about the Chancel Choir

As the fall program year begins, crackerjack reporter and Presbulitzer Prize winning journalist Priscilla B. Terian conducts a secret “closed door” interview with a confidential source in order to learn the truth about the Westminster Chancel Choir experience. For this exposé, which is only her second print appearance in the Westminster News, she has elected to change the name of her source in order to protect his identity.

Pris B. Terian:  I am sitting here now with my informant, we’ll refer to him as…wait…what would you like to be called?

DiRector: My name is DiRector…James José DiRector.

Pris B. Terian: What an unusual name!  Do you go by James?

DiRector: Oh no!  Even though James is my first name, I go by José. 

Pris B. Terian: How curious…I think Westminster’s new pastor also goes by his middle name, and so you and Alex have that in common.  Tell our readers about your role at Westminster.

DiRector: I’d rather not be specific about what I do at Westminster.  Let’s just say that when it comes to being “organ-ized,” I am the one who pulls out all the stops.

Pris B. Terian: Oh José, you are delightfully clever. 

DiRector: No, not at all.  In fact, you might say I’m just a “regular Joe.”

Pris B. Terian: Let’s get right to it.  My sources tell me that the Westminster Chancel Choir is preparing to resume its ministry in a few weeks.

DiRector: Yes, indeed.  The season begins with a kickoff dinner at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, August 30, at Biaggi’s on Madison’s west side.  The first rehearsal of the year will be held at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, September 6.

Pris B. Terian: Does food play an important role in the choir?

DiRector: Absolutely…we are Presbyterians, after all!  While we don’t have treats every week, we hardly let a special occasion go by untreated!

Pris B. Terian: Part of my role as an investigative church music reporter is to help my readers separate fact from fiction…reality from myth.  Question #1.  True or False:  The Chancel Choir is an auditioned music ensemble.

DiRector: False.  No auditions are required to sing in the choir.  New or prospective members are simply invited to sing in the section that best suits their voice. 

Pris B. Terian: If there is no audition, then how do you know which section of the choir is right for your voice?

DiRector: The best thing to do is talk to Joe, Westminster’s Organist and Director of Music.  I know him well and feel confident that he will make a wise recommendation.  He is especially interested in basses.

Pris B. Terian:  Question #2.  True or False.  Only Westminster members are allowed to sing in the choir.

DiRector: False. Any adult or senior-high youth can join the Chancel Choir.  In fact, choir participation has been a pre-membership step for many singers over the years.

Pris B. Terian: Question #3.  True or False.  Chancel Choir membership requires a real commitment. 

DiRector: True.  The choir rehearses each Wednesday evening from 7:30 to 9:00.  We also lead in worship each Sunday morning, following a warm-up at 9:45. There is generally no conflict with Christian Education offerings, so choir members can participate fully in both activities.  About once a month, the choir has a “week off” where we can sit with our families in worship, travel, or serve Westminster in other ways such as being a liturgist or usher.

Pris B. Terian: Question #4.  True or False.  Choir members are required to be at church all the time.

DiRector: False.  Although participation in the choir requires a real commitment, it does not mean that all choir members must attend every rehearsal and every Sunday service.  Choir members are volunteers, after all!  Absences due to illness, work, and family commitments are natural. However, choir is not something you do only when you have nothing else to do.  Choir is something you do because you have been called to use the musical gifts God has given you for this specific purpose.

Pris B. Terian: It sounds like the members of the Westminster Chancel Choir are very thoughtful about their participation and service in the choir.

DiRector: Absolutely right.  They are a remarkable group of people.  Being in the Westminster Chancel Choir is about far more than just singing the right notes.  We are worship leaders.  We are mindful of not only the wonderful opportunity we have to laugh, sing, and make music together, but also of the great responsibility we have to be prepared to fulfill our leadership role with excellence and in service to God.  It’s a responsibility we take seriously.

Pris B. Terian: Question #5.  True or False.  The Choir’s mission is, “Sing loud, act proud.”

DiRector:  That is utterly and completely false!  The Chancel Choir believes that the music we sing is both a gift from God and an offering we humbly return to God for his glory, not our own.

Pris B. Terian:  Question #6.  True or false. The director is obsessed with his watch.

DiRector: (Laughing)... That’s false.  Joe likes to be in control. Choir members know they are “to watch” his conducting…but he is not obsessed with watches.

Pris B. Terian:  Is singing in the choir an intimidating experience?  What if I have not sung in a choir in a long time?  What if I do not sound as good as other choir members?

DiRector:  A church choir builds its strength by taking individuals, whatever their experience, and building upon them with the help of the whole ensemble. We are expected to always fulfill our great potential as a choir, but we do so not through our individual gifts, but instead through our collective efforts.  Each gives what they can, and the whole is made great.

Pris B. Terian:  Can you elaborate?

DiRector:  We appreciate every choir member for the unique gifts they bring to the ensemble.  Some bring outstanding voices or great musicianship. Others bring equally valued gifts like leadership, humor, and warmth.  The Chancel Choir is a good place for singers to develop all the gifts they have to offer.  The basic requirements are the ability to sing in tune and hold a part, enthusiasm for the music ministry of the choir, willingness to learn and grow, and a focused commitment to offering one’s very best.

Pris B. Terian:   Question #7.  True or False.  The choir plays as hard as it works. 

DiRector: Absolutely true.  Rehearsals are hard work.  We get more work done in 90 minutes than most church choirs get done in a month.  But rehearsals are fun! Nurturing the spirit of fellowship is an important part of the choir experience.  We not only care about one another as musicians, but also as friends.

Pris B. Terian:  Question #8.  True or False.  Choir members speak in tongues.

DiRector:  (Laughing)... In a sense, that’s true. The choir sings a wide variety of sacred choral literature spanning many centuries, nationalities, and worship styles.  The choir has sung in other languages occasionally, but learning to sing a new language is different than speaking in tongues. 

Pris B. Terian:  Question #9.  What do choir members wear under their robes?

DiRector:  WHAT ?!  While choir members are always dressed appropriately, that was a completely inappropriate question. This interview is over!

Pris B. Terian:  I seem to have touched a nerve.  I apologize. 

Now that my readers know the true facts about the Choir, I hope many will make plans to join in its special ministry.