Name that tune
The New Apostolic Church has enormous music resources world wide. Choirs and orchestras in South Africa and Germany have a great reputation and many are close to professional level. Also smaller choirs here and there and enjoying the concerts at great events, youth days or renditions in District Divine services or searching YouTube tells us what a wonderful culture of music exists in the NAC. That did not come overnight but has a long history. Yet everything starts with the right tune.
Basic musics are part of our Sunday School Program. Recorders are the teaching tools for our children to get the right tune for simple melodies, essential for congregational singing or even to move on and learn an instrument.
“I am 65 and never really played an instrument neither was I a musical talent. But still today I remember the tune of Christmas songs I learned in my childhood and can play them on a recorder” the District Apostle said to the Children in Dumaguete.
Sister Genalyn Mosura, from the NAC Admin Office in Manila is visiting various central churches to introduce the Program.
She reports……
Sunday School Music Recorder Workshop
Music is a powerful form of expression. Not only does it communicate thoughts and ideas, but it also conveys emotions and feelings. Music allows a part of our hearts to speak to God in a way that doesn’t happen as we hear the spoken word. Moreover, it has enormous power to engage the emotions, and the Bible resounds with praise and thanks to God through music.
In the New Apostolic Church, music and song have always been vital parts of the congregation. The members are the primary choir. When the members of the congregation join in song to worship God, the life of the Church and the faith of the people are alive.
With that, the New Apostolic Church initiated the Sunday School Music Recorder Workshop in the Philippines. The program aims to teach and encourage the members of the congregations around the country – especially the Sunday School children – to learn the basics of music such as reading the notes and playing of the music recorder instruments. It is hoped that through this initiative, the music program of NAC will improve in the future and that the Sunday School children will become much closer to God through music.
Last January 21, 2018, a workshop for Sunday School Teachers was conducted in Dumaguete City. The teachers were tasked to undergo the basic music lesson first so they may relay what they have learned to the children in each congregation. They were taught how to read the music notes and how to play the music recorder. Part of the workshop was the distribution of music recorders and lesson materials to the teachers who were all grateful. The event was attended with twenty (20) Sunday School teachers from neighboring provinces.
Subsequently, a music recorder workshop was also conducted in General Santos City on November 11,2017 which was attended by numerous Sunday School Teachers in nearby cities. They were also given music recorders and music lesson materials for each congregation.
Presently, there are series of music recorder workshops scheduled to be conducted in different cities in the Philippines. The project is ongoing and will continue until all Sunday School Teachers will learn and will be capable and adept enough to teach the children. /G.M/
