Texas Choir Travels to Nova Scotia to Sing at 175th Church Anniversary

The soaring melodies performed by a Disciples choir from Texas probably reached high into the rafters at Milton Christian Church in Milton, Nova Scotia on Oct. 11 at its 175th church anniversary celebration.

It has been two weeks since I was among those in the congregation at Milton Christian Church, listening to the outstanding musical performance by the University Christian Church Chancel Choir from Ft. Worth, Texas. Even now, I can remember some of the lilting hymns, spirituals and traditional selections performed by the well-known group.

The 40-person choir traveled nearly 2600 miles – mostly at UCC’s expense – to little Milton, a former logging community along the Mersey River in Nova Scotia, Canada with a proud population of about 1000 people. On Saturday evening, the choir , under the direction of Ron Shirey, UCC’s choirmaster for 36 years, presented a concert program of almost two dozen selections, including such traditional music as, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” The next day, Sunday, Oct. 11, the group sang several moving selections during Sunday morning worship and later at an evening anniversary service. And on Monday evening, a performance was held at the 120th church anniversary of Summerville Christian Church, a tiny Disciples congregation a bit further south in Summerville.

“One of the missions of our church is to speak through our music ministry,” commented Shirey, who is also professor of choral music at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. ”We’ve performed in small churches and in large churches, but wherever we go, we present music that speaks to the great hymns of the church.”

But this gathering of the big city church – University (active church membership of over 900) and the two smaller churches: Milton (active church membership of 60-65), and Summerville (where membership is approaching 30 people), would not have taken place without the creative thinking of Rev. Jennifer Garbin, who pastors both the Milton and Summerville churches.

Those who know Garbin, 39, attest to the fact that the high-energy, quick-thinking Disciples pastor doesn’t often see a good idea she’s not willing to pursue.

One such idea happened while Garbin was at the 2007 General Assembly in Ft. Worth Texas. That’s when she happened to strike up a conversation with a member of UCC’s chancel choir, Cameron Owen, during one of the business sessions. While in Texas, she also had a chance to hear the UCC chancel choir sing at a Sunday service at their church and once again had a chance to talk to Owen.

“I remember asking Cameron if the choir was going to be available later in 2007,” says Garbin, and if they would be willing to come to Nova Scotia. But I was told that they’d be busy, singing at a holiday concert with the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.”

That detail didn’t faze Garbin, who kept negotiating with the choir directors and eventually worked out a plan for the UCC chancel choir to perform at Milton’s 175th anniversary. And the rest, as they say, is history.

“We are so thankful that this choir chose to share its unique gifts with us,” said Garbin. “We have a great affinity for churches in the U.S., in part because we have so few churches in Canada…..The generosity of this group is so amazing. I can hardly express how blessed we feel.”

And probably the blessings of that entire weekend, where two Disciples congregations in Canada welcomed guests and visitors to its celebration of many decades of serving God’s people, had an impact on those who all who attended.

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(Photos: top right: Members of the University Christian Church Chancel Choir of Fort Worth, Texas perform. Left of page: Jennifer Garbin, pastor of Milton and Summerville Churches in Nova Scotia introduces the choir; lower right: Ron Shirey, Choirmaster of the UCC Chancel choir introduces a song to the audience; lower left: an exterior shot of Milton Christian Church).