If you would like to visit and check us out, you have a choice of three different services each Sunday Morning. The Choir alternates singing at the 8:15 and 11:10 services, with Special Music (solos, quartets, guest singers, etc.) filling in at other times.
8:15- the Family service, designed for young families. After the preliminary songs and announcements, kids leave the Sanctuary for a special children's church service .
9:45 - Contemporary Service. Our teens LOVE this one. Praise music is led by a rock and roll band, including some jiving drums.
11:10 - Traditional Service. No, we haven't left our roots. From the first notes of the organ introit to the last benediction, this service follows the tried and true Methodist Order of Worship.
Can't decide? Try them all. In between services, there is free coffee, juice, donuts, and visiting in the Fellowship Hall.
under constructon by:
Rob Knabel is Back! Yup, after a hiatus of several years, Rob has come back to lead our adult choirs.
Now the music director at East Lake High School, Rob has taken his teen choral groups to win every possible award, even being featured at the annual Holiday presentations at Disney World.
Rob is also the founder and director of the International Masterworks Chorale of Tampa Bay (click here to go to their page, which is under development) - a very long title for a group of energetic vagabonds. This June they put on five concerts in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Other tours have been to Russia to sing Handel's Messiah (the whoooole thing); patriotic songs in Normandy and London for the 50th anniversary of D-Day; doing liturgical classics in Austria and Switzerland; participating in a country-wide choral festival in Denmark and Norway; singing in Carnegie Hall, and even presenting operatic choruses as part of a 700-voice chorus in the Mormon Tabernacle.
May 25-29, 2001, Rob is taking a group of singers to Carnegie Hall in New York City to sing the Rutter Messiah, conducted by John Rutter himself. Rehearsals will be at the HUMC choir room on Tuesday, beginning on January 9, 2001.
We meet in the Choir Room, which is on the east/right side of the main Sanctuary. Just push open the wooden door from inside the Sanctuary and come on in.
If you are hesitant about striding into a new group of people, email me at [email protected], and we'll get together early, so you'll know a familiar face when you arrive.
The choir will not be practicing for the month of August, but special music (solos, duets, whatever) is needed for the 8:15 and 11:15 services.
If you have a favorite piece that you can perform for a very appreciative and gleeful audience, please arrange a performance date with Rob!
You can! You don't have to know how to read music, honest! (though it is helpful if you can carry a tune in a bucket). Rob takes each section through its part in every piece of music. You will probably have experienced singers sitting next to you too, so just listen to them and learn your part.
You don't have to have an opera-quality voice either. A choir is a group effort, and we try to present a beautiful, well-blended sound with no individual voices "sticking out." All you need is a pleasant voice, a cheerful disposition, and a willingness to glorify God in song.
Two Choirchime classes for kids are on Wednesday evening, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. There is a class for K-1-2 grades, and another for kids in grades 3-4-5. Junior Handbells practice Sunday afternoons from 4-5pm for grades 4-5-6-7-8. This is a terrific way for your child to learn to read music, in a joyful setting.
The Adult Handbell group has a four-octave set of bells, and could use a few more willing ringers.
Never played handbells? Here's the basic technique: hold the lead end of a pencil between your thumb and forefinger, with your fingers pointing toward your face. Now bounce the eraser on your computer table. You've just demonstrated the wrist action to ring a bell.
You see, the clappers on these special bells only rotate in one direction. Many experienced players hold two bells in each hand, and simply play one bell at a time by alternating the direction of their wrist action.
The good news is that each bell only plays one note. As a beginning ringer, you'll probably be assigned two bells. Just watch your music, and join in for those two notes. Lots of us color in our notes on our printed music to make sure we don't miss them.
Bad news? About the only tricky part is keeping your place on the printed page of music, but that's why we practice.
The sound of handbells is gorgeous -- truly the music of the spheres. And you'll have fun too.
The Youth Praise Band plays Wednesday nights for POWER UP, which is a neat program for teens at the Lighthouse.
For more information on the middle and high school music programs, contact the Lighthouse at 797-0703.
Junior Handbells for grades 4-8 rehearse on Sunday afternoons from 4-5 pm. Barbara Davis directs this group too. Also as mentioned above, two Choirchime classes are help Wednesday from 6:30 to 7:30 for grades K-1-2, and grades 3-4-5.
The Children's choir rehearses right after Handbells, from 5 to 5:50 pm on Sundays.
Our parking lot is rarely empty, as people come for prayer, fellowship, education, edification, and a sense of belonging to God's community.
If you have questions, or would just like to talk to a friendly voice, drop in or call the church office at 796-1329.
Ask for a copy of our four-page church newsletter, listing all the activities going on in this church. Tell 'em you read about us on THE CHOIR WEB PAGE!
2. We need strong singers like you in the congregation to help them sing the hymns
3. I wouldn't want you to strain your voice
4. Did you know singing can aggravate sinus problems?
5. We still need good people for the handbell choir.
6. Here's a book on spiritual gifts. Why don't you look through it, and we can find a great place in the church for you to minister most effectively.
7. It's a shame more composers don't write more songs in your style.
8. You have a unique range -- you hit both notes well.
9. Did you know there is a new Bible study starting the same night as choir practice? I think you would be a natural for it.
10. You have excellent posture.
Naturally, being the serious, sedate group that we are, the Christmas gift certificates presented to Barbara Davis, who is our keyboard artist, and director Rob Knable came with poems of appreciation. These were composed by Janet O'Brien,
(who has a real future
as a writer of doggerel.)
Here's her tribute to Rob, read by choir president Warren Schaus
(who really wants to be called Emperor):
Rob,
Just a short message
We won't make it long
To Thank you for leading
Our voices in song
You've such a talent
One we admire
For stepping right in
And conducting the choir
There have been a few snags
And we won't deny it
like--kepping the altos, basses, and tenors
Q - U - I - ET!
(sh - h - h !)
Well, that's about it
See....we didn't get sappy
We just want to say THANKS
for keeping us Happy!
