Last Minute Reminders for Dec. 5 Chapel

Hi Everyone,
Just some last minute reminders for the chapel coming up this week.

Vocalists - in the fast songs, smile and clap on your arm (or your leg, or something) with your spare hand.  Also, please remember to set up in a curve (like Mr. D's team does) so we can all see each other.

Can E.S. and M.W. please be team leads for set up again?  Thanks guys.

Your Grace is Enough
Electric Guitar intro.
Keys, do shots with the rest of the instruments in the verses.
Drums - remember to watch the bass guitar for beat on this one - particularly in the verses - match the bass drum to the beat the bass guitar is doing.
Singers, remember the different chorus words towards the end.

Joy, Unspeakable Joy
Drums - straight rock beat (bass, snare, bass, bass, snare) all the way to the 3rd verse.  Do fills only at transition points.
Instruments - remember we're pulling back and doing a big build with a key change to A at the 3rd verse.  Also, we replay the introduction of the song at the end (with the electric guitar solo).

Angels We Have Heard on High
Since this one key changes into E, we'll do it here as it will make for an easy transition into Here I am to Worship which is also in E.
- F and K are doing a duet in the first verse.  (remember this doesn't mean other vocalists don't sing!  they just don't hold up their mics to their mouths)
- Instruments only first chorus
- Everyone singing second verse
- H and G are singing the third verse ('Come to Bethlehem and see...')

Here I am To Worship
G sings the first verse.  Unison first chorus.
Remember big build after second verse into chorus.
Quiet start to bridge, build up to the big drum roll  :-)

Dec 5 Chapel

Good practice last week everyone.
Here's our tentative set list for our chapel on Dec. 5:

Your Grace is Enough - Matt Maher.  Key of E   I needed a simple, fast song that you all know.  I wanted us to try a new one.

Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy)  Chris Tomlin  Key of G + A

Angels We Have Heard on High  Key of D   I have a good idea of how I want this song arranged now.  We'll work on it this week.  It will be much slower that we practiced it last week.

No video

Here I am to Worship   Key of E

Nov. 5th Chapel Debrief

I don't know about you, but I thought that chapel went rather well.  There were hiccups here and there (including one big one by me), but I felt we endeavoured to be sensitive, we had a good idea of what we were doing and who was doing what, and we knew our songs well.

I have to preface everything I say in these 'debrief' blog posts with this disclaimer - what I say here are impressions that I get after considering how things went.  Since I'm playing and singing with you all, I'm only listening with half an ear.  Having said that, here's what I heard (and thought)....

Thanks to everyone for knowing your stuff and helping with the set up.  WAY better than last time.  Special thanks to E.S. and M.W. for coordinating the two set up teams.

Biggest pleasant surprise?  A.W. on the keyboards.  Great work!  The keys sounded strong and confident in both slow songs (which is where we really needed to hear you) and you came up with your own lick for 'How Great is Our God' that sounded really good.

Second biggest pleasant surprise?  O.F. singing the 'Name above all names' bridge.  Very nicely done!  Timing, tone, and confidence were all there.  You couldn't have done it better it we had practiced it from the beginning of the year.

I thought everyone did a great job of the singing parts that they had.  I'm not sure the mix was always there, but for the most part you all knew when and what you were singing.  I thought 'How Great is Our God' came together nicely vocally (with the exception of my early entry into one of the a cappella parts - I apologize for that).

The drums and bass gave us a great foundation in the slow songs.  They felt good, solid.  I thought Israel Houghton's 'You Are Good' went quite well.  M.W.'s guitar solo in Planetshakers 'You Are Good' sounded good too.

Things we can change and improve for the future:
- We could be more relaxed.  I know this is tough and a learning process.  I'm sorry if I came across as 'intense' in the practice before chapel.  Make no mistake,  I was very focussed.  I could probably do it better if I smiled more, though.  :-)
- Singers should stand in a curve instead of a straight line so it's easier for us to make eye contact with each other.
- We could get more comfortable with 'free worship'.

Food for thought:
- Is there a difference between 'cool' worship and 'true' worship?
- What are you focussed on when you are worshipping up front?
- What distracts you?
- What is the fruit in you after you've participated in leading a worship set?  How do you feel?  Exhausted, frustrated, exhilarated, light heart, heavy heart...?
- Worship is warfare.  See II Chron. 20:1-30