Sprouts, ages 0-5, offered during Sunday School once a month: Our youngest singers meet to enjoy music and movement with a variety of fun activities and instruments with a parent or caregiver.
Seedlings Choir and Instruments, Grades 1 through 4, Wednesday 6:15-6:45pm: Singing and games to explore what it means to make music at church in a fun, energetic, and welcoming environment. This group sings for worship approximately once per month.
Saplings Choir and Instruments, Grades 5 through 7, Wednesday 5:15-6:00pm: Singing and games to explore what it means to make music at church in a fun, energetic, and welcoming environment. This group sings for worship approximately once per month.
Roots Choir, grades 8 through 12, Wednesday 6:45-7:30pm: Repertoire includes traditional spirituals, rounds, world folk music, a cappella music, madrigals, and pop and show tunes with an inspirational message. A coed group, Gospel Choir sings 3 and 4 part music. The Gospel choir sings frequently in church services and other church events.
Our Youth Choirs and programs are all free of charge, and all are welcome. These ministries are directed by Rachel Williams, Minister of Music,.
For more information, please contact Rachel Williams.
Frequently Asked Questions
– MCC Youth Music extravagantly welcomes all children, regardless of religion, gender expression, race, economic means, and membership/affiliation with the church.
– All participants are asked to sing or play at a minimum of 2 performances per year during a Sunday 10am service (but hopefully will want to do more!), as well as 1 yearly community fundraising event.
– Weekly attendance at rehearsals is ideal, but we understand that schedules change throughout the year, and we encourage and welcome children to join seasonally as they are able!
No! These programs are generously supported by the members of Memorial Congregational Church and are free to all who wish to participate.
We believe that the sacred or uplifting is expressed in many ways through music, and this is reflected in our repertoire. Our elementary, middle, and high school school groups learn simple hymns and spirituals, classical Bach and Beethoven, but also modern songs such as from Imagine Dragons, Anna Kendrick, 21 Pilots, and Pentatonix. Lyrics and content are never preached, but always addressed in a developmentally appropriate, question-based way that includes room for all of the children’s religious views.
As a Christian led organization, the goal of these music groups is to create a community of young musicians who are learning to use their voices as a way of connecting with each other, and with the world around them, while being a positive force for change in the world. Our motto is Our Voices Matter: we believe that what we choose to say, and what and how we choose to sing (or play, for those who use instruments as their voice), are a reflection of who we are and what we want to bring to the world.
Different from a traditional performance-based group, these groups focus on spirit and community first, and are child-driven in content and repertoire. Powerful and deeply connecting music happens from that!