WHY A BOOK ABOUT THE CHURCH CHOIR IN 2010-11?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or serving in a Mainline denomination) you are well aware of the gradual demise of the church choir. Fewer than 40% of American Evangelical Churches currently have functioning choirs.

Not so long ago, a choir was a given. Not so long ago, people from churches of every description who loved to sing knew they had a ready outlet in their church’s choir. But, in its ongoing effort to remain ‘relevant’ to the surrounding culture, the evangelical Church has mostly decided that the choir is a relic of the musical styles of a bygone era. I understand that reasoning.

But I don’t agree with it.

For me, there are two Key Questions: 1) Is the choir in the Church man’s idea, or God’s idea? And 2) Can a choir in a given church be musically relevant?

Over-arching these two questions is an even more essential one: What does the choir, in the mind of God, exist to be and to do?

The seventeen-year effort (and sometimes struggle) to answer these questions has led to the publishing of the new book, God’s Singers.
In it, you will find 100,000 words plus a 75-minute music CD of contemporary rehearsal techniques that represent my heartfelt passion to address this crucial topic. That’s the Director’s Edition. There is also a shorter Singer’s Edition that can be used individually, or as a choir devotional study. It is designed and broken down into 5-7 minute segments.

As a worship pastor and a choir leader, I am constantly desiring to walk the line where authenticity and excellence meet, ministering deeply to the hearts of people and, more importantly to the heart of God. There is no one whom I trust more to teach me how to do that than Dave Williamson. I am overwhelmed with not only the heart that drives God’s Singers, but also the depth of wisdom and revelation God has granted Dave.

-Travis Cottrell
Worship Leader, Recording Artist
Worship Pastor, Englewood Baptist Church, Jackson, Tennessee

I am deeply humbled by the endorsement of Travis, and of so many others who labor in the field of Christian music as artists, worship leaders, pastors, musicians, and academics, all of whom have read the book and commented more favorably than I could ever have imagined.

I believe this is a book whose time has come, and as the introductory blog on this new site, I here wanted to give you a little background into why I’ve labored so hard and so long to write it.

Please follow this blog if you are in a position of leading worship, or sing in a choir. We’ll try to keep it filled up with stuff that makes you say ‘hmm…”.

VoxNotRox! (Luke 19:40)

Dave