Reflections about Monday

On Monday night, when we were all so exhausted that we could barely keep our eyes open, I suggested to some of the junior/senior girls that they write a blog. Kate replied: "We're tired, giddy, and close to being slap-happy... do you REALLY want us to write a blog post?" Good point.

So, let's rewind to Monday.... we sad goodbye to the Country Inn and Suites and headed over to Notre Dame for a walking tour of the campus.




We said "Hi" to Touchdown Jesus and spent a moment in quiet reflection at the grotto:


Then, we sang in the Basilica. It'a BEAUTIFUL space and great for singing. Tara delivered her solo in "Bow the Knee" with grace and poise - and I was so glad that her parents were in the audience to hear her.

The chaperones had a huge "Uh-Oh" moment when our sound recorder was placed on what they thought was an empty table midway down the aisle. It might have been empty at the beginning but at some point in time, the sacraments of holy communion were placed there, too. And when the volunteers carried the bread and wine forward to the priest, they carried our sound recorder, too! haha And then they GAVE it to the priest. Thankfully, he didn't panic and the volunteers carried the recorder back to the table.

We had lunch at an Irish pub and then moved off to the Chocolate Factory where the kids got a tour and bought enough sugar to energize a small nation. We have enough photos of kids in hairnets to have our own slideshow.

Then, it was off to Camp Summit, a juvenile detention center for teenage boys. They went through a security screening before entering and as part of the security measures, we had to leave all cameras and recording devices on the bus... so there's no evidence of the amazing experience that we had.

When the 78 boys filed out, they looked pretty tough. I could see VIPs taking in their shaved heads, combat boots, and fatigues and I wanted to quickly re-focus our singers. So, I walked up the line of VIP and quietly reminded them:
Some guy out there loves music.
Some guy sang in his church choir.
Some guy grew up watching his Mama sing.
Some guy misses home.
That's someone's baby brother...  son... best friend.

Stay with me.
And they DID.

Within minutes, we had those 78 guys playing instruments, stomping, clapping, cheering and singing (yes, singing) along. And in the interactions between pieces, you got to see a glimpse of the lives of these guys.

As I held a set of bongos in my hand, I said "Any drummers out there?" And a guy stood up, pointed to his friend and said "Him! He was a drummer in the school band." You haven't seen joy until you put a set of drums into the hands of a kid who hasn't played them in months. Pure gratitude. Absolute happiness.

At the end of the song, when I collected the instruments back, I said to him "I hope you find your way back to a band." And that look in his blue eyes as he said, "Ma'm, yes Ma'm, I will." THIS is the reason we do what we do.

Then there was the guy who asked us to sing "Oh Happy Day" - a song that the choir does NOT know. (We're going to have to correct this!) Thank the Lord that Molly and Jeff were there because I think the 3 of us are the only ones who know the song. We got through it, and then a guy in the crowd wanted to sing.

I said to him, "It's fine with me if it's fine with the guards." (These guards are TOUGH.) They said yes! And we were all entertained when this guy stood up and delivered a pretty good version of "Oh Happy Day."

As the concert ended, the whoops and hollers from these guys were just fantastic. Lots of thank yous all around. It's always interesting to me that the first ones to say "Thank you for coming" are the ones that LOOK like they're not enjoying the concert. They sit there with a sort-of sour look and you just think, "This guy is really not thrilled to be here."

But we never know exactly how God works through us and makes his way into the hearts of people. And at the end of the concert, when this man shakes my hand, looks me in the eye and says "Thank you for coming tonight. I really enjoyed this." - I remember that God really can do amazing things, and just
because we don't SEE them, doesn't mean they're not happening.

The VIPs were pretty excited as we made our way to Carlson's for homemade rootbeer and hotdogs. We had a great time at this place and enjoyed the warm hospitality offered to us by the owner! We headed across the street to Bubbles ice cream and had ice cream all around, courtesy of a generous donor from church who pressed some money in my hand told me to treat the kids. Thank you, Jay! We appreciate the treat and your support!!!

As you can imagine - chocolate, root beer and ice cream, plus a very good concert makes for some excited kids. They sang ALL the way from South Bend to Chicago... Ok, the middle schoolers sang and the high schoolers tried to tune them out.

We arrived late in the evening, exhausted, happy, and grateful for a nice hotel.

