As a director of church music I believe it is important for intergenerations to work together in worship. Using five points this article explores several benefits that I believe intergenerational church music making achieves.

1. Serving as role models for inspiring each other to strive for excellence
2. Encouraging active use of music terminology
3. Understanding the importance of good vocal production
4. Accompanying each other while singing
5. Learning to sing and lead liturgy

My current position as organist/choirmaster at St. Bede's Episcopal Church will serve as a foundation for this discussion.

Ten years ago the thought of combining choirs at St. Bede's was a bit more than excruciating—let’s say—poisonous. The children and youth did not like being near the adults because they were "mean and scary" and the adults did not like singing with the children and youth because they were "squirmy and ill-mannered."

To remedy this I wrote pieces now found in Singing Through the Church Year. In these pieces we could be creative, spatial, and layer parts for different aged choirs. The children and youth not only sang but also accompanied the choirs with percussion instruments. Through the years, as each choir grew in musical development and skill, each group slowly re-evaluated the importance of their role as musicians and leaders. Simultaneously new relationships began to evolve with each other.

These last two years have been most exciting. All choirs have now learned much of the repertoire from Singing Through the Church Year as foundational pieces for the liturgical cycle. They now enjoy opportunities to work creatively together.

Now let us explore the benefits the above five points illustrate.

Point 1. Serving as role models for inspiring each other to strive for excellence
During Sunday morning warm-up rehearsals, my adult choir often acts as if it has never seen the anthem we are about to sing, even though we rehearsed it carefully earlier in the week. One particular Sunday the children were singing with the adults, facing them during the warm-up rehearsal. The children were singing well but the adults were looking confused and unprepared. In a serious manner one child commented, "Miss Tamara, the adults don't know their music. What are we going to do?" When the other children nodded in agreement, I assured them that the adults would be fine in time for worship; meanwhile, the adult choir tried to hide its shocked amusement. Since that Sunday, morning warm-up with the adult choir is much more focused! The next month, as the adults rehearsed one of our layered canons to sing with the children, one adult choir member stated that everyone had to carefully pay attention to the instructions because we had to be well prepared when singing with the children.

Point 1 (continued) and point 2. Encouraging active use of music terminology
When my youth choir sings works such as the Vivaldi Gloria, or Schubert and Mozart masses, some of our adult choir members are invited to join the youth. This is because our adults enjoy singing these works (I purposely reserve these pieces only for the youth), and our small youth choir needs augmented parts. What I do not tell either choir is that this is an intentional opportunity to combine generations. During these combined rehearsals I work quickly, frequently asking the youth choir to identify musical terms and styles. Their quick answers impress the adults. One can be sure the adults are more attentive when we discuss these same terms in their rehearsals. Thus, youth and adults are on equal ground.

Point 3. Understanding the importance of good vocal production
One often wonders if children are listening for good vocal sound. One of my fine adult sopranos recently shared that the young boy she was mentoring during worship turned to her before the service began and stated in a serious but respectful manner, "You are singing very well, but if you could try to get that wiggle out of your voice it would be even better!" How can one not just love these children!

Point 4. Accompanying each other while singing
Later this spring I assigned to the adults the fun instruments children and youth normally play during our ensemble pieces. The adults could not wait to show off their ability to sing while playing cymbals, shakers, rainsticks, bells, etc.!

Point 5. Learning to sing and lead liturgy
The adult choir now serves as active mentors for both the youth and children's choirs. Youth and children are assigned to sit with an adult who helps them both sing and lead liturgy throughout the service. The adult choir members now look forward to this opportunity. Because of this system, our younger choirs have learned to lead liturgy, psalms, and hymns with confidence, even on those occasions when the adult choir is not present.

In summary, our intergenerational work at St. Bede's has formed new relationships based on respect and having fun. Through this process our musicality has risen to levels much higher than what we would have achieved without such intergenerational connections.