The Choir Room Podcast
This podcast exists to promote and encourage two long-time traditions in our society that seem to be dwindling…The Choir and Corporate Singing. We hope to revive the excitement and joy experienced with singing in a choir, as well as inform and educate the listener on all things singing, and all things choir related.
A weekly podcast featuring discussion and interviews with choir directors, choir members, and other guests representing church choirs, college and university choirs, community choirs, show and theatre choirs, composer of choir music, and other.
Segments include tips and instruction from skilled and professional disciplines within the choir community covering topics such as choir culture and community, choir directing, vocal training, ear training, sight reading, and more. A monthly virtual live audience episode allows the listener to engage with hosts and guests during instructional and Q&A segments via the live recording, chat, email, on various social media platforms.
A production of Metromusic & Arts, Inc.
- www.metromusic-arts.com
- thechoirroom@metromusic-arts.com
- mail@mmertomusic-arts.cm
The Choir Room Podcast
Celebrating the Choir's Voice: Uniting Through Christmas Carols, Worship, and Choir Leadership with Special Guests from Metromusic & Arts. PART 2
As the holiday season wraps us in its festive embrace, the Choir Room becomes a sanctuary where the soulful blend of voices lifts spirits and fortifies faith. Joined by a group of personal friends and supporters, we delve into the heartwarming world of choral singing, sharing personal journeys and the unspoken bonds it creates.
Dorian unpacks the theological resonance of "O Come All Ye Faithful" with us, and shows how it encapsulates the core of Christmas – peace, divinity, and the embodiment of Jesus Christ's love. The ever-evolving landscape of church music ministry sparks a thoughtful debate on the place of praise teams versus traditional choirs. While reflecting on this, we uncover the innate power of a choir's collective voice and advocate for a balance that enriches worship experiences. We navigate through the intricacies of praise team roles and how they complement, rather than replace, the dynamic community choirs foster, ensuring that every note sung resonates with the congregation's heartstrings.
As we close this season, we honor the transformative influence of Choir Director Greg Thomas, whose mentorship embodies the essence of impactful leadership. The stories shared are testaments to the profound connections forged through music, echoing the sentiment that true leadership emanates from the heart. So, let's raise our voices in a chorus of gratitude and anticipation for the tales yet to be told, and join us next season for another symphony of insights and inspiration. Until then, may your Christmas be merry, filled with the gospel's pure and unblemished message.
Perpetuating and Promoting the Christian and Positive Idea Through the Medium of Music and Other Arts.
Welcome to the choir room, season 1, episode 32 of the Choir Room Podcast.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the choir room.
Speaker 1:I'm Greg Thomas, your host, and I'll soon be joined by my co-host, dorian Johnson. Welcome to the choir room, mieta Stanselfarer and who we like to call the fourth wheel, coleman Smart. This podcast is a production of Metro Music and Arts. Its purpose is to perpetuate and promote the Christian and positive idea through the medium of music and other arts, and this podcast exists to promote and encourage two long-time traditions in our society that seem to be dwindling away, and that is choir and corporate singing. We hope to revive the excitement and joy experienced with singing in a choir, as well as inform and educate the listener on all things singing and all things choir. If you haven't done so already, be sure to subscribe so that you can stay informed on what's happening with the choir room and what's happening with Metro Music and Arts. And, of course, you can do that anywhere you listen to your favorite podcast. Leave an honest review, and then we encourage you to join the choir room Facebook group, where you can engage in conversation and leave additional comments with your choir room peers.
Speaker 1:Christmas is here and many are still hustling and bustling and doing whatever it is that they do in preparation for the holiday.
Speaker 1:Personally, I try to avoid the malls and the stores and all of that stuff and really try to focus my attention and energy on the true reason for the season, and that is Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Now, granted, part of the festivities is connecting and reconnecting with friends and family, and a few weeks ago I was on a phone call with a friend who had inquired about what was happening with Metro Music and myself and as I began to share what was happening, she went a little silent for a second and then she came back with this statement Greg, that sounds wonderful and exciting, but I just want to sing. I just want to sing, and that stuck in my ear, like tonight, for several weeks. I shared that thought with a few friends over the next few days, not sharing who said it, but just sharing with them how important it was and all of them begin to respond very differently that I invited them all to join us today in the podcast. Now, today is a continuation of the discussion from last week, so this is technically part two. So, as we continue our discussion on the excitement, the value, the joy of singing together, sit back and enjoy the conversation. Now, before we do that, dorian has our final Christmas hymn for the season.
