'They will remember for rest of their lives': Children opened to music at Wesley Monumental

With ballet, soccer, basketball and baseball practices in full swing, it’s difficult to imagine that a church would have more than 100 singers in its young people’s choir. But 133 is the number of people – ages three to 18 – who will perform at a special presentation Sunday, Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. at historic Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church.

The young people make it a point to squeeze in choir practice because they love it, says Monica Dekle, director of music and organist at Wesley. She recalls hearing from one mother, who was sick, telling her child that they weren’t going to church. The distraught child asked his mother to call a ride share service so he wouldn’t miss, Dekle said.

The concert is called "Children of the Light" and is a concert of heritage and hymns, including two written by church member Judy Bradley. Tickets are $35 for adults and $10 for students and will be available at the door of the church at 429 Abercorn St. or by going online to MonumentalMusic.eventbrite.com.

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Proceeds from this event will be used to fund the renovation/reconstruction of the children’s educational space in the Wesley Education Building.

Says Dekle: “It’s truly the kids contributing to their own future building project.”

The young people will be accompanied by a 33-piece orchestra that includes musicians from the Savannah Philharmonic, a local high school and church members. Volunteers from the church choir also are volunteering to help with the monumental undertaking. Weekly practices began in September.

In addition to learning songs in choir practice, the children are discovering tidbits about musical instruments and composers like John and Charles Wesley, she added.

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“We’re fortunate in Savannah to have two great public arts schools (Savannah Arts Academy and also Garrison), but in many schools, music is not a requirement and churches can fill the gap of providing that intensive music education that children need throughout their entire education,” she said.

In a sports driven society, it’s a constant effort for music educators across the globe to prove to administrators and parents the worth of music, Dekle said.

“When someone engages with music, there is activity in all parts of the brain — something unique happens in that neurons are activated that stimulate both the left and right hemispheres of the brain at once. That results in positive effects on learning, memory, fine motor skills, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. The brain is more capable of applying concepts in a variety of settings. Additional with choral music, children learn discipline, responsibility, hard work and teamwork that carries over to the broader curriculum.”

“We are so proud of these kids,” Dekle said. “They are amazing. This is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

First grader Heather Haubein is one of the children who will sing in the presentation. When asked to explain what goes on during rehearsal, Heather said: “You basically get to eat first. After we eat we get in line and go upstairs to Miss Monica’s room and sing songs.”

Dekle said the energy of the children combined with the richness of the 33-piece orchestra is sure to make for an inspiring evening through such classic pieces as “Little David Play on Your Harp,” “His Eye is on the Sparrow,” and “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho.”

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church children's choir