Music Programs > Music Programs at Hope Church

Music Programs at Hope Church

Hope Church is extremely blessed to have so many members involved in the music program. It is unusual for a church of our size to have such a full range of music groups. The music program at Hope consists of the Praise Team, the Chancel Choir, the Men’s Ensemble, and the Bell Choir.

Each of these groups fills a specific role, which are as follows:

• The praise band is responsible for leading worship. Whether the music is contemporary or traditional, the praise team engages the congregation in worship. The praise band is specifically not intended to be a "performing" group but to be a part of the congregation leading the music, teaching new music, and setting the tone for the worship services. Since the majority of music in the service is intended to be congregational the praise band plays more music, and more often than any other group.
  
  
• The vocal choir, men's ensemble, and bell choir are responsible for special music. The prelude, postlude, and offertory are the most common places in the service for special music and most of the work of these groups is in these portions of the service. For the most part the congregation is not involved in the special music. We try to have some form of special music at least once each week with the bell choir and vocal choir usually playing once a month and the other slots being filled by solos or the men's ensemble.

	Praise Team The praise band consists of piano, guitar, bass, drums, and singers. The praise team is currently on a rotating schedule with rehearsals being held on Thursday evenings and run-through rehearsals on Sunday mornings before worship. The Thursday rehearsals begin at 6:00 PM for the praise band and 7:00 PM for the bell choir. Both rehearsals are one hour long. The praise band plays contemporary praise and worship music, and often leads the congregation in singing the traditional hymns.
	Chancel Choir The choir's repertoire reflects a variety of musical styles including Gospel, Contemporary, Classical and Traditional. The choir rehearses with the praise band on Thursdays at 6:00 PM.
	Bell Choir The bell choir owns three octaves of handbells and three octaves of chimes. We play a range of music from traditional to praise and worship. The bell choir is a very solid level 3/3+ choir.
	Men's Ensemble Our Men's Ensemble specializes in, but is not limited to, a Southern Gospel sound. Their musical offerings are always enthusiastically received whenever they sing.