Speaker 3:Thanks, greg. This week's hymn of the week is O Come All Ye Faithful, a hymn that is a classic Christmas hymn and was written in the 1740s. It has two unusual features for such a popular hymn, and one is that it's un-ron and secondly that it has an irregular meter. But the hymn's lyrics are from the Word of God and are full of sound theology. Verse 1, hearkens us to Luke, chapter 2, verses 4 through 7, when we're told that Joseph also went up to Galilee, in the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed to his with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth and she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling claws and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them. In the end, verse 1, hearkens all of the faithful, the joyful and triumphant, and saying O come all ye faithful, o come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem, come and behold him born, the king of angels. Verse 2 takes its lyrics from the Nicene Creed.
Speaker 3:The Nicene Creed was written in response to the 4th century Aaron, heresy which incorrectly stated and believed that Jesus was of a different essence from God the Father. In the Creed, belief is stated in one God, the Father, almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible, and belief is stated in one Lord, jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds. God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father. Verse 2 says God of God, light of light, lo, he abhors not the virgin's womb. Very God begotten, not created. Verse 3 calls the angels to sing in the citizens of heaven above, to sing in exaltation, pointing us to Luke 2, 13-14, where the multitude of the heavenly host praise God, saying glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased. Verse 2,. Verse 3 says sing choirs of angels, sing in exaltation. Sing all ye, citizens of heaven above. Glory to God, o glory in the highest.
Speaker 3:Verse 4 points us to the whole reason for this season, which is the word of God becoming flesh, the incarnation, the coming in the flesh of our Lord and Savior. John 1, 14 says in the word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Verse 4 says Ye, lord, we greet thee born this happy morning. Jesus, to thee be all glory given. Word of the Father now in flesh appearing.
Speaker 3:And of course, we have that famous refrain O come, let us adore him. O come, let us adore him. O come, let us adore him. Christ the Lord, during this Christmas season, amidst all of the busyness and hustle and bustle and all of the preparations and all of the various concerts and programs and all of the family gatherings, let us remember why it is that we celebrate this season. It is because Jesus Christ, who is very God of very God, who was from all of eternity, from before time even began, step into time, took upon himself the frailty of flesh and came and dwelt amongst us so that he might go to the cross and take the penalty for our sins and then be raised from the dead on the third day to justify us and to reconcile us to the Father. Truly, he should be adored. He should be adored, he should be adored. Christ, the Lord of all.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the choir.
Speaker 1:Mi'eta has our CRQ, our choir room question for the week.
Speaker 4:Thanks, Greg. Here we are this evening with our CRQ. So tonight's CRQ is should the praise team take the place of the choir? Should the praise team take the place of the choir? My answer is short.
Speaker 4:No, it's a short answer. I say no, especially if you have a choir. If there's a choir in place, then it should not take the place of the choir. I know, and I hate to refer back to this because we often do it, but you know, during COVID Of course, at that time everybody had to kind of figure out what to do with the music ministry.
Speaker 4:When we were able to, you know, somewhat go back into our sanctuaries or just even online, we're trying to figure out what do we do. Because there are some churches who did have choirs but because of the pandemic the choir had to pause and then they used a smaller group to facilitate the music for the ministry. I understood it then had no problem with it then, because we were trying to figure out how. We were still in the learning process of what, where do we put them? You know, how do we interject, how do we keep them involved, keep them engaged, and so you use a smaller group of people to kind of keep that.
Speaker 4:I was a part of that type of setup. So they would be a smaller group. We would come to the church record with the smaller group and then air it, you know, as the ministry would air, and that was fine. I had no problems with that. But I believe that once we begin to get back into the swing of things or our sense of normal again, if there were choirs, the choir came back. There was a praise team, still, and it was fine, but then the choir came back together, Thank God and still. But the unfortunate part about that is still there are some churches who still don't have their choirs back in place, which is unfortunate.
Speaker 4:You know which is unfortunate. I've never been a lover or an advocate of the choir. Just go away and we'll just use this group right here from now on. But people were doing it. So for me I don't believe that the choir or the praise team should take the place of the choir. But I have a question within this question. That's even a thing.
