The Halls Are Alive with the Sound of Music at Immanuel Lutheran

The faces may change but the sounds of praise and worship remain a constant when choirs perform on Sundays at .

Nearly a dozen different choirs that include everyone from students in grades K-8 to the church’s adult Sacred Choir take turns performing each week.

“Music is just a huge part of our program here at the school and the church,” said Principal Robert Christian.

Christian's wife, Lynn, codirects the 35-member adult Sacred Choir along with her husband and works with the church pastors to plan the music presented at Sunday services. Though not an instructor at the school, she also plays the piano for the choir and serves as the organist and keyboardist at church. 

Two praise bands for adults add to the church's musical repertoire, with musicians on guitars, drums and keyboards.

“We are very truly blessed with many wonderful musicians here,” Robert Christian said.

Musical Opportunities at Every Grade Level

Music is also a staple of the curriculum at the school, where each lower-grade classroom has its own choir led by the teacher. Choir is optional for sixth- through eighth-graders, who may choose art, band or a foreign language instead.

Beyond concerts and musical performances at the school, the various choirs also take turns performing at Sunday worship services throughout the school year.

“Each choir instructor can pick their own music but it’s all praise- and worship-oriented and age-appropriate,” Robert Christian said.

Diane Mogan, music teacher at Immanuel Lutheran, works with sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students to direct two handbell choirs and the ensemble choir. The 12-member handbell choirs rehearse once a week during their lunch break and perform praise, marching and festive chimes pieces. 

The ensemble choir includes 18 students who learn traditional praise pieces but also do covers of popular Christian artists.

“My goal is to introduce them to their own musical abilities and teach them a more musical repertoire,“ Mogan said. “Like three-part harmonies, vowel placement and sight reading so they can take those skills and use them to perform for (church) services.”

Mogan said all three of her choirs perform about six times each year during Sunday services.

The job of overseeing all these budding musicians falls to fourth-grade teacher Jennifer Blickensdorf, the musical coordinator for . It is Blickensdorf's responsibility to keep track of all the groups, including choir, bell choir and the band program available to fifth- through eighth-grade students.

Community members are welcome to attend any Sunday service, as well as the spring musical GPS–God's Plan of Salvation on March 16, 2012.