Master Singers delight crowd

Tuesday, 08 May 2012 by Justin Cox

The Central Texas Master Singers, under the direction of Steven Kirkpatrick, performed to a packed house during their 45th concert Sunday at Belton Nazarene Church.While some choirs just sing, the Central Texas Master Singers rejoice.

Under the direction of Conductor Steven Kirkpatrick, the Master Singers is a group unlike most any you'll find in Central Texas.

They perform, rather than just sing the music to their audience, and the effect on the audience cannot be overstated.

The Master Singers is a Christian performance choir - a faith-based choral organization made up of singers with a variety of backgrounds.

Their source material is contemporary, largely, and although they do sometimes sing old classics during their concerts, they predominantly sing music written in the past 10-20 years.

And everything they perform is sung in English.

This is a far cry from many other choral groups of their type, which stick to concertos and other musical creations that can be dated centuries, rather than decades.

But Kirkpatrick said that it gives them a better connection to their audience than a more traditional choir.

And while traditionalists may scoff at their methods, it's hard to argue with the results, as the Master Singers play to packed churches of patrons who live and breathe with power and poise of the performances.

The Master Singers held their 45th concert this past Sunday at the Belton Nazarene Church - and like so many of their concerts, it was a full house. They actually had to bring extra chairs in to accommodate the audience, many of whom are committed concert followers.

This latest concert was done with a full orchestral accompaniment, something which takes a fair amount of additional funding.

As a full 501(c) 3 non-profit, the group takes offering to help their cause.

Kirkpatrick said it all goes to serve the performances, which have grown in scope and presence in recent years.

"The Master Singers is a place for singers from all walks of life who have a musical gift, whether professionally trained or not, for those who love to sing contemporary Christian choral music and for those who want to share it collectively with the spiritually likeminded," Kirkpatrick said. "We are a multi-denominational group of singers brought together with a purpose: to enhance the musical experience within the church universal, with excellence and enthusiasm, by profoundly expressing God's Word in the contemporary choral setting."

People seeing or hearing the Master Singers for the very first time can expect an experience — both audibly and visually, Kirkpatrick said.

"The choir performs with radiance and enthusiasm with the mindset of singing to our audience rather than for our audience," he added.

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