Reflections about Monday

On Monday night, when we were all so exhausted that we could barely keep our eyes open, I suggested to some of the junior/senior girls that they write a blog. Kate replied: "We're tired, giddy, and close to being slap-happy... do you REALLY want us to write a blog post?" Good point.

So, let's rewind to Monday.... we sad goodbye to the Country Inn and Suites and headed over to Notre Dame for a walking tour of the campus.




We said "Hi" to Touchdown Jesus and spent a moment in quiet reflection at the grotto:


Then, we sang in the Basilica. It'a BEAUTIFUL space and great for singing. Tara delivered her solo in "Bow the Knee" with grace and poise - and I was so glad that her parents were in the audience to hear her.

The chaperones had a huge "Uh-Oh" moment when our sound recorder was placed on what they thought was an empty table midway down the aisle. It might have been empty at the beginning but at some point in time, the sacraments of holy communion were placed there, too. And when the volunteers carried the bread and wine forward to the priest, they carried our sound recorder, too! haha And then they GAVE it to the priest. Thankfully, he didn't panic and the volunteers carried the recorder back to the table.

We had lunch at an Irish pub and then moved off to the Chocolate Factory where the kids got a tour and bought enough sugar to energize a small nation. We have enough photos of kids in hairnets to have our own slideshow.

Then, it was off to Camp Summit, a juvenile detention center for teenage boys. They went through a security screening before entering and as part of the security measures, we had to leave all cameras and recording devices on the bus... so there's no evidence of the amazing experience that we had.

When the 78 boys filed out, they looked pretty tough. I could see VIPs taking in their shaved heads, combat boots, and fatigues and I wanted to quickly re-focus our singers. So, I walked up the line of VIP and quietly reminded them:
Some guy out there loves music.
Some guy sang in his church choir.
Some guy grew up watching his Mama sing.
Some guy misses home.
That's someone's baby brother...  son... best friend.

Stay with me.
And they DID.

Within minutes, we had those 78 guys playing instruments, stomping, clapping, cheering and singing (yes, singing) along. And in the interactions between pieces, you got to see a glimpse of the lives of these guys.

As I held a set of bongos in my hand, I said "Any drummers out there?" And a guy stood up, pointed to his friend and said "Him! He was a drummer in the school band." You haven't seen joy until you put a set of drums into the hands of a kid who hasn't played them in months. Pure gratitude. Absolute happiness.

At the end of the song, when I collected the instruments back, I said to him "I hope you find your way back to a band." And that look in his blue eyes as he said, "Ma'm, yes Ma'm, I will." THIS is the reason we do what we do.

Then there was the guy who asked us to sing "Oh Happy Day" - a song that the choir does NOT know. (We're going to have to correct this!) Thank the Lord that Molly and Jeff were there because I think the 3 of us are the only ones who know the song. We got through it, and then a guy in the crowd wanted to sing.

I said to him, "It's fine with me if it's fine with the guards." (These guards are TOUGH.) They said yes! And we were all entertained when this guy stood up and delivered a pretty good version of "Oh Happy Day."

As the concert ended, the whoops and hollers from these guys were just fantastic. Lots of thank yous all around. It's always interesting to me that the first ones to say "Thank you for coming" are the ones that LOOK like they're not enjoying the concert. They sit there with a sort-of sour look and you just think, "This guy is really not thrilled to be here."

But we never know exactly how God works through us and makes his way into the hearts of people. And at the end of the concert, when this man shakes my hand, looks me in the eye and says "Thank you for coming tonight. I really enjoyed this." - I remember that God really can do amazing things, and just
because we don't SEE them, doesn't mean they're not happening.

The VIPs were pretty excited as we made our way to Carlson's for homemade rootbeer and hotdogs. We had a great time at this place and enjoyed the warm hospitality offered to us by the owner! We headed across the street to Bubbles ice cream and had ice cream all around, courtesy of a generous donor from church who pressed some money in my hand told me to treat the kids. Thank you, Jay! We appreciate the treat and your support!!!

As you can imagine - chocolate, root beer and ice cream, plus a very good concert makes for some excited kids. They sang ALL the way from South Bend to Chicago... Ok, the middle schoolers sang and the high schoolers tried to tune them out.

We arrived late in the evening, exhausted, happy, and grateful for a nice hotel.

Tuesday Night...

Day 4 and we're all into the rhythm of Tour. With the help of our stellar chaperones, VIP is making its way through a busy week.

