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Cathedral choir shares experiences from Texas tour

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The John Brown University cathedral choir embarked on its annual tour through regions of Texas and came back feeling enriched and blessed by the families and strangers that they encountered.

The choir prepared for many weeks till their 2015 tour and 70 students filled a charter bus and vans to begin their spring break. They traveled through Dallas, Fort Worth, Rockwall, Waco and Burkburnett.

Many students don’t witness the hours of practice that the choir puts in before a tour. Jocie Morgan, a member of the cathedral choir, said that they were pushed by their choir director, Paul Smith, to give everything that they were capable of giving in order to perfect their sound.

Aside from the numerous concerts that the choir held in the various churches, the group was able to spend a few days visiting the cities, lakes and museums throughout Texas.

Alec Warn, junior and member of the cathedral choir, said that he enjoyed being able to meet people during the group’s free days and have the chance to minster to them. The choir members sang in the middle of one of the more popular malls in Dallas one day and had the opportunity to talk to the crowds that surrounded them afterward.

Throughout their travels, the choir stayed with host families from the churches that hosted the concerts. Many of the families were affiliated with JBU and loved opening up their homes to students.

Sydney Porter, a member of the cathedral choir, was humbled by how gracious and hospitable the families were that she stayed with.

Despite the choir’s busy schedules and constant travels from city to city, Porter loved being able to spend time with the host families.

“I really felt like we knew them and we could see how our being there impacted them,” said Porter.

“It is an incredible way to see the body of Christ, and to be humbled that a fellow brother/sister in Christ would house you, a complete stranger,” Warn said.

The members of the cathedral choir have each taken away their own fond memories from the tour, most of which happened during one of their concerts.

Warn and Morgan were especially moved by a veteran in the audience, dressed in uniform, who stood up during the choir’s version of “America the Beautiful”.

“Many people think that music is just convenient background noise, but it truly can speak to the soul beyond what mere words can say,” Warn said.

“We are a family in the cathedral choir,” Morgan said, “Each year we lose beloved members and each year we gain new personalities and individuals who bring such joy to us all.”

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