Speaker 4:We did not grow and our preference preference, that would say we did not grow up in my church we did not have praise teams right, so the choir took care of all of that, all the music for the service. So I think around the early 90s you started getting the praise teams involved and we didn't know what to do with the praise team. We really did not know it was. It was foreign for us because we've always had a choir. So the praise team was very was foreign for me. I had.
Speaker 4:It took me a long time to get used to that because I was always with the choir. We took care of all the music. We started singing, we ended singing. It was us and so that was a difficult thing for me. I had to kind of concede a little bit and just allow them to do that. The, the music, the music ministry, do what was going on. But I often had a question about what was the purpose of the praise team to start with. What was the reason for a praise team? Were we doing it because it was the trend at the time, or did it really enhance our music ministries at all? So that's my question within this question.
Speaker 1:You know, I think that is the question. I think that's the question, perhaps behind the question. I think, whenever a smaller team or praise team as we're calling them is formed, that there needs to be a purpose behind it, a specific purpose. Either they are singing a particular type of music that perhaps the choir doesn't sing or, as I've had to do in the past, form smaller groups because we were traveling and couldn't take a larger group into certain areas and so we had to form a smaller group to do that. Either way, we have to be very careful when we form these groups, because we foster an environment that says this group of people are the elites, they are the special forces. I call them premier singers.
Speaker 4:Yeah Well this is the problem. Therein lies the problem.
Speaker 1:We risk creating an environment that says this group is more elite than the rest of you, so they get to do special things, they get to go special places, they get to sing special music. Now again, that might be the case, but it's our responsibility then to make sure that the smaller, that the smaller group is not held in higher esteem than the choir and that the choir doesn't look down on the next group and vice versa. But to answer the question, should the praise team replace the choir? I say absolutely not. Unless there are situations like I've already described the choir is too big to go into certain areas, or you're traveling and you can't move around that many people, or the team is singing a specific type of music that doesn't necessarily fit the repertoire of the choir.
Speaker 1:Outside of that, the praise team is really a glorified ensemble. So we have to be careful to make sure that they have a specific role in the context of your church service, that they're either singing special music or that, again, they're meeting all that criteria. Now, without that criteria, the praise team is really just a glorified ensemble. They don't reach having any faster or any more effective than the choir does and, you know, not necessarily moving hearts any more effective than the choir does. So no, I don't think it should replace, unless it's a specific need being filled by the ensemble.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I was going to. As I thought about this question, I was going to channel our friend Coleman and say it depends on the context. It depends on the context.
Speaker 1:You know, I'm going to take out my the source and find the synonym.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly Exactly, but it's just one of those things where it may be that, for whatever reason, your church isn't big enough to have a choir and there are just a few folks coming from a church that doesn't have a choir and we have one person leading the singing. I don't want to say that a praise team or an ensemble is always a bad thing, right, but I think it's a matter of how it's presented and how it's considered amongst the congregation. I mean, is it looked at as I think you've used this term before these the special forces or is this just a rotation of people that that sing, because that's the other thing too? Is it just the same people every week?
Speaker 2:or rotation. Right. Is it a rotation of?
Speaker 3:people, because I mean, I think if it's a rotation of people that are always singing, you see, that it's just because we don't have room for a choir on our platform or we don't have that many folks in our church to serve in that way. So I think it really depends. But I would say, for the most part and maybe this is the question behind the question, the praise team has taken on sort of this other than aspect, and that's, you don't want to sort of feed that or create that, but at the same time you want to make sure that you're not trying to establish something in your church that maybe your church is ready for or can't support. Right, right.
Speaker 4:Because there are some, some singers, and I've seen this there are some singers who are the part of the praise team. If you will, but won't sing with the choir.
Speaker 1:No right, well, we'll see that those are the green berets. That's a different Right Special forces. But then you got green berets that are just like rambles.
Speaker 4:They don't sing with the choir?
Speaker 2:No, they don't, they're not. No, no, no, they don't sing with choir. Oh man, oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1:Well see, that's that spirit we talked about before Spirit of death. And we risk fostering it when we don't have a purpose for these groups. Now, now it's beyond the question, obviously, but I think at some point we'll have to have the conversation on how to have these two groups, the choir and the smaller groups, coexist, and then we'll have to have an honest discussion, maybe with choir members, about who gets a mic and why. Because that okay.
