Gospel Choir Music

Joan's Choir Pages - Resources for the gospel choir and choir directors
Helping gospel choirs to be the best they can be
These pages are full of information to help gospel choirs and choir directors achieve excellence in their ministry. We talk about how to teach different types of gospel choirs, how to choose the best songs for any occasion or purpose, and how to get the best out of your choir. Singing in choirs and directing choirs are among the greatest joys in my life. I want to do all I can to support the ministry of the gospel choir everywhere. I hope that these web pages can be useful to you in helping ...

What is ChoirParts.com?
Easy-to-use rehearsal tracks for gospel choirs
ChoirParts.com Downloable practice tracks for your choir Most gospel choirs learn their music completely by ear.  Every part has to be repeated until it is memorized.  In the early days of gospel music, this was easy to do; the melodies and harmonies of the songs tended to be simple. Once you heard the soprano part, you could usually figure out the alto part and the tenor part without being told. I remember hearing many choir directors say, "Altos, you should know your part already," after th...

"Oh Happy Day" - A gospel choir standard
"Oh Happy Day" was a breakthrough song for gospel music
Oh Happy Day by Edwin Hawkins is one of the best-loved songs in the gospel church. It was the first black gospel song to become a major hit on the pop charts. It expanded the audience for gospel music and is now a standard of the American repertoire. This page is a part of my collection of web pages about Gospel Choir Music.

Best Pentecost songs for gospel choir
Great gospel songs for your choir to sing for Pentecost
At Pentecost, we remember the outpouring of the Holy Ghost and the beginning of the Christian church. Here are some inspiring choir songs to celebrate the Spirit in your Pentecost Service. (Painting of Peter preaching at Pentecost, by Benjamin West (1738-1820). Shared on Wikimedia Commons by the BJU Museum and Gallery.)

A choir director's guide to "Perfect Praise" (aka "How Excellent")
"Perfect Praise" by Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago -- A gospel choir standard
"Perfect Praise", which is commonly known by the title "How Excellent" was on the "This Is the Day" album by Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago, released in 1990. It has enjoyed longstanding popularity ever since, and has become a standard piece for gospel choirs to perform.

Best choir songs by Richard Smallwood
The best selections from Smallwood's magnificent body of work
The very best choir songs from the 30-year history of Richard Smallwood's musical contributions. Smallwood first to the attention of the gospel music world in 1982 with the first recording of the Richard Smallwood Singers. Since that time, with both the Richard Smallwood Singers and with Vision, he has provided us with songs of incomparable beauty, sophistication, and inspiration. The songs below are my picks as the best out of Smallwood's works. (Photo of Smallwood's first album, which, s...

The most important songs in the gospel choir repertoire
A collection of the songs that define gospel choir music
I'm starting a series of web pages for some choir songs that I think are among the most important in the repertoire of gospel choir music. So well loved that they have become "standards". These pages give information on each song that choir directors, singers, and musicians can benefit from. (Photo of The End-Time Revival Evangelistic Choir)

A choir director's guide to "God Is" by James Cleveland
"God Is" by James Cleveland -- A gospel choir standard
Everything you need to know about performing James Cleveland's "God Is" with your choir. The song "God Is" was on the "It's a New Day" album by James Cleveland and The Southern California Community Choir, released in 1979. An engaging song both for the singer and the listener, it remains a favorite with gospel choirs to this day. This page is a part of my collection of web pages about Gospel Choir Music.

Best choir songs by Walter Hawkins
The best choir songs from the vast Walter Hawkins collection
Walter Hawkins, singing with the Hawkins Family and with the Love Center Choir, has brought us so many essential gospel choir songs that it's difficult to narrow down a list of favorites. But here's my list of the very best of his contributions to the choir repertoire. This page is a part of my collection of web pages about Gospel Choir Music.

A choir director's guide to "I Love You (Lord Today)" by Edwin Hawkins
"I Love You (Lord Today)" - A gospel choir standard
Everything you need to know to teach "I Love You Lord Today" by Edwin Hawkins to your choir. I Love You (Lord Today) was on the "Have Mercy" album by the Edwin Hawkins Music & Arts Seminar Mass choir, released in 1985. The straightforward melody and lyrics make it a song that stays in your memory. It is a very popular selection for choirs and even more popular in praise and worship services. This page is a part of my series of pages about the most important songs in the gospel choir repert...