Haha, this is post is very appropriately placed under the category "Homeschoolers' Voices". ;) I haven't made it public on this blog before but since January this year, I've had the privilege of running a choir for some homeschoolers.
My desire is to impart whatever choir and singing skills I have accumilated over the years to my own children (who do love to sing) and other homeschoolers as well, and good Christ honoring music too! :)
As homeschoolers, our children do not often have the opportunity to do activities that require a group, but thankfully, the Singapore homeschool group is truly blessed with parents who have stepped forward and taken the initiative to organize such acitivities like soccer, scouts, etc etc. So this choir, I suppose, could be seen as my contribution back to the community.
I'm sharing three videos, the first one is of the children's choir where we have been learning songs from Character First!. Besides weekly singing practice, I do include some (Bible) story time to help the children understand the songs they sing better.
I am always delightfully surprised at these children's attentiveness, eager participation, and how they can take instructions very well and carry them out the way I want them to. They are truly wonderful to work with!
And besides that, whenever I am telling a Bible story, it seems they tell it back to me because they already know the stories so well. :) Difficult details even! (eg. the names of the 2 wicked sons of Eli the High Priest.) All the mommies and daddies, well done!
Hospitality and Responsibility (accompanied by Joy Tan. Thanks Joy!! And Merci!!!)
They are all too cute!
Second video is the Senior choir. This choir is only 10 weeks old. It is targeted for an older group of homeschoolers (10 yrs and up) so that they could do more vocally challenging things and also with the aim in mind to train them with all the aspects of singing in a choir. After recruitment, I got 8 young ladies for this choir. I am hoping for more to join (female and especially male voices) then we can have more singing fun! :)
Again, these young ladies, not all have a music background but they all love to sing. I chose a difficult piece in three part harmony and they managed to learn their parts and pull it off! I am so proud of them!
This was the rehearsal just before the concert we had on Monday.
Not in this video, but thanks to sis Janice Sng for helping me with the girls and playing piano accompaniment. Good job!
Many positive outcomes have emerged from this choir. The most wonderful of which is the love of singing together, as evidenced by the way my children and their friends will come together and spontaneously sing the songs they have learned.
We serve an amazing God who takes personal care and attention in our journey on earth. I am more and more in awe of how He guides us every step of the way even as we take steps to trust and obey Him. How our children are growing physically, in knowledge, emotionally and spiritually, how we as parents are growing in faith and love for Him, how He brings people who blesses and aids us in our journey, how He even arranges and gives favor to us in the eyes of authority:
Psalms 32:7-8 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
To God be ALL glory.
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