Shaun Groves
I was in youth choir at church way way back in middle school and high school. Such a long time ago. Sat next to Jesus. He was a tenor. Surprise.
Actually, I sat next to my friends Brian and Tim. We were all there for the same reasons. Those reasons sat on the other half of the room and smelled good.
And then for a decade or more after I graduated from high school youth choir was slowly mothballed – replaced by praise bands I suppose. Guys mostly. Five at the most. Playing those four Tomlin chords over and over again while the crowd sang along.
The choir was dead.
But then…Glee.
A youth choir praise band hybrid on our televisions every week. A few guys playing real live instruments (or pretending to) while a small choir dances and enthusiastically sings extremely square versions of hits from yesterday and today.
Youth choir is back! Pretty much.
I’m in Orlando this week at Sonpower – a conference/camp thingy for Baptist youth choirs from across the country. I’m their pastor guy for the week (God, help them) – teaching a record-setting crowd of 1300 young musicians who enthusiastically sing extremely square versions of hits from yesterday and today.
(No dancing yet. But someday.)
Incredible how Glee singlehandedly turned something so very uncool into something so very cool-ish in such a short amount of time. Incredible too that the young musicians I’m spending my week with are not just singing but serving Orlando while they’re in town. Painting, fixing, cleaning…learning what I didn’t know at their age: the worshipers God wants most are not singers but servants.
Honored to be here with such great worshippers. Thanks, Glee.
JD says:
Beautiful post, Shaun!
Beth says:
I grew up singing in children’s choirs and then on to youth, college and adult choirs in churches that still had them. Right down to the cute little robes with the big bows and then the long stoles. The choir I sang in when I was 4 or 5 even cut a record! My 5 minutes of fame with “This is My Father’s World.” I spent many a summer on youth/college choir trips. Some good, some in which we were all ready to scalp the director and throw his unruly 5 year old out the van window. I’d like to see the youth choir comeback; if only to get more youth involved in the worship service.
Great post. Have fun!
Beth
Megan @ Faith Like Mustard says:
Does this mean, as youth choir/high school choir alumni, that I am morally obligated to start a youth choir for the next generation? I know jazz hands, but that’s the only groovy moves in my arsenol. 😉
Sherron says:
Hey now, youth choir is alive and well in Dallas, Texas! My Baptist church has a children’s choir, youth choir, youth vocal ensemble, and a youth handbell choir. And no, we’re not one of those ginormous churches. We’re just a medium-sized church with an astounding amount of musical talent (we have an orchestra, and adult choir and vocal ensemble, too). What’s really exciting is that the youth choir and vocal ensemble to sing in Sunday morning services. They sang in both services a couple of weeks ago. When I was a kid, we only got to sing in Sunday evening services. I remember feeling jilted by that.
Hope you enjoy your time with the kiddos! I remember meeting professional musicians when I was a teenager. It was a thrill!
Princess Leia says:
A year or so ago, our church hosted a reunion, celebrating 40 years since the founding of a youth choir at our church…..at which our Associate Pastor (in charge of the “Student” ministry) stood up and explained that youth choir just wasn’t “done” anymore. In the 5-10 years before then, our children’s and preschool choirs also died. Our adult choirs are on their last legs as well. (We don’t even have a youth praise band right now, although there are a few youth that play in some of the bands for select services.)
In approximately 5-10 years, our (large, but not mega) church will begin to wonder where all of the musicians are.
Fortunately, my husband and I have already decided that our kids will not grow up without choir, so we’ll lead it if it still doesn’t exist by the time our oldest hits 1st grade.
Glad to hear choir is alive and well elsewhere and that there’s hope for it to come back here! Encourage the heck out of those kids!
Alexandra says:
the worshipers God wants most are not singers but servants.
I loved this line. I was in a worship band as a teenager, and this was a hard concept to grasp – because the servant heart doesn’t always sound so good next to a microphone 🙂
I hadn’t realized that Glee had accomplished such a great turnaround in churches! Great!