Speaker 4:I gotta remember that called the green berets.
Speaker 3:I like that Join the infantry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, glory and honor is due to Him.
Speaker 2:Crown Him Lord. Look, since the sight is marvelous, crown Him Lord. Let's crowd around the glorious. Crown Him Lord. Drink for the royal diadem. Crown Him Lord. Glory and honor is due to Him. Crown Him Lord. I'm making preparation for that great celebration. It gets closer every day. I can't wait. No, I can't wait. Just that one glance upon Him. I know that we will never, ever be the same. No, come, see the faith in Bethlehem, see the babe in Bethlehem. Crown Him Lord. Let's celebrate the virgin birth. Crown Him Lord. Let's all get shot. Meet in the night. Crown Him Lord. He grids to us eternal life. Crown Him Lord. Join in the mighty court. Let's celebrate the Lord. Let's lift up your voice and heart. Come on, take apart, take apart. Yeah, just that one glance upon Him. I know that we will never, ever be the same. No, crown Him Lord. Let's crowd around the glorious. Bring forth the Lord the glory and honor. It's due to Him. We celebrate Jesus the Savior. Yes, I love Him. Jesus, I love Him. Crown Him Lord.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, crown Him, lord. It's my purpose, for which those guests were invited, and that was to address, from my personal experience, what they found the value, significance and the benefits of singing and choir, particularly during this holiday season. And the conversation began to take a little turn, to my surprise, but we're grateful for it. Anyway, here's part two with our conversation with our guests from last week's episode.
Speaker 10:I just want to say that I think it's a very important point to mention how relational worship is not just, like Peggy said, first of all vertically, but second of all, to be, like you said, of one accord and feel like you're connected and family and have that fellowship. Because I think about worshiping with 200 people and knowing the individual stories and being so ministered to, because knowing that this person's husband just died about a week ago and she's still raising her hands to the Lord and she's still giving the response to the Lord that you know what God you're worthy in and blessed be the name of the Lord. And also thinking about Alia and my relationship with her and how she knew the worst parts of me. She still knows and I know she'll take them to the grave, but she, you know, having that relationship and feeling that connection during worship or when she was leading us, and how it did feel so safe because we were intimate in a way that she was that we were able to iron, Iron, yeah, no, sharpen, sharpen one another in ways where, you know, a person with a surface level relationship wouldn't be able to tell me something like that. I would take well knowing, like the way that Alia loves me, she could say something harsh to me not harsh, but like a strong word in the Lord and, you know, make me think about whatever it is that I need to think about, and so it's just such a relational thing and I think that that's really what I really miss the most is the fellowship, and I have found that in the current church that I'm at and it's just a small Baptist church a couple blocks away from my house and I lead worship and we're very close with the music director and the other voices and the instruments and I think that it's such a blessing. You know, regardless of the size.
Speaker 10:I went from this 200 person choir and now the worship band that I'm in has about 10 people more or less, but there's still that sentiment of like the relationship, because once we go into worship you have that feeling of support where, like a lot of times, if I'm leading worship, the Lord will just strike me down in some way and I'll break down and I'll just give a look across and they'll know and they'll raise their voices.
Speaker 10:And let me have a second to have a moment with the Lord. And it's just a beautiful thing to operate within the body and know that you've got that, not that just that surface level support, but like that intimate support where we know one another's needs, we know what we're going through. We have a very strong focus on the heart in this church that I'm in and we're constantly touching on one another's intimate lives. How are you doing? You know, and not just you know, like I said, not just surface, but getting really deep into whatever our needs are and where we are spiritually, so that we can make sure that we are all spiritually growing and together and individually.
Speaker 1:You know I couldn't agree more. I think the relational part of, Can you say?
