Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

As Christians we worship a God who desires our praise through music. For 90 minutes each Wednesday afternoon, about a dozen first and second graders in the Training Choir are learning to add their voices to the Church's great hymn of praise.

While nobody expects a child to study the Holy Scripture without first being taught to read, many people seem to expect children to be able to make a joyful noise to the Lord without any musical instruction. But singing doesn't always come naturally. As director of the Training Choir for the past three years, I have found that more than half of the children coming into the choir are technically "non-singers." Sometimes they are erroneously called "tone deaf" or "monotones;" but in fact, they are simply children who have never been taught how to find their singing voice and how to match pitch.

So first and foremost, my objective with the Training Choir has been development of the singing voice. Every week we play a variety of games that help the children develop their singing voices. We "launch rockets" with our voices and imitate fireworks. We imitate the sounds of big and little animals. The children love to play singing games. They never tire of playing "I Have Lost the Closet Key" or "Wrenard," and they are blissfully unaware that they are repeating simple melodies designed to make them more secure and confident singers. Through regular practice every single child in the Training Choir has been able to learn to match pitch and sing simple melodies accurately.

Of course there's more to it. God wants our song to be joyful. And whether it's music or tennis or bridge, competence and delight are seldom far apart. For young singers, part of that competence comes from learning to break the code of musical notation. In every rehearsal we use a variety of techniques including rhythm instruments or choir chimes to engage children in cracking the musical code.

This year the Training Choir will change its name to the Cantus Choir. The Latin word Cantus means "song," "melody," or "poetry" and the choir's name change reflects its broad dual purpose. For all children this choir will introduce them to the principal aspects of music, focusing on singing, helping each child to find his or her voice and to use it for God. Some children graduate from the Training Choir to the Junior Choir where they offer their praise to God from the choir stalls. Other children graduate to the congregation, where they offer their praise from the pews. But all children in the Training Choir have started down that path that will lead them to that "more profound alleluia" so often found in music.

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