The Bel Canto Women’s Choir performed at Village Covenant Church Sunday October 20 and began working toward their goal of localizing their concerts to Azusa churches. The congregation welcomed the 43 ladies who sang six songs in their second performance of the semester.
Beginning with what is known as the APU Round, which involves each member circling around the crowd and singing in a circular formation. The ladies surrounded the pews and started with their first song, “How Can I Keep From Singing?” The church specifically asked the ladies to do the Round, which allows for a more personal experience between the choir and the congregation.
“We are trying to minister to local churches in Azusa and reach out to our surrounding community,” said senior liberal studies major Karissa Hoshiwara.
Choir director Dr. David Hughes said another goal is to create a community of ladies who glorify God through “servanthood.”
“We’re not out there for the accolades or to perform, but we’re out to serve the churches,” Hughes said.
The church body responded well to the ladies, especially to one of their final songs titled “Operator,” which revolved around asking to be connected to Jesus.
As the soft voices filled the sanctuary the congregation was able to simply sit and enjoy the performance while reflecting upon the lyrics.
Throughout the concert different ladies came up to the microphone, introduced themselves, told the congregation the title of the next song and explained how it was relevant to them.
The set list is altered each time to cater to the unique worship styles of the churches, which range from traditional Lutheran to charismatic Gospel.
“Bel Canto is a unique choir because we have a wide variety in our repertoire so we’re able to adapt to different church styles, which allows our ministry to reach a diverse group of people,” said senior business major and Bel Canto president Heidi Chamberlain.
The church received a specific offering for the choir after the pastor’s message and the ladies finished with another APU Round to close out their performance. Bel Cant’s next performance will be held on Nov. 3 in San Dimas.