It is a widely accepted statement that “he who sings, prays twice”. Nowhere is this better evidenced than by the long musical tradition at St Mary’s which has recently been enhanced by a choir which leads the worship at Evensong on Sundays. But how do they combine their weekday responsibilities with the Sunday service? Carol Murugiah has been listening to them.
What do a landscape designer, a former deputy superintendent of police, a finance manager, a teacher and a lawyer have in common? The answer is they, and five others from different walks of life, come together every week as the Evensong Choir to glorify God with their voices.
At least half of them have had some form of musical education, but there are those who are naturally gifted and able to sing in 4-part harmony by ear. But no matter what their experience and talent, they all have the commitment and discipline to sing every Sunday in church.
“The choir serves as the echo that supports the sermon delivered by the preacher, enhancing the message through hymns that are carefully selected by the Pastoral Team,” says choir mistress Ms Kathleen Mujan Nandong, who took over the reins on January 2014.
With a history dating back over half a century, the choir has also seen many members come and go. The longest-serving current member (since 1992) is Mrs Emily Koshy, a trained Carnatic singer who wanted to use her gift to glorify God.
The choir members draw inspiration from biblical verses such as Ephesians 2:10 (For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them) and Isaiah 6:8 (Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”), which calls them to be ever ready to serve and carry out good works in order that Christ be glorified through them.
Big responsibility
Being the Evensong choir mistress is by no means easy. In addition to singing every week, Kathleen has to study and search for suitable tunes to the hymns for the designated week, refer to the occasion or sermon in her music selection, lead the practice and teach new songs.
Kathleen also conducts auditions from time to time to check if those interested in joining the choir are not tone deaf and can sing accordingly. She adds: “We also do a bit of interviewing to gauge their previous experience in music. But the single most important criterion is a serving heart, as one needs commitment and discipline to sing every Sunday.”
She says new members are always welcome, as long as they can make the commitment and find time for practice, which is one to two hours per week. Interested parties may express their interest to join the choir.
“We’re hoping and praying that the group will expand so that we can split into smaller groups and take turns to serve between Sundays. Perhaps we can also get the choir to go out and do street performances for outreach purposes,” Kathleen explained.
When asked how she would describe the Evensong choir in one word, Kathleen said: “Service, because we are called to serve God, glorify Him and do His good work.”