The Utah Valley interfaith choir prepares for this holiday season, with several concerts on the horizon.
Visitors are welcomed with a smile and given music, a part, and a place to sit. The musicians chat about their weeks and begin warm-ups promptly at 7 p.m.
The choir rehearses in the Provo Community Congregational United Church of Christ’s building, lent to them every Thursday night.
David Kime, a graduate student at the BYU School of Music, ran the choir through several vocal warmups. Following the warm-ups, they jumped into their first piece.
Their next big performance is Carols by Candlelight, Dec. 14-15. They also combine with other interfaith choirs, like the Cash Valley and Salt Lake Valley interfaith choirs.
As a thank you to the Provo Community Congregational United Church of Christ, the choir also performs during some Sunday services.
“I think working with this group of people has helped me see, especially in a place like Utah County, how much interfaith dialogue is important and meaningful,” Kime said.
The choir was formed in 2014, and David Lewis ran it for 10 years. It began as simply a collaboration between Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church, the Provo Community Congregational Church of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“There’s so much that we can learn from each other, and we’re doing this not just for ourselves. We’re doing this to share with our community, too,” Lewis said.
Members of the choir range from teens to more than 70 years old, numbering about 30 members.
Chase Schetselar, the president of the Interfaith Choir, spoke about his experience.
“Something I loved about this choir is that I can just be myself. All the spiritual walks of life are held as something to be valued and frankly cherished,” Schetselar said.
The choir’s emphasis on singing music that is multi-denominational, Christ-centered and hopeful brings an uplifting atmosphere to many who attend.
“I’m in graduate school, and this was one of the few things that I kept and carved space for … to be able to come here to such an uplifting space, I look forward to my Thursday nights because I know I’m going to be filled in a sense. My batteries are refilled,” Schetselar said.
People of all faiths are invited to join on any Thursday at 7 p.m.