sk any church choir member what their favorite hymn is, and they'll have a hard time choosing.

There are so many good ones to choose from, said Dottie Meyr, choir director for the Trinity Singers at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau.

"To the Cross," "An Almighty Fortress," "Amazing Grace," "The Old Rugged Cross," "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and "How Great Thou Art" are just a few of the nation's favorite hymns, according to a poll by Christian Reader magazine.

Choosing a selection of music for a Sunday morning worship service, whether it's traditional Bach chorales or praise choruses, can be a daunting task. "You are conscious of it because we are the worship leaders," Meyr said. Music can help lead people into worship, she said.

During a recent rehearsal of the Trinity Singers, choir members practiced songs for Sunday worship, a Thanksgiving service and Reformation Sunday. Many area choirs already are beginning to practice for Christmas musicals and holiday specials.

'Just focus on the words'

The Trinity Singers began the hour-long practice with several warm-up choruses and moved to the selection for last Sunday, "May You Go Forth in Love."

Seated in two rows of folding chairs, the members flipped through the pieces of music before pulling out another selection that is planned for Thanksgiving.

"I'll play the accompaniment so you can hear the notes of the song," Meyr told the 14 members of the choir before they started to sing. After a few practice runs to work out the harmonies in parts, she had the choir stand and sing the piece again.

"I'll tell you the same thing I tell the kids at school," she said. "Just focus on the words and it will be good."

Focusing too much on the notes or words on a page sometimes can break a person's concentration on worship, said Gary Belcher, choir and music director at Lynwood Baptist Church.

"We talk about it in rehearsals that we shouldn't just be singing the words or notes and get so stuck on that," he said. "It's a mental preparation for worship time."

Choirs can rehearse and orchestras can practice, but the service doesn't always flow as planned. "We strive for excellence, not perfection," Belcher said. "Sometimes I'll forget the words or a transition," but the choir and accompanist will cover.

Belcher directed a mass choir composed of members from area churches Thursday during a Heartland Remembers memorial service for the victims and families of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington Sept. 11.

Try to strike a balance

The service mixed hymns and simple refrains, much like worship at Lynwood. Music should amplify or address an element or component of God and his majesty, Belcher said. He chose songs for Thursday's service because they could speak about God's strength and power without detracting from his heart and loving care. "We try to make a balance" in the songs, he said.

Some choruses, while more contemporary than hymns, will be an addition to a service because they emphasize something from an earlier song. Belcher said he doesn't choose anthems or hymns because a great composer wrote them but because they add to the worship experience.

"Maybe one person connects with a hymn and another with a chorus," he said. Music has to be familiar enough to people so they don't feel disconnected from worship.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126