Speaker 4:something, Greg, before you move on. And it's very brief and it's more about you, sir. I'm listening to these young women and men speak about TSC and the fellowship and how the choir of 200, you say right, at least about 200 people singing. Listening to them kind of makes me think that this is all a great testament to your leadership, sir.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 4:And you were my leader too at one time, long time ago, and I certainly do appreciate that. But just in just listening to these voices here tonight, I moved a bit and I don't get emotional about nothing, but I have to say I am a bit of You're laughing at me, dory. I have to say I am a bit moved tonight listening to these young women and this young man here speak about the fellowship, speak about the togetherness, the family that had to have come through your leadership, and I want you to know you should be commended for that and because this is awesome. This really is. I know this ain't got nothing to do with the podcast, but this is awesome, and they weren't called here for that either.
Speaker 1:I know, I know.
Speaker 4:But I'm just listening and I'm thinking, just you know, within my own head, like man, this dude is something special that he was able to to exert or I shouldn't wouldn't say I wouldn't use the word exert, but just share and from his heart, with all of these people that he did not know.
Speaker 4:You know, you did not know going in, you had no idea of the impact you would have had on these lives. But listening to these people tonight, I want you to know, sir, if you have not thought about it before, that you have had a huge, huge impact, to the point where they can't find it nowhere else. They're searching for all over the globe. They're in different parts of the country still looking for it. And I just want to commend and say thank God for you, thank God for you, thank God for your leadership, thank God for hearing God and being able to hear God and then say what God says, to say, tells you to say to them, because you have impacted their lives, you have, you have helped them on their journey and this is amazing. I just wanted to say that Don't you dare cry, gregory.
Speaker 6:I just wanted to share that. I'm going to chime in on that too, because I will. I will second everything you just said and I think that we maybe take you for granted a little bit, but it is not lost on us, like just you as a person and how the Lord used you. I mean, I could just tell you from my story I started going to TSC and I just wanted to hide in the balcony and I loved the big church.
Speaker 6:I didn't want to be talking to anyone, I just want to be hiding in the back and I wanted to listen to that man on the piano sing a song, just sing it. I don't even want to sing with him, I just want to hear it. And I remember thinking like I want to learn from him.
Speaker 6:And I don't know why it wasn't anyone else on the platform and I mean that's probably terrible to say, but it was you. And when I got to be part of the choir it was probably. It was like I got a lead role on Broadway. It was better than that for me, like getting a lead role on Broadway, getting to work with you and then getting to be your assistant, which was a whole nother level of a story. But through it and the Holy Spirit orchestrated that and I can't even like literally an audible voice told me call and see if there's a job at church. And I remember thinking what in the world? That would be insane.
Speaker 6:And I remember calling Misty and then coming in for an interview with you and I was like what, interviewing to assist you, and it was just this crazy the way the Lord worked it out.
Speaker 6:But through you and your friendship, not just your leadership, but just you as a person, how the Lord used you. I still talk about you to people to this day because you're one of the first people Leadership in a church that ever listened to me, and not just me, but like my family and stories that were hard to talk about with people from church, and you were the first person at a church, in leadership, to listen, and I still talk about you to this day because that has been so impactful, not just on me but my whole family, which is crazy because you haven't even met my whole family. But I just have to second everything she just said Because you're probably one of the greatest church leaders that I've ever encountered and I have the honor of calling you a friend, which I know the Lord, I know he worked that out and orchestrated all of that. But I'm so thankful, just so thankful.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you Alia, I'm gonna show you.
Speaker 10:I have a very similar okay go ahead. Okay, okay, okay, no. When I first went to TSC, I also sat up in the balcony and as soon as that curtain went up, the Holy Spirit and I was brand new, saved like just no fire. I was like this is exactly where I need to be.
Speaker 10:And it wasn't about anything else but that music ministry and I know that it probably had a lot to do with music because I've always been involved in music but really, the testimony of your leadership and how, years later, I'm still hearing your voice in my head when I'm going through stuff, this is much bigger than you. This is much bigger. Just continue. A little lessons here and there, and the same exact thing that Alia was saying how you listen to us, you care for us, and it was so much deeper. It really like it shaped my entire walk. It's not just musically, the best training probably I've ever had in my life but my walk with Christ has been so shaped by you that you know it because I text you here and there. All the time you get my random text messages and it's because that's what the Lord has done through you. So I just I thank God for your life.
