Part of the book
The pews
Congregational song, choir lofts and the craft of singing church.
3 numbers · latest 07/10/2026
-
Pew singing against platform singing
Two musics on one Sunday morning: the anthem the platform rehearses and the hymn the pew remembers, measured in tempo, key, and the congregation's own vote.
5 min
-
The choir anniversary as tradition
A singing-school field notes on the church choir anniversary: guest choirs in the front pews, a long program, two offerings, and a date kept for decades.
6 min
-
The song leader before the first hymn
How a devotional leader lines the first hymn, sets the long meter, and opens the service, entered from a Florida pew before the choir sings.
5 min