From Audition to Appeal

Music is a powerful tool to prepare hearts, settle minds, and set the tone for worship. “Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God.”[i] Understanding this sacred role, the music coordination team for the General Conference (GC) Session takes their responsibility seriously. And as beautiful strains of voice and instrument waft through the Dome at America’s Center, heaven draws a little nearer.

The multilayer process of music selection begins three years before the session. A team of individuals work with each of the 13 divisions and the attached fields to choose a music coordinator for that region. The local music coordinator then solicits organizations such as universities, academies or high schools, and congregations with good musical talent to recruit musicians to send in audition materials. The division music committee then selects the music that will be presented to the GC Music Committee for final review.

The committee looks for cultural appropriateness, theological correctness, and uniqueness in such entities as children’s choirs, mission groups, or original compositions—or groups from world regions experiencing particular hardship. Gaspar Colón, a vice chair of the GC Music Committee, said, “This is part of the inspiration we look for—for people to see that even in places where life is difficult, there is a swell of praise.”

Once they have approved a piece, it is designated to the location where it will be performed: the main stage, the youth or children’s divisions, or in the Ferrara Theater, located on the ground floor of the convention center.Approved musicians are notified with ample time to make arrangements to attend session. Often groups must raise funds and apply for visas, a process that can be time-consuming. The GC Session Music Committee provides letters of invitation for musicians to present to their embassies, hopefully expediting the visa process.There is still another layer of process, however. The Office of General Counsel at the world church headquarters must review every song, every lyric, and every translation, as well as public domain hymns, to ensure the music falls within our legal rights to broadcast.

When musicians arrive, they check in at the main music office in the America’s Center Dome, where they receive their schedule.

First-time session attendee Lindsey Mills, a singer-songwriter from Colorado, United States, shared her original song, “A Thousand Fires,” on the main stage following Global Total Member Involvement testimonies Friday evening. She said, “As soon as you get here, you let the committee know that you’ve arrived—they need to know where their musicians are! They book rehearsal rooms and arrange sound checks for us when possible. Then, when it’s your scheduled event, you wait backstage until your performance, so you’re ready to go on.” Her excitement to share the message through music was palpable.

We can assume with confidence that each soloist, group, or instrumentalist shares the same enthusiasm as they prepare to elevate and “to awaken in the soul devotion and gratitude to God” during the sixty-second GC Session.

Beth Thomas is an assistant editor of the Adventist Review.