Today's highlights:
- We had clean laundry ready (and at our doors), courtesy of those amazing junior and senior girls. (really, they're the only ones who could keep their eyes open last night to get it done.) Rumor has it that Courtney is a laundry mastermind....
- Playing with the kids at Newberry Center and putting on a concert for them. The Newberry Kids also performed for us and (by all accounts) showed us up with their stellar dance moves. They did several sacred pieces and then closed with Michael Jackson's "Thriler."
- Deep dish Chicago pizza for lunch. (YUM!)
- In the evening, the high schoolers served homeless individuals at Dignity Diner, and then the middle schoolrs joined us for a concert.
- Dinner at Portillo's and lots of celebrating of Elizabeth's birthday.

We have a busy day tomorrow and we're praying that Maegan and Dylan get their voices back. We need 'em singing but they've both been hit with a minor cold. (Nothing major, Moms and Dads!) With 3 concerts on our schedule tomorrow, we need to be at the top of our game. And in the spirit of preparation, it's off to bed for me.

We're trying to post pictures but our Flick account is error-filled. Ugh. We'll aim for an AM solution and sorry for the delay!

Tuesday Night...

Day 4 and we're all into the rhythm of Tour. With the help of our stellar chaperones, VIP is making its way through a busy week.

Today's highlights:
- We had clean laundry ready (and at our doors), courtesy of those amazing junior and senior girls. (really, they're the only ones who could keep their eyes open last night to get it done.) Rumor has it that Courtney is a laundry mastermind....
- Playing with the kids at Newberry Center and putting on a concert for them. The Newberry Kids also performed for us and (by all accounts) showed us up with their stellar dance moves. They did several sacred pieces and then closed with Michael Jackson's "Thriler."
- Deep dish Chicago pizza for lunch. (YUM!)
- In the evening, the high schoolers served homeless individuals at Dignity Diner, and then the middle schoolrs joined us for a concert.
- Dinner at Portillo's and lots of celebrating of Elizabeth's birthday.

We have a busy day tomorrow and we're praying that Maegan and Dylan get their voices back. We need 'em singing but they've both been hit with a minor cold. (Nothing major, Moms and Dads!) With 3 concerts on our schedule tomorrow, we need to be at the top of our game. And in the spirit of preparation, it's off to bed for me.

We're trying to post pictures but our Flick account is error-filled. Ugh. We'll aim for an AM solution and sorry for the delay!

A Quick Note

Good morning! A quick note from the hotel lobby to let you know we’re alive and well in Chicago! What a day yesterday was… so much to tell you and not enough time. From the soaring sounds of the Basilica at Notre Dame to the enthusiastic, fun, uplifting and fantastic concert at Camp Summit… a chocolate factory, homemade rootbeer, and a song-filled ride to the windy city. A short but good night’s sleep at the best continental breakfast ever.

More to come but we have to goooooooooo!

A Quick Note

Good morning! A quick note from the hotel lobby to let you know we’re alive and well in Chicago! What a day yesterday was… so much to tell you and not enough time. From the soaring sounds of the Basilica at Notre Dame to the enthusiastic, fun, uplifting and fantastic concert at Camp Summit… a chocolate factory, homemade rootbeer, and a song-filled ride to the windy city. A short but good night’s sleep at the best continental breakfast ever.

More to come but we have to goooooooooo!

Day 2 - From Grace to Hope

Day 2 of Choir Tour started bright and early worship services at 8:30am, 9:45am, and 11:11am at Grace UMC. Moving from service to service proved to be a whirlwind, but we made it!

Each service at this beautiful church had its own feel -- from casual worship on the lawn at the 8:30am to a traditional setting at 9:45am, and ending with a jazz service at 11:11. At the 9:45am service, we were joined by Grace's talented organist Jane Flora who accompanied us on "Praise the Lord." She was awesome! And at the 11:11am, we had the GREAT fun of singing with the Jim Pickley trio --- this group takes standard hymns and jazzes them up. I wasn't sure what to expect but they were AWESOME. They played with us on "Lift Your Light" (which we planned in advance) and also on "Praise His Holy Name" (which was impromptu). We had  a ball!

Our plan was to pick up picnic lunches and head over to the East Race Waterway for some white water rafting this afternoon but a wild thunderstorm caused us to cancel. We had some disappointed VIPs, to be sure.

