present worthy music, adequately prepared Encourage reverence Use the choir as a means of character development Make the choir a religious, artistic, educational and recreational influence in the lives of the children Support the purposes of the Choristers' Guild CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS A gift of $10.00 a year, makes one a Contributing Member. Both organizations and individuals may become Contributing Members. The Children's Choir represents a tremendous character influence. It works with two of the greatest powers known: religion and music. It works through the strongest moral force known to society -- the Christian Church. The Contributing Member has a keen awareness of his personal obligation to the present and the future, to others and to himself. Because of that awareness he is constantly im- proving his methods, enlarging and deepening the meaning of the choir experience, and supporting the Choristers' Guild's efforts to knit together in one universal movement the scattered seeds of growth. It is the Contributing Member who will bring that goal in sight. VOTING MEMBERS Voting Members are those who for three successive years meet the following qualifications: Contributing Membership Presentation of a special musical service, at which the offering is dedicated to the work of the Choristers' Guild. Voting Members are entitled to the privilege of attending the annual meeting, and a voice in determining the policies of the Guild. HONOR MEMBERS The Choristers' Guild proposes to present a beautifully designed heavy gold cross to those who have rendered the Guild exceptional service, and to those members who for three successive years meet the following qualifications: A Contributing Member A Guild Benefit Musical Service Use of the Merit System Three major study projects for the choir children Maintenance of Guild standards All membership is annual, and runs from September to September. All members receive the Choristers' Guild Letters. ARE YOU READY FOR A REAL JOB? PHYSICALLY? Good health? Full of energy? Good posture? Attractive appearance? EMOTIONALLY? Can you hold your tongue? And your temper? Do you get along with people? Do you know how to laugh? At the right time? Are you a worry-wart? Can you accept criticism? Do you use both head and heart in your decisions? INTELLECTUALLY? Do you hunt and find new ideas? Do you finish what you start? Are you convinc- ing? Have you read any new books and articles? Have you planned your program? SPIRITUALLY? Is your religion real? Do you read your Bible purposefully? And contemporary religious books? Do you know the history and the tenets of your church? Have you studied your church school literature? MUSICALLY? Have you found interesting new material? Have you studied it? Decided how to present it? Set new standards of tone and musicianship for your choir? Discovered improved rehearsal methods? * * * Every choir situation presents some problems. Whether they are caused by condi- tions, or by personality friction, they will not be solved by running away from them. Too often we succumb to the temptation of finding "the easy way out". But the easy way is seldom the courageous way. Leadership demands the power to see a personal problem with the eyes of an impartial judge, and to act with equal impartiality; to recognize disappointments as an inevitable part of life, and to find some wise solution; to refuse to accept opposition, and to convert it into friendship. These are the demands of honest leadership. He who accepts them will truly become a leader. And that is the quality of leadership the Children's Choir movement requires of you. Suggested Subjects for Guild Chapter Meetings Sept. On reaching the WHOLE church Oct. Making the home music-conscious Nov. Better rehearsal methods Dec. Teaching resources Jan. Providing for the changing-voice crowd Feb. Our responsibility for worship habits March A community-wide, interdenominational music program Apr. Symposium on new materials May Plans for next season WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO? WHO? gave me the manuscript copy of the little song: "I believe in God above; I believe in Jesus' love: I believe His spirit too, comes to tell us what to do: I believe that I can be kind and gentle, Lord, like Thee." If you wrote it, or know who wrote it, please write me immediately. -3- Good, Easy, Singable Anthems for General Use SATB Jesu, Word of God Incarnate - Mozart - - E. C. Schirmer 1170 O Be Joyful in the Lord - Wood - - Birchard 1190 Behold Now, Praise the Lord - Titcomb - - B. F. Wood 457 In Thee, 0 Lord, Have I Trusted - Handel - - E. C. Schirmer 1130 O Thou, The Central Orb - Wood - Birchard 1155 0 How Amiable - Vaughan Williams - - Oxford University Press 0 Taste and See- Vaughan Williams - - - Oxford University Press The Lord's My Shepherd - Mueller - - - C. Fischer CM6616 O Sacred Feast - Willan - - H. W. Gray 715 SATB with much unison All Thy Works Praise Thee - Lockwood - - - Gray Only Begotten Word - Allanson Brown - - - Gray Immortal, Invisible - Thiman - - - Novello Holy Lord of All - Welsh-Williams - - Flammer Give Me A Faith - Bitgood - - - Gray Fight the Good Fight - Williams - - - C. Fischer SAB Lead Me, Lord - Wesley-Holler - - - Gray O Lord Most Holy - Franck-Runkel - Ditson Thee We Adore - Dubois - - - Presser St. Francis' Hymn - arr. Olds - - - Hall McCreary Praise the Lord - Welsh-Malin - - Birchard Praise to the Lord - arr. Whitehead - - Gray Lord of Our Life - Flemming-Holler - - Gray Combined Choirs O My Soul, Bless God the Father - arr. Simes - - - B. F. Wood (based on hymn tune) Old Hundreth Psalm Tune - arr. Vaughan Williams - - - Oxford University Press (combined choirs and congregation; used for the Coronation of Elizabeth) Junior Choirs Like as a Father - Cherubini - - Birchard 3 part canon Thanksgiving - Snell - - - Gray The Lord is a Mighty God - Mendelssohn - Kjos I Will Sing of Thy Great Mercies, 0 Lord - Mendelssohn-Protheroe- -GambleHinged Dear Christians, Praise God Evermore Kindermann - - Concordia. The Shepherd Boy Sings in the Valley of Humiliation - Thompson -- Oxford U. Press Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester - White - - Oxford Univ. Press E.43 Let Us With a Gladsome Mind - Warner - - Birchard 2063 Grant Us Light - Thiman - - G. Schirmer 10280 Savior Teach Me - Savage - - Presser 312-21537 O Life That Makest All Things New - Longmire - - - G. Schirmer 10224 Jesu, Whom Thy Children Love - Button - - Novello 1506 A Child's Prayer - Shaw - - - G. Schirmer 10290 Come, Thou Creator Divine - Lalo - - - Boston Music Co. 2724 Primary Choir Songs for the Little Child - Baker and Kohlsaat - - Abingdon Press -4- HYMN of the MONTH (for the choir note-book) DOXOLOGY • Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.