SARAH E

Sarah is a friend of mine I’ve known since I was a teenager. She attends Tewkesbury Baptist Church, where my mother Lesley Guy is also a member. I am interested to find out why Sarah has recently joined in with the praise & worship teams practices.

I’m aware that attending the practises means a lot to her personally. I’ve played the keyboard in a praise & worship team in a different church and I’m always impressed by how passionate & dedicated the singers can be & hope that Sarah will expound more on a worship singer’s motivation.

You have just begun joining in music practises with a church group, is that right? I’ve been going for about a month now. It’s been going well.

How many practises have you been to? 3 or 4

Why did you join the group? I’ve been thinking about joining for a little while. I wanted to get more involved in church life. I’ve always loved singing ever since I was little. I thought it was about time I did something that I’ve wanted to do for a while.

Are you enjoying it now? Yes, I’m really enjoying it. I still have to get more confident with it & get used to singing in front of people which is a challenge because I’ve only ever really sung in a choir & although I’m not going to be singing solos in this group, it will still involve more singing in front of people than I’ve experienced before.

You mentioned you’ve sung in a choir before, can you tell me about that? Yes. Ever since Primary school I’ve sung in a school choir. For as long as I can remember I’ve been in a school choir, throughout Secondary school I’ve sung in the choir. I really enjoyed the Christmas concerts, singing in Tewkesbury Abbey.

Please describe the music style in as many words as you like… modern and lively, up to date worship songs, there are no traditional hymns. The musicians play Electric Guitars & Drums and sometimes Keyboard. You have some slower songs too.

Which do you prefer, the upbeat lively songs or the slower ones? I like both. I suppose I enjoy more the songs that I know. I prefer ones that I know mean something to me. Whereas when you are trying to learn a new song, when you don’t know the tune, it can be difficult. It can depend which mood I am in as to whether I prefer a lively song or a slower more reflective song. But generally I like both.

How do you feel when you’re singing in the group? I enjoy it. I’m in the early stages of gaining confidence with it. The great thing is I can feel Gods presence & him helping me.

Do you sing much when you’re on your own? Oh yes. I practise whilst I’m driving in the car to work & back. I have worship CD’s I can sing along to. Before the group practices I usually have a little warm up. Sometimes I sing in the bath or the shower. Years ago somebody in a choir advised me that the steam can helps to free up your voice, so it is a good tip for anybody.

How soon do you think you’ll be singing with the group in church? I’m still finding my feet with it. I don’t want to be really loud person leading, I’d like to be a backing singer. I’ll be happy with that until I know what its like & people know me & my voice more. I’ll wait until I’m asked.

Which musicians do you admire? Worship singers like Cathy Burton. Matt Redman and Tim Hughes have written a lot of the more modern songs. I still do really like Delirious & Casting Crowns.

Do you have any favourite songs? A cheesy one would be Bon Jovi’s ‘Living on a prayer’. ‘Love came down’, ‘Everything’ and ‘Hungry’are really good worship songs.

What is your favourite colour? Purple

How important is to relate well with the others in the group? It is very important. Naturally you get to know other, becoming more comfortable around each other. It is good that we can go for drink, chat & be sociable.

What drives you? That I am singing for God. That is the main driving factor. I don’t think that I would have joined any other music group at the moment. It has involved giving up my time, to do something not necessarily easy for me.

It’s a confidence issue, where I have to trust in God. I want to get to a point where I can sing to my full potential. I may take lessons to learn more about breathing. I want people to feel stirred, as I have been stirred when I see others singing to God. I think it’s important to appreciate Gods stillness, to be patient with myself & to progress in God’s time. Being patient.