"Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer" – This is the sound of the warm and encouraging music that comes into the homes of our viewers each week from the voices of the Worship Anew Choir.
This choir was formed during the COVID-19 pandemic out of a need because many of the choirs that had appeared on Worship Anew had disbanded or had shrunk in numbers, and the ministry wanted to guarantee that viewers would still be able to see their favorite hymns on the program.
“We had thought about doing something like the Worship Anew Choir for a while, but the pandemic introduced a new challenge,” said Matthew Leighty, executive director of Worship Anew. “We also know that our viewers love to have their favorite, traditional hymns on the program and having the Worship Anew Choir to record those hymns was a great blessing.”
The first appearance of the choir was on Oct. 20, 2022, during the Reformation program.
“The choir came out of necessity, but it resulted in a great blessing," Leighty said.
The choir is composed of eight to 10 choir directors and vocal instructors from the Fort Wayne, Ind. area who volunteer their time to record the hymns throughout the year.
“I enjoy singing the familiar hymns and being able to collaborate with other music directors and singers,” said Stephanie Maxson, director of the Worship Anew Choir as well as the music director at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne.
The Worship Anew Choir complements the many other church, school, college, and organizational choirs that are still consistently shown on the program.
“We still continue to this day to have our favorite college choirs, high school choirs, grade school choirs, children’s choirs, and other church choirs on the program proclaiming God’s praises, and we can continue to then have the Worship Anew Choir on the program on a regular basis,” Leighty said. “It’s really the best of both worlds in that respect.”
“I am glad to be a part of a worship service that reaches out to so many individuals. In this group, I am a singer and not the leader. That opportunity does not happen very often for church choir leaders. I have the opportunity to sing with very good friends who love singing our rich hymnody.”
~ Phyllis Hockemeyer, Worship Anew Choir member