July 2007
This year so far has taken the YAH Choir to many new and exciting concert events, starting in February with our yearly joint concerts with the Bar D Wranglers from Durango, Colorado. This event is always an exciting and rewarding for all of us. This year we put on a dinner for the first time and held a Matinee and Evening Concert. This is the first of two “Fund Raisers” for the YAH Choir. We sold over 1000 tickets and people are now looking forward to each year for these concerts. Keep a close look out for dates in 2008 as we will announce as soon as we know for sure.
We traveled to Phoenix, Arizona in March for a “Fearless Leader Surprise Tour” and took almost 90 people with us. We sang in four different concerts and a great time was had by all. Also in March we recorded our 6th CD entitled “This Ol’ House. It is now available for purchase by contacting our office. It is the first CD with full instrumental back grounds made by Gary Cook who does all of our recording for our albums.
April we did many local concerts and prepared to host Ben and John Burchfield, of Nashville, Tennessee, at two local concerts. This was a very exciting time for us all.
June was full of preparation for the MEF Bible Conference again this year in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This was a wonderful experience once again for the 89 folks in the Young At Heart Choir that were there. For more information, go to our Photo Gallery and see the pictures of this tour.
Once again, our second “Fund Raiser”, the “Heartsville Country Fair” will take place October 12 & 13, 2007.
After that, we will be returning to Branson, Missouri for the “Down From His Glory” performance at the Welk Theatre, October 24th to 28th.
See our Concert Schedule page for more details.
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November 2006
The weekend following our return to Albuquerque we got back on the bus for 3 day singing tour to Clovis and Portales, New Mexico. We sang at the First Baptist Church in Portales, New Mexico on Saturday night, the First Baptist Church in Clovis on Sunday morning, the Central Baptist Church on Sunday evening, and at the CCACR in at the Holiday Inn in Clovis on Monday morning before returning to Albuquerque.
October 2006
Our Choir took 2 bus loads of singers to Branson, MO, where we performed in Down From His Glory at the Welk Theatre. This was a 10 day trip for the choir, performing in Oklahoma City at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, in Norman Oklahoma at the Bethel Baptist Church, at Precious Moments Foundation in Carthage, MO, Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO, South Gate Baptist in Springfield, MO, and Friendly Baptist Church in Branson, MO.
July 2006
The Choir traveled to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to put on a concert at St. Paul's United Methodist Church.
June 2006
We traveled to Colorado Springs to perform in the MEF (Music Evangelism Foundation) Bible Conference, held at the the Village Seven Presbyterian Church where we met many talented musicians and speakers, and sang several times a day. I believe the audience was amazed at the talent and quality of this Senior Choir, who sings all their songs from memory. The 2000 seat capacity church was filled almost every day.
May 2006
We performed in Glorietta, New Mexico, putting on a concert for Evangelistic Ministries For Christ, a seniors group from Texas.
Fearless Leader Surprise trip to Elephante Butt, singing at the Church At The Butte, and in T or C Baptist Church in T or C, New Mexico.
The YAH choir had just finished it's new album entitled "Sharing Life." It contains some great Gospel Songs. Please see our Stores web page for all of our CD's with song titles.
March 2006
Travel to Farmington, New Mexico to put on a concert at the Civic Auditorium for the UnWed Mothers Crisis group.
February 2006
Our time of the year to put on the YAH Winter Concert 2006 at the Sandia Baptist Church in Albuquerque, when we invited the Bar D Wranglers as our guest performers. This is a 2 hour plus concert. A 2 part concert, where YAH performs for 1 hour, and the Bar D Wranglers play cowboy and gospel music for 1 hour. An enjoyable evening for everyone.
January 2006
Our first concert trip of the year, going to Dallas, TX, to perform at the Baptist Regional Bible Conference. We also put on a concert at the Wycliff Bible College while in the Dallas area. We stopped in Childress, TX, on the way home to do a concert at a Baptist church in Childress when they celebrated a Valentines evening with us, preparing dinner for us that night, and putting up all the nice decorations.
From "The Choir Loft" Brentwood Music Choral Club
Forever Young at Heart
By Connie Atkinson
When I first heard the words, "Teach them to walk in the spirit of their youth, but react in the wisdom of their years." I never dreamed that someday God would mean that just for me. I never dreamed He would lead me to spend the next dozen years of my life heading one of the oldest living, touring gospel choirs in America.
The Young At Heart Choir was born in 1988 at a local Baptist church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a handful of musically gifted senior citizens hungry to share their love for God and one very middle-aged choir director in need of a new ministry challenge. As the choir grew, we began to add performances outside our home church -- with this, seniors from other churches expressed a desire to join. After much prayer, the decision was made to open this ministry to all Bible believing seniors in the community. As a community choir, the Lord began to open doors for us to perform at other Bible-based churches throughout the Albuquerque area and beyond. Since then, Young At Heart has grown to a standing (and sometimes sitting) chorale of 85 very beautiful, enthusiastic seniors ranging in age from 55 to 90, with an average age of 74, and representing fifteen Bible-believing denominations. Presently, the group gives an average of three concerts a month and travels nationally twice a year at it's own expense, giving concerts at retirement homes, hospitals and churches large and small, wherever they are invited.
A key component of our ministry is to take the gospel to other senior adults, especially to those in retirement homes, senior centers, nursing homes and assisted living centers. Young At Heart wants to take the gospel to unbelievers of all ages and encourage and strengthen the faith of those who know Him. We want our 'active' testimony to move other seniors to active service for Him. We want our ministry also to touch and move the younger generations, encouraging them with our music and testimonies of God's goodness and joy. The choir has had invitations to sing for audiences numbering in the hundreds at such special venues as Focus on the Family headquarters, Crystal Cathedral, Air Force Academy Chapel, Knotts Berry Farm, Mennonite Conferences, Baptist Conventions, and many more. But no matter how many attend a concert, no group is too small for us to minister to. Many times our 80-voice ensemble has performed for audiences of 20 or 30...and the Lord has touched hearts and lives. It is so wonderful to see God touch souls, even if it is just one.
So why would all these Golden Oldies "get up and go" just when they've earned a chance to "sit down and stay"? According to the medical profession, seniors who take the opportunity to serve their community or live out their religious faith can add years to their lives, or at the very least, make their golden years more healthy and fulfilling. But for the members of Young At Heart, it's more than this. It's an opportunity for them to share their love for Christ by making a "joyful" and sometimes humorous "noise" for audiences young and