“A whispered chaos swirls in the mind of those who carry unmade decisions,” Emily P. Freeman writes.

And for those of us who feel the tension between outward signs of change—the frosty mornings, the wisps of wind through the cherry tree, the shifting light at end of day—and inward ones, we know this is true.

The days are shorter, but our to-do lists are longer; the natural world around us is slowing down, preparing for a season of darkness and quiet and rest, but we are moving faster, preparing for a season of light and holiday performances and dinner parties.

Musical underscoring in worship (traditional and contemporary) is a creative way to elevate spoken texts, connect musical elements that may be separated by reading or prayer, or highlight a drama or moment of prayer in the service. Today, I'm sharing a step-by-step guide to creating your own musical underscores for worship using handbells.

Remember in college when you'd get into the practice room in the morning, unpack your books, and launch into a warm-up sequence? Maybe it was scales, chord patterns, or arpeggios. Maybe it was a finger-strengthening exercise. Maybe it was a technical etude.

Whatever your routine, warm-ups were an important part of each practice session.

I know we're almost there when we reach this intersection.

We stopped here once, at the bottom of the hill, and I took this picture out the passenger window, which I later painted—"Country Road in Summer." Steve was driving and Rory was in the backseat going back and forth from window to window, ears flapping in the summer breeze. Every time we drive this way, through the hills of the Finger Lakes, I remember that moment in time as vividly as if it were a Polaroid.

Do you have places like this? Scenes that evoke such clear picture memories?

Singing is a full-body activity (source). And we know that movement is a valuable tool for helping children understand and engage with music.

This is why so many children’s choir directors and elementary music teachers teach songs and anthems with hand, arm, or body movement of some kind.

Sign language is a natural choice.

Fall is here, which means the return of Georgia football (Go Dawgs!), puffer vests, and apple everything (sorry, PSL).

It also means lots of repertoire planning and rehearsing for Christmas programs, musicals, and holiday concerts.

I recognize that some of you are in positions where you may be programming a holiday concert or program, whether that's a school or community setting or an interfaith musical celebration with area churches. If you're looking for choral music that touches on various Winter holidays and celebrations, I hope the list of anthems below is helpful to you.

There’s a season for growing and a season for scaling back.
A season for doing and a season for undoing.
A season for reaching out and a season for reaching in.

There's a season for singing and a season for listening.
A season for leading and a season for following.
A season for going and a season for staying.

There’s a season for creating and a season for taking it all in.
A season for moving and a season for standing still.
A season for being and a season for becoming.

It can be subtle, that line in between. Is this a season of leading or one of following? Are we creating or recreating? Are we moving or standing still, with the world spinning around us?

It's hard to tell, sometimes.

Each year, I spend some time looking through the new choral releases: studying the scores and listening to recordings. Then, I curate my favorites for you here on the blog.

Today, I’m sharing six new anthem releases for unison/opt. 2-part choirs—several with optional instrumental parts, which creates opportunities to include other musicians, perhaps from your congregation. I’ll also tell you about a brand-new graded curriculum option for Fall 2022 (for those of you looking for a comprehensive, all-in-one resource) with a theme that really resonates in our world today.

I hope you find something you love for your children’s choir this year!

We almost missed it driving in.

Tucked into the bluff, the peak of the slate roof is just above road level and was barely visible through the thick summer foliage.

We pulled onto the side of Skyline Drive to park. The air was still damp from the afternoon thunderstorm as we climbed down the stone steps to the access road.

Many of you faithful readers have probably been directing a choir for what feels like ages.

But I recognize that some of you are new to this: maybe this is your first church job or your first time directing the choir at your church after serving in another capacity. Maybe you have choral conducting experience, but not in a church setting.