Sunday, Oct. 5, the voices of APU Bel Canto women’s choir swelled in the small sanctuary of the Glendora United Methodist Church. The choir teamed up with the church’s interim choir director, Matthew Morrison, and worship leader Faith Shaw, an APU alumnus and former Bel Canto member, to lead the modern 9 a.m. service and traditional 10:30 a.m. service.
About 40 Bel Canto members stood around the perimeter of the multigenerational congregation, singing praise songs and hymns such as “He Knows My Name,” “Be Thou My Vision” and “We Choose Joy,” an original song by APU alumnus and former Bel Canto member Krista Krause.
In addition to singing for the church, Bel Canto members sat amid the congregation for the sermon, partaking in communion and the liturgical elements of the services. Rev. Dr. Hillary Chrisley, pastor of the congregation, emphasized her belief in Bel Canto’s role not to put on a show, but to meaningfully engage and participate with the congregation.
“I don’t see it as performance. I see them as worship leading, because they definitely lead us into calls to prayer, calls to communion, calls to this sense of worshipping God,” said Chrisley, adding, “I’m very glad they were here to lead us in worship.”
Bel Canto’s participation in the service marks its first church visit of the year. The group will visit and lead worship at churches in the LA area, attending a different service about every other week for the duration of the school year. Bel Canto will collaborate with congregations that range widely in sect, size and style, from large non-denominational churches with full worship bands to small-scale services that use hymnals and organ music.
Choir members clap and sing worship songs at the church's second morning service Photo credit: Maureen Wolff
Bel Canto director David Hughes expressed the group’s mission is not to take over church services, but to integrate into them.
“We are part of someone else’s worship, but the most important part is respect,” said Hughes. “We will respect however they present worship, as long as it’s glorifying to Jesus.”
Bel Canto’s president, senior English major Theresa Chumacero, expressed that the opportunity to attend such a diverse selection of churches has been an eye-opening experience.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot about culture, and how it’s OK to relate to God in different ways,” Chumacero said, adding, “It’s neat to see how the church is a body, and there’s diversity within the church.”
While Bel Canto’s main focus is its partnership with neighboring churches, the choir performs in concerts at APU and other venues ranging from hospitals to art galleries. This year, the choir’s repertoire will include several pieces written or arranged by APU faculty and alumni. Bel Canto will sing at the Sept. 17 Dinner Rally fundraising event and will make an appearance at Celebrate Christmas, a holiday concert held on Dec. 5 and 7 at Lake Avenue Church. Following spring graduation the choir will go on an eight-day tour in the Pacific Northwest.
Bel Canto’s PR representative, sophomore political science major Tess Scherkenback explained that its role as a missions choir expands beyond a mere appreciation of music.
“It’s really important for us as a group to realize why we sing in general, and why we have the voices we have,” said Scherkenback. “It’s a gift from God, and we need to use it to praise him.”