Speaker 8:I will add one little story in addition to Alia and Maria's. Back in 2007, I was considering moving to Los Angeles and the thing that kept me in New York there were other things that ended up keeping me in New York, which I hadn't anticipated, but when I was considering doing the move to LA, the thing that was holding me back was Greg. It was you. It was Times Square Church, but it wasn't the church and it wasn't the pastors. It was you, and I know that sounds funny, but it was you. Because I was like I'm not gonna find this with this level of talent and skill and spiritual maturity over there. It's good, I mean, it must exist, but to find it it would be so difficult. And so when I other circumstances kept me here, but it was you know if I, if I could have just moved, the thing that stopped me was was you?
Speaker 1:Well, thanks, peggy, and all of you, aliya Maria. You know, peggy, I remember you trying to move.
Speaker 8:I was considering it. I wasn't about to Do it, but the thing that was holding me back was I Need to be where Greg is.
Speaker 1:Well, well, thanks again. I remember speaking and praying against that move, just like I prayed for children for all of my married couples, for Misty and Michelle and For alia, and they all got married and all had children, even Angel, who's here.
Speaker 5:Yeah, well, wait, can I just jump in here really quickly because you know I haven't seen Peggy or Margaret, I always called her Peggy. I know it's a good you kept Peggy there and not many people will know this, but I worked in the media entertainment Industry and I didn't see many saved or Christian people in that industry. And when I found out that my fellow choir made on the alto side because I was on the soprano side, when I found out that she was in media and Working in the level that she was working, first of all I was blown away because she did not fit the mole of what I had been exposed to. And here I am, you know, wanting to be there, was struggling in this secular environment and not seeing anyone who I could look to, who was following Christ and pursuing professional role. So I didn't meet you till after this, we think it's. I didn't get to know that about you till after that, and so I'm thankful that she was there because she has been.
Speaker 5:Whether you know it or not, peggy, you have been a huge Blessing to me, and I mean at random times I think about you and how, what I would ultimately get to do you kind of late the groundwork, for first you were someone who had integrity, who I could look to to see Okay, god, you know I can be in these spaces and maintain integrity. And then you went a step further. I remember working on a project. You hired me on a project when I was In between jobs and I got to to see you at work and be with you and, while amazing small to you, it was huge for me.
Speaker 5:It came at a time where, emotionally and mentally, I needed to be in that creative space and I was struggling to figure things out of where I was headed and I think I was fighting. We got about where I was headed because ultimately I ended up going to work for Greg, but and so but. It was a huge piece that would be a big part of a puzzle that I would not even began to see take shape until probably a decade later. And so when I look and see what I've been able to do in the last five years of my life, it all goes back to your influence and your Handprint in my life. So thank you for that.
Speaker 8:I.
Speaker 1:Hope we got an answer to the CRQ.
Speaker 4:Oh, I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker 5:Initially we were talking about. You know singing. What does it do for you, peggy?
Speaker 8:and our roommate in Scotland and.
Speaker 5:I had been running from leadership opportunities because it was almost it was. You know, it's more fun to be in the group than to be the leader. The leader takes the heat and I just started working at the church and I went from going as a part of the team to the mission strip to now leading the team and I was facing probably one of the biggest fears that I had been running from and Peggy was my roommate.
Speaker 5:I don't know if you remember this. Yes, getting from New York City To Greenock, scotland, was quite the ordeal, with that many people and I just greenock, greenock. Yes, I remember being so stressed. And I also remember Then, first night, when I remember there's a curtain or not, but when the music started to play and we started to worship, I remember crying Because I was like, wow, god, you know, here I was, I was not serving in joy, I was, but once we started worshiping, everything lifted up off of me and I remember feeling, okay, god, if I had to go through all this To be here to get to do this, I'm doing what I love, I'm worshiping you, and when I do it, what I feel I Can't, you can't find anywhere else, you can't follow it up, you can't buy it. But that atmosphere of worship and praise, and when everything else that is on you is lifted and you say, okay, fine, I surrender if I gotta do all of that just to get to do this, it is so worth it because it's such a beautiful moment in atmosphere.
Speaker 10:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, since we are so way off topic, I'm going I'm gonna show a video now. Our listeners won't be able to see it, but you'll at least be able to hear it, and then, oh well, we'll talk a little bit about this.
Speaker 2:Back.
Speaker 9:Clean. I find no fault in this man, the liar Radical. He came to bring justice. He's a liar.
