I recently attended a meeting with the leadership of the community handbell ensemble I conduct. As we discussed plans for the coming year, our board president posed an interesting question: “What are we going to do to support the ‘community’ aspect of our community handbell ensemble?”
It was a great question for our community bell group. It’s also a great question for church music directors. Reframing music groups in your parish as spiritual communities, not just musical ensembles, sets the stage for building a family of believers who are excellent musicians and devoted Christians who love and care for one another.
One key to keeping musicians engaged in music ministry is to construct a tight-knit community. Music ensembles are inherently close due to the nature of making music together. This is a great pathway to building the community of faith.
Church choir leaders ideally serve as both musician and shepherd – modeling firsthand how to care for musicians beyond the rehearsal notes. Here are several ways to get started:
Pray Together
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
—1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Christians need to connect with our Creator. Prayer is our primary means of connecting with God, in corporate worship, small groups, and personal devotions. Allow time in rehearsals for musicians to share prayer requests and express openly concerns for loved ones. Offer prayers on behalf of the choir, including prayer requests and concerns shared within the rehearsal time. If the choir leader is not comfortable in this role, offer others the opportunity to lead in prayer.
Fellowship Together
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
—Hebrews 10:24–25
By focusing on fellowship, we keep musicians engaged long term. Allowing time in rehearsals for musicians to share communal concerns is a good place to start. This can be in the form of invitations to nearby music events and celebrating milestones. Milestones come in a variety of forms: birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, births of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. All of these provide opportunities for your ensemble to cheer for one another. Designate one rehearsal night per month as “birthday night.” Conclude rehearsal early and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries with cake and cookies. One ensemble I worked with sang “Happy Birthday” at the end of any rehearsal with a birthday that week, but with a twist – their goal: sing it as terribly as possible! They were successful and very proud of it! Without fail, every single version was worse than the one before! My first experience with this was my very first rehearsal with them. We warmed up with a well-known hymn, and they had secretly schemed to sing it as off-key as possible. I was horrified, then amused, and then felt like a member of the secret club when they all started laughing hysterically – then sang it again, this time with musical expression. Fellowship time, in whatever form it takes, is essential for building relationships.
Bond Together
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
—Ephesians 4:3
Enable your ensembles to form care groups where each section – soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, or for an instrumental group, treble and bass teams – has a care group leader charged with reaching out to members when they are sick or miss rehearsals for other reasons. In essence, form small choirs-within-the-choir for each section. Provide times for fellowship and relationship-building outside of regular rehearsal. This helps choir members lock in on the group dynamic as well as giving opportunity to welcome new members and give them the chance to get to know the old guard. This past year, two of my ensembles skipped a rehearsal (no, this is not against the musician’s code!) and spent that time sharing a meal together. Another of my ensembles elected to hold summer choir rehearsals in a choir member’s home, complete with homemade ice cream, fresh-out-of-the-oven pound cake, and fresh fruit. These laid-back rehearsals allowed us to make music together and grow closer as we set aside time for conversations and connections.
In-home and hospital bedside visits at key life moments help choir leaders connect with their musicians on a deeply personal level in seasons of celebration as well as challenging and uncertain times.
Prayer, fellowship, and bonding within the ensemble nurture discipleship, fellowship, and musicianship. By intentionally weaving these practices into the fabric of your ensemble, you transform rehearsals from practice sessions into sacred spaces for connection. Ultimately, prioritizing these relationships empowers your choir to sing not only with musical precision but also with the shared spirit of a true community, creating a lasting ministry that reflects the love and grace of the faith you share.