By 3:30, we were on the road again - this time to Hope Family Ministries, a shelter that provides housing and services to individuals and families in crisis. What's unique about Hope is that it has different floors for different types of people -- single men, single women, single parents with kids, and married couples with and without kids. We performed a concert/chapel service at this venue -- and while it started out with a small crowd, the folks kept coming and by the end of the concert, we had a nearly full house. We invited the audience to play percussion instruments on several songs and enjoyed watching them enjoy the experience. All in all, it was a pretty good concert and while there are still some musical enhancements to be made, the overall vibe of the service was just where we like it to be -- warm, uplifting, God-centered.

After the concert, we threw a pizza party for the residents and hung out with them. Then, it was off to the bowling alley for a few games. We had fun -- but we won't be joining a bowling league any time soon. With a few exceptions, we are shockingly bad bowlers.

Back to the hotel for Devo, this time led by Eric. He chose to focus on one of John Wesley's guidelines for singing, instead of a scripture. The choir had a good discussion about singing with an eye towards pleasing God and closed the day in prayer. Eric has put a lot of thought into his devotional, and really worked hard to share it with the choir.

They're off to bed and so am I. We have another early day tomorrow!

Day 2 - From Grace to Hope

Day 2 of Choir Tour started bright and early worship services at 8:30am, 9:45am, and 11:11am at Grace UMC. Moving from service to service proved to be a whirlwind, but we made it!

Each service at this beautiful church had its own feel -- from casual worship on the lawn at the 8:30am to a traditional setting at 9:45am, and ending with a jazz service at 11:11. At the 9:45am service, we were joined by Grace's talented organist Jane Flora who accompanied us on "Praise the Lord." She was awesome! And at the 11:11am, we had the GREAT fun of singing with the Jim Pickley trio --- this group takes standard hymns and jazzes them up. I wasn't sure what to expect but they were AWESOME. They played with us on "Lift Your Light" (which we planned in advance) and also on "Praise His Holy Name" (which was impromptu). We had  a ball!

Our plan was to pick up picnic lunches and head over to the East Race Waterway for some white water rafting this afternoon but a wild thunderstorm caused us to cancel. We had some disappointed VIPs, to be sure.

By 3:30, we were on the road again - this time to Hope Family Ministries, a shelter that provides housing and services to individuals and families in crisis. What's unique about Hope is that it has different floors for different types of people -- single men, single women, single parents with kids, and married couples with and without kids. We performed a concert/chapel service at this venue -- and while it started out with a small crowd, the folks kept coming and by the end of the concert, we had a nearly full house. We invited the audience to play percussion instruments on several songs and enjoyed watching them enjoy the experience. All in all, it was a pretty good concert and while there are still some musical enhancements to be made, the overall vibe of the service was just where we like it to be -- warm, uplifting, God-centered.

After the concert, we threw a pizza party for the residents and hung out with them. Then, it was off to the bowling alley for a few games. We had fun -- but we won't be joining a bowling league any time soon. With a few exceptions, we are shockingly bad bowlers.

Back to the hotel for Devo, this time led by Eric. He chose to focus on one of John Wesley's guidelines for singing, instead of a scripture. The choir had a good discussion about singing with an eye towards pleasing God and closed the day in prayer. Eric has put a lot of thought into his devotional, and really worked hard to share it with the choir.

They're off to bed and so am I. We have another early day tomorrow!

Ahead of Schedule in South Bend!

We arrived safe and sound - and head of schedule - in South Bend, Indiana! The long-ish bus ride proved to be a nice time for VIPs to get to get to know one another better. Here are some of the things we learned:

• Allison (Grade 6) is our youngest VIP, born in October of 1998.
• Jeff (Grade 12) is our oldest VIP - he turns 19 in August.
• Michael (Grade 8) is writing a movie script.
• Ellie (Grade 8) has plans to be a tattoo artist when she grows up.
• Mary Brooke (Grade 10) is a lifeguard and counts "saving a brick" as one of her accomplishments.
• Carmen (Grade 11) has very small feet.
• Shannon (Grade 8) loves the Indiana Jones movies.
• Kaitlyn (Grade 8) wants to be an actress.
• Ben (Grade 7) is hoping to see Mobsters in Chicago.
• We have other stuff for this list but it's sort-of embarassing and out of respect for one another, we're not going to post it! 

