Have you ever been in a room with hundreds of people, all singing together in harmony, accompanied by a full orchestra and led by a large choir? It is truly a remarkable experience, one that was a regular part of my life growing up, thanks to the music program at my church, First Baptist San Antonio. First Baptist had an exceptional music program, directed for most of my time there by Stephen Carrell.
Stephen was highly charismatic and enthusiastic about music. When he came on as our music minister he was only 27. He had been a football player, and he was athletic, in good shape, and good looking. He was also amazingly talented in music, and he had a voice that could shake the very walls of our historic sanctuary.
Along with directing the Sanctuary Choir, which sang every Sunday on live broadcast television, accompanied by piano, organ, and an orchestral ensemble, Stephen also directed the youth choir, the Chapel Singers.
It was during my four years in the Chapel Singers that I really got to know Stephen. We rehearsed every Sunday afternoon, and we often performed in the Sunday evening service. We also went on really fun tours in the summer, visiting places like Washington DC, Seattle, and Chicago to perform in churches, public parks, and at special events. We had a very tight knit group, and the Chapel Singers experience shaped our lives in so many ways.
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Chapel Singers Choir 1999
The last time I passed through Dallas, I had the good fortune to visit with Stephen at Park City Baptist, where he now serves as their music minister. Park City is a large, beautiful old church, which also has a reputation for having an outstanding music program. When we walked into the Sanctuary, it was pretty clear to me that this was the case. The full sized organ, the choir loft, the platform for the orchestra, the seating capacity…things we commonly see in older more traditional large churches.
I was glad to know that Stephen was right in his niche, still doing what he loves and is so good at. We went up to the rehearsal hall, which was huge, with enough space for the orchestra to practice with the choir. It was a really nice hall, (nicer, I will have to say, than even First Baptist’s) and Stephen was very proud of it.
Parks City Baptist Church Sanctuary 2020
However, once we sat down to catch up, he confided in me some concerns he had for the future of the music program. “The challenge is that people don’t have tolerance for the discipline of the inconvenient,” he said. “It takes a lot of work and effort to make a music program like this happen. And it’s not cheap to maintain. I think a lot of people are starting to lose sight of the reason for all of this, and some are starting to question whether or not it’s worth all the cost and effort it takes to maintain.”
Having seen so many churches shift from traditional choirs to praise bands (including my mom and grandfather’s home church), I wasn’t surprised to hear this, yet I was surprised by how dismayed I was at the notion. This venerable tradition of a quality church music program must not be abandoned. Many modern churches do great things with rock style worship, but for old, traditional churches like First Baptist or Park City to phase out their choral programs would be a great tragedy. I believe the world very much needs these kinds of music programs, for reasons that Stephen did well to articulate that day. “The church offers people a chance to be part of a high level musical experience that isn’t available anywhere else outside of being a professional,” he said.
He’s right. When I listen to the recordings of the Chapel Singers when we sang with orchestras at Youth Cue (a gathering of church choirs for a day of performances) I am blown away by the fact that the voices I’m hearing are high schoolers. It sounds like professionally produced music. We definitely had some incredibly talented voices in youth choir, some of whom would later go on to become professional musicians, but most of us were just ordinary folks, and even those who were not musically gifted could participate and discover their voice. For those who could tolerate the discipline of showing up every week, a whole world was opened to us. Because of financial investment made by the church, and the hard work of directors like Stephen Carrell and accompanists like Laurie Wilson or Letha Crouch, we got a musical education at the level of a university fine arts program, and the experience of performing before audiences large and small in different places around the country.
The value of having shared in such experiences with my friends during our high school years is incalculable, and we all continue to derive strength, comfort, and inspiration from such powerful choral pieces that are completely ingrained in our minds and hearts.
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Chapel Singers Home Concert 2000
“Write your blessed name,” we sang in a song thusly titled, “O Lord, upon my heart. There to remain so indelibly engraved. That no prosperity, that no adversity shall ever move me from your love. Be to me a strong tower of defense. A comforter in tribulation, a deliverer in distress. And a faithful guide to the courts of heaven, through the many temptations, and dangers of this life.”
Indeed, powerful songs sung together with close friends over the years can carry us through times of great tribulation, reconnecting us to the peace that passeth understanding, which is always with us.
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Chapel Singers performing in a cathedral on Choir Tour 1998, Chicago
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Trying to make Stephen as tall as Trey, Choir Tour 1999, Washington DC
Chapel Singers performing on the streets, Choir Tour 1989, New York City
It was great to see Stephen again, and to reminisce on the many good times we had over the years. I thanked him for his lifelong career of bringing such great music to so many people’s lives, and for the impact his ministry had had on my own life. He derives great joy from knowing he has made a difference in people’s lives, and I feel that those of us who have benefited from church music programs should take extra care to honor and uplift our music ministers.
Stephen and me, 2020
Especially those who are still holding down traditional music programs in a world with shortening attention spans and busier schedules. Not too many people still have tolerance for the discipline for the inconvenient, so if you are lucky enough to be part of a church where this effort and expense is still put forth, I hope you appreciate how beautiful and rare this is, and how much hard work and discipline is required to make sure that our sacred halls still reverberate with the powerful passion of hundreds of voices joined together in praise.
Stephen's director's podium, gifted from First Baptist San Antonio Chapel Singers
We must never forget the value of traditional music ministries. If your church has such a program, you should make extra effort to support it financially. You could also reach out to your music minister and let him or her know how much you appreciate the dedication they have to maintaining these programs. Church choirs and orchestras are time consuming and expensive, and they require great discipline from people who are not getting paid to show up, but who do anyway, even when it is inconvenient, because they know they are part of something great. It is the power of our individual voices joined together that truly has the power to transform the world. So to those who sing, to those who direct, to those who accompany, and to those who simply nod their heads and hum along, keep those beautiful vibrations coming. May we may all continue to be inspired by the glories of creation, so that the rocks need never cry out.