Speaker 2:No Of last we were we must be killed For him to dance. He's a liar Of last we were. We must be killed For him to dance. He's done something to people Spreading lies to out the land From.
Speaker 9:Galilee to Jerusalem. Do you not have a custom that a prisoner be freed at the Passover? Therefore, since I find no fault in this man Deserving of death, I will chastise him and release him. No, but he's a liar.
Speaker 2:No, Of last we were. We must be killed. For him to dance, but he's a liar Of last we were. We must be killed For him to dance.
Speaker 9:Away with him. Give us Varabas Varabas. No, bring forth the prisoner Varabas Varabas. Is this the man you want free in your streets? No, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Give us Varabas, this man who incites rebellion and is a known murderer.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yes yes, yes, no yes.
Speaker 9:Release him, or shall I release you, your King Jesus? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes yes, yes, no, no.
Speaker 2:We have no King but Caesar. Away with Caesar Varabas, yes, and what shall?
Speaker 9:I do with Jesus. Call the Messiah.
Speaker 2:Kill.
Speaker 1:That is our dear friend Chris Montelion, and this was actually a production entitled Sent by God, which is an Easter production, not a Christmas one. Now, our listeners probably figured that out based on the content, but I wanted to cue it since we were already off topic. But yet on topic and the fact that we have Chris Montelion with us.
Speaker 7:Chris, you know that was the first time that Andy and I ever sang together, was doing that at Easter production. We had never sung together.
Speaker 1:You know, I remember you telling me that.
Speaker 7:Yeah, and that was the performance that changed my life forever. That's where I said I don't know.
Speaker 1:Well, I think you've changed that role forever. Nobody's done it since. Obviously, what is done?
Speaker 9:right, what's done?
Speaker 1:I just remember the process and writing that piece, that I didn't have a song for that scene, and remember thinking of you and Andy and said well, you know, let me, let me come up with something that works for both of you. And there you have it. I think the title of the one that she sang to you was called the Dream. That's right when she warns you why you shouldn't have anything to do with this man.
Speaker 7:Yeah, oh, yeah, keep your hands clean. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, I will say this there is much more singing in the future for all of you. So you've gotten comfortable. Don't get comfortable. That's right. You're not done.
Speaker 8:Actually, I said this to you already. It was post-pandemic, I mean during the pandemic, but I've got witnesses here and I've already said this to you before. But I really, really encourage you to continue to write music and arrange music. Of course, it is a gift that you have, that we have all been blessed to sing those arrangements and those songs. So please keep doing that. Don't let I mean it's again. This is awesome what you're doing with the podcast and all of that other stuff, but don't, don't let go of the actual musical talent that you have, because, yeah, please don't and include us. You're doing it because I miss it so much. The sound is so different, the arrangements are so different. I might and I, I, I miss you every single time. Every single time. Like you know, we could sing this, similar notes and the same songs, but the arrangements and the way that you put that music together it's it's totally different and I miss it so much. So please do not stop doing that.
Speaker 5:That gospel thread, right, peggy? Yeah, I think, look, I think, should we. Should we work on a documentary?
Speaker 8:I just want to sing, well put.
Speaker 5:Give me the name of the documentary.
Speaker 8:I just want to sing Come on Food for the soul.
Speaker 7:Even when you were playing those clips, I started crying. It's just, it's home, it's home.
Speaker 8:Yeah.
Speaker 7:Even my girls, my girls. My oldest is 22 now and 22, 20 and 19. And they miss what they were raised with, but they view as being the leader of the of what they grew up on. They can walk into a church and, within the first song, go. Not there. They have discernment now because of you. It's your fault. Listen to the Holy Spirit and they're trained. They are just. That's what their desire is. They want to worship, and thank you for that, Greg, just thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, chris, for those kind of words, and thank all of you for joining us tonight. We will have to get you back to address the CRQ in full and then we'll talk about some of the things that we have coming up in 2024. A very Merry Christmas to all of you and your families.
Speaker 8:Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks, greg.
Speaker 5:Thank you so much, merry.
Speaker 2:Christmas Bye.
Speaker 1:To our listeners. Merry Christmas to you and we will be back with you with a new episode and a new season in the coming year. And remember, if ever we put the messenger before the message, we have failed to present an unblemished gospel. I'm Greg Thomas. Join us again next time here in the Choir Room.