Also on the bus ride - we watched movies, played games, read, and some of us took the opportunity to nap... and had the experience of being photographed!
Once we got settled into the nice (and budget friendly) Country Inn and Suites, we walked over to Moe's Southwest Grill for dinner. Then, some of the group made a Target stop (no surprise there) while the rest of the VIPs returned back to the  hotel for a quick swim before devotional.

Devotional.... nothing feels more like Tour than sitting on the floor of a hotel in Devotional, or "Devo" as some VIPs call it. Led by Junior Courtney Eversfield, today's devotional was awesome in so many ways. Courtney used the song, "One Song" as the inspiration for her devotional. This piece was part of VIP's Canada Tour (2004) and was the first piece that Courtney sang with VIP as a 6th grader in September 2004.

One song, like the one sung in heaven.

One song, united in love.

There will be no divsion. 

Ev'ryone will belong

As we stand before Christ singing one song.

Courtney used the song along with 1 Corinthians 1:10 

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

And led a discussion around these questions:

1.) Why is it important for us, as VIPs, to be united?

2.) What are some of the things that keep us connected to one another?

3.) How do we put this verse into action and help ensure that there are no divisions among us?

The responses from VIPs were warm, wonderful, and rich with the sort of genuine love and care with which these kids approach youth choir ministry and one another. They talked about how in VIP, they each have different strengths and weaknesses, how the whole is better than the sum of its parts, and we glorify God better as a group than we do as individuals.

Courtney really did a magnificent job. Her approach was perfect, and really, I couldn't be more proud of the way this 6-year VIP started off the "Live by Faith" Tour. She was AMAZING.

It was a GREAT opening to what will hopefully be a successful week!

Photos from Day 1

Ahead of Schedule in South Bend!

We arrived safe and sound - and head of schedule - in South Bend, Indiana! The long-ish bus ride proved to be a nice time for VIPs to get to get to know one another better. Here are some of the things we learned:

• Allison (Grade 6) is our youngest VIP, born in October of 1998.
• Jeff (Grade 12) is our oldest VIP - he turns 19 in August.
• Michael (Grade 8) is writing a movie script.
• Ellie (Grade 8) has plans to be a tattoo artist when she grows up.
• Mary Brooke (Grade 10) is a lifeguard and counts "saving a brick" as one of her accomplishments.
• Carmen (Grade 11) has very small feet.
• Shannon (Grade 8) loves the Indiana Jones movies.
• Kaitlyn (Grade 8) wants to be an actress.
• Ben (Grade 7) is hoping to see Mobsters in Chicago.
• We have other stuff for this list but it's sort-of embarassing and out of respect for one another, we're not going to post it! 

Also on the bus ride - we watched movies, played games, read, and some of us took the opportunity to nap... and had the experience of being photographed!
Once we got settled into the nice (and budget friendly) Country Inn and Suites, we walked over to Moe's Southwest Grill for dinner. Then, some of the group made a Target stop (no surprise there) while the rest of the VIPs returned back to the  hotel for a quick swim before devotional.

Devotional.... nothing feels more like Tour than sitting on the floor of a hotel in Devotional, or "Devo" as some VIPs call it. Led by Junior Courtney Eversfield, today's devotional was awesome in so many ways. Courtney used the song, "One Song" as the inspiration for her devotional. This piece was part of VIP's Canada Tour (2004) and was the first piece that Courtney sang with VIP as a 6th grader in September 2004.

One song, like the one sung in heaven.

One song, united in love.

There will be no divsion. 

Ev'ryone will belong

As we stand before Christ singing one song.

Courtney used the song along with 1 Corinthians 1:10 

10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

And led a discussion around these questions:

1.) Why is it important for us, as VIPs, to be united?

2.) What are some of the things that keep us connected to one another?

3.) How do we put this verse into action and help ensure that there are no divisions among us?

The responses from VIPs were warm, wonderful, and rich with the sort of genuine love and care with which these kids approach youth choir ministry and one another. They talked about how in VIP, they each have different strengths and weaknesses, how the whole is better than the sum of its parts, and we glorify God better as a group than we do as individuals.

Courtney really did a magnificent job. Her approach was perfect, and really, I couldn't be more proud of the way this 6-year VIP started off the "Live by Faith" Tour. She was AMAZING.

It was a GREAT opening to what will hopefully be a successful week!

Photos from Day 1

On Our Way!

