Choristers+Guild

1. **Choristers Guild: Where Body, Mind and Spirit Find Voice**: http://choristersguild.org/

2. AUTHORITY · The domain of this website is .org, which is definitely appropriate, as Choristers Guild is an organization that specializes in music for children and youth church choirs. · The author of this site is the organization itself, Choristers Guild, but there is a webmaster who monitors and updates the site. This person is not mentioned by name.

3. INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT · This site offers a wealth of information about how to begin and run a Christian children’s choir. There are a few lesson plans for particular pieces offered in the Choristers Guild catalog and there are also suggestions of how to handle certain situations that may arise in this type of environment. There is additional information available if you become a member of the guild. There are listings of conferences and festivals that will aid in the enrichment of your group(s). And we must not forget the wide selection of repertoire in the online catalog. · This site is referenced by many reputable Christian and musical organizations. There is also great support from the members of this organization for any questions that might arise regarding this field. · National Music Standards that could be addressed through this website o 1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. o 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. o 5. Reading and notating music. o 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. o 7. Evaluating music and music performances. o 9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture. · The site is Copyrighted for 2000-2006, but there is not a specific “last updated” date.

4. PURPOSE, VIEWPOINT · **THE PURPOSES OF CHORISTERS GUILD** 1. **To assist** churches and schools in understanding the importance of children's and youth choirs and in defining goals and objectives for their particular choirs. 2. **To enable** children's and youth choirs to become effective vehicles in the nurture of spiritual growth. 3. **To encourage** involvement in corporate worship by children's and youth choirs through the music and leadership they provide. 4. **To maintain** a national office to which directors, clergy, educators, and others may turn for help and information. 5. **To provide** training and educational opportunities for leaders of children's and youth choirs. 6. **To encourage** fellowship and sharing among children's and youth choirs and their leaders. 7. **To foster** a spirit of cooperation among choirs. 8. **To publish** music, periodicals, and related educational materials for members and friends. · The site is sponsored by the organization it advertises, Choristers Guild. · There are many links provided for Colleges and Universities, Composers and Writers, E-Mail Discussion Groups, Organizations, Publishers and Publications, Resources, and Suppliers – Music and Equipment. For a complete listing of these links, go to http://choristersguild.org/links.html. · Because this site is geared toward Christian organizations, there is a definite bias to the Christian way of thinking.

5. REPUTATION · The site is linked to by many other Christian organizations. Some notable organizations are The Association of Lutheran Church Musicians ([|http://www.alcm.org]), The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship ([|http://www.gbod.org]), and The Baptist Church Music Conference ([|http://sbcmc.org]). In addition to Christian organizations, several music websites link to [|http://choristersguild.org]. For instance, Piano Press ([|http://www.pianopress.com]), a site which offers music teachers and students fun and interesting materials to aid in learning about music, links to the Choristers Guild, citing it as a website that specializes in vocal music.

6. OVERALL EVALUATION · This site is an excellent resource for anyone who is working in a Christian parochial school as a music teacher or who is leading a children’s choir in a Christian church. As mentioned above, there is a wealth of information to help you get groups going and keep your programs alive. If you become a member of the Choristers Guild, there is also a network of teachers and administrators to help you with problems that might arise. There are conferences and other events to keep you abreast of innovations in this particular field. Finally, it is great resource to find repertoire that is appropriate for the groups that you work with. · Rating -- **** Excellent

7. REVIEWER Kathryn Smoker 4/9/2006