We're on our way! 31 singers, 8 chaperones, 2 bus drivers, 4 music stands, 2 guitars, 1 flute and 1 trombone-- and Noah Goliath Lee, our trusty digital piano. Oridinarily we don't name instruments, but when we take the piano on a plane, it rides in a passenger seat and the airline requires it to have a ticket and a name. So, the VIPs named it. Any 2008 VIPs remember why?

Pastor Don came and led all of thie parents and singers in a devotional, encouraging us to be good ambassadors for Christ, and focus our tour theme - Live by Faith. It's quite a thing to ask teenagers to do... And it will be exciting to see how the VIPs navigate the week ahead. We've already had our first detour- the ramp to 95 north is closed. Yikes. What other detours are in store this week?

Thanks for your support, prayers and good wishes during this Tour! South Bend, here we come!

On Our Way!

We're on our way! 31 singers, 8 chaperones, 2 bus drivers, 4 music stands, 2 guitars, 1 flute and 1 trombone-- and Noah Goliath Lee, our trusty digital piano. Oridinarily we don't name instruments, but when we take the piano on a plane, it rides in a passenger seat and the airline requires it to have a ticket and a name. So, the VIPs named it. Any 2008 VIPs remember why?

Pastor Don came and led all of thie parents and singers in a devotional, encouraging us to be good ambassadors for Christ, and focus our tour theme - Live by Faith. It's quite a thing to ask teenagers to do... And it will be exciting to see how the VIPs navigate the week ahead. We've already had our first detour- the ramp to 95 north is closed. Yikes. What other detours are in store this week?

Thanks for your support, prayers and good wishes during this Tour! South Bend, here we come!

Final Concert Schedule!

Concert Schedule for Tour 2010, updated 6/2/2010

Voices In Praise is headed for South Bend, Indiana and Chicago, IL! Concerts marked with a * are ones that friends, families, and the general public are welcome to attend - we'd love to see you!  All other concerts are outreach concerts for special, private audiences. Thank you for understanding and we hope to see you along the way.

Sunday, June 27
- Worship services at 8:30am*, 9:45am*, 11:11am* - Grace United Methodist Church, 3012 South Twyckenham Drive South Bend, IN 46614
- 5pm - Hope Ministries Family Life Center, South Bend, IN

Monday, June 28
- Worship service at 11:30am* - Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame University
- 6pm - Camp Summit Juvenile Boot Camp, LaPorte, IN

Tuesday, June 29
- Morning work projects and 11am concert - Marcy-Newberry Association, Chicago, IL
- Serving dinner and evening concert - Dignity Diner, part of Holy Covenant UMC, Chicago, IL

Wednesday, June 30
- 12pm* - Worship at First United Methodist church at the Chicago Temple
- 3pm - Clark County Juvenile Detention Center, Chicgao, IL
- 6pm*, Hancock Observatory

Thursday, July 1
- No concerts. Day of vocal rest.

Friday, July 2
- 2pm - Bethesda Home and Retirement Center, 2833 North Nordica Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634-4794
- 6:30pm* - Lincoln Park Community Shelter at Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, 600 W. Fullerton Parkway, Chicago, Illinois

Final Concert Schedule!

Concert Schedule for Tour 2010, updated 6/2/2010

Voices In Praise is headed for South Bend, Indiana and Chicago, IL! Concerts marked with a * are ones that friends, families, and the general public are welcome to attend - we'd love to see you!  All other concerts are outreach concerts for special, private audiences. Thank you for understanding and we hope to see you along the way.

Sunday, June 27
- Worship services at 8:30am*, 9:45am*, 11:11am* - Grace United Methodist Church, 3012 South Twyckenham Drive South Bend, IN 46614
- 5pm - Hope Ministries Family Life Center, South Bend, IN

Monday, June 28
- Worship service at 11:30am* - Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame University
- 6pm - Camp Summit Juvenile Boot Camp, LaPorte, IN

Tuesday, June 29
- Morning work projects and 11am concert - Marcy-Newberry Association, Chicago, IL
- Serving dinner and evening concert - Dignity Diner, part of Holy Covenant UMC, Chicago, IL

Wednesday, June 30
- 12pm* - Worship at First United Methodist church at the Chicago Temple
- 3pm - Clark County Juvenile Detention Center, Chicgao, IL
- 6pm*, Hancock Observatory

Thursday, July 1
- No concerts. Day of vocal rest.

Friday, July 2
- 2pm - Bethesda Home and Retirement Center, 2833 North Nordica Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634-4794
- 6:30pm* - Lincoln Park Community Shelter at Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, 600 W. Fullerton Parkway, Chicago, Illinois

Live By Faith

Every Tour gets a title - and coming up with one isn't nearly as easy as you might think! It goes on the cover of our program, Tour Book, and CD. It should resonate with us and with our audience. It has to fit the character of this choir. It should somehow help to steer us along the God-directed path that is choir tour. And it should not be lame. (Teenagers are very skilled at identifying things that are lame. It's a sort-of sixth sense....)

And so in 5 short days, Voices In Praise will embark upon the "Live By Faith" Tour. Nice ring, huh?

Tour titles have always emerged from our music and this year is no exception but I'm surprised at the piece that it came from. "Bow the Knee" is a contemporary anthem that we performed on Ash Wednesday. I didn't intend to add it to the Tour repertoire but I had so many VIP Parents and VIPs say that this was their favorite song that I added it to our line-up.

I decided to ask my husband, Adam, to play guitar and for Mary Flora to play flute because when we sing at Notre Dame's Basilica we have to perform sans keyboard. With some pieces, you can drop the piano part without too much fuss - this is NOT one of those pieces. So, Adam and Mary put their amazing talents to work to write parts. The result is an arrangement that just takes your breath away.

In listening to the gentle sounds of the classical guitar and the flute, the words that we've been singing for months just took on new meaning: "Don't forget we live by faith and not by sight." Sound familiar? :-) I'll share that another day....

As this new week begins, what an opportunity VIP has to live by faith. Thank you for keeping our singers in thought and prayer this week as they enter the final stages of preparation for our music missions tour.


 

Live By Faith

Every Tour gets a title - and coming up with one isn't nearly as easy as you might think! It goes on the cover of our program, Tour Book, and CD. It should resonate with us and with our audience. It has to fit the character of this choir. It should somehow help to steer us along the God-directed path that is choir tour. And it should not be lame. (Teenagers are very skilled at identifying things that are lame. It's a sort-of sixth sense....)

And so in 5 short days, Voices In Praise will embark upon the "Live By Faith" Tour. Nice ring, huh?

Tour titles have always emerged from our music and this year is no exception but I'm surprised at the piece that it came from. "Bow the Knee" is a contemporary anthem that we performed on Ash Wednesday. I didn't intend to add it to the Tour repertoire but I had so many VIP Parents and VIPs say that this was their favorite song that I added it to our line-up.

I decided to ask my husband, Adam, to play guitar and for Mary Flora to play flute because when we sing at Notre Dame's Basilica we have to perform sans keyboard. With some pieces, you can drop the piano part without too much fuss - this is NOT one of those pieces. So, Adam and Mary put their amazing talents to work to write parts. The result is an arrangement that just takes your breath away.

In listening to the gentle sounds of the classical guitar and the flute, the words that we've been singing for months just took on new meaning: "Don't forget we live by faith and not by sight." Sound familiar? :-) I'll share that another day....

As this new week begins, what an opportunity VIP has to live by faith. Thank you for keeping our singers in thought and prayer this week as they enter the final stages of preparation for our music missions tour.


 

Groups and Roommates

Groups and roommate assignments are done! Check 'em out here.

Groups and Roommates

Groups and roommate assignments are done! Check 'em out here.

Concert at Asbury

We had a concert last night at Asbury Retirement Community in Solomons, MD. This warm and welcoming community has hosted us numerous times and we're grateful for their hospitality and the opportunities they give us to sing. Below are a few pictures from the night.

Thank you, Asbury, for letting us come! We'll see you again on September 18. (Yes, VIPs - we have an early morning performance. Mark those calendars!)




Juniors and Seniors


Tara's heel  is stuck -- again.



Admiring the sunset - Holly's favorite picture!

Concert at Asbury

We had a concert last night at Asbury Retirement Community in Solomons, MD. This warm and welcoming community has hosted us numerous times and we're grateful for their hospitality and the opportunities they give us to sing. Below are a few pictures from the night.

Thank you, Asbury, for letting us come! We'll see you again on September 18. (Yes, VIPs - we have an early morning performance. Mark those calendars!)




Juniors and Seniors


Tara's heel  is stuck -- again.



Admiring the sunset - Holly's favorite picture!

Under Construction!

We're making major changes to the VIP Website! Thanks for your patience while we are under construction.

Under Construction!

We're making major changes to the VIP Website! Thanks for your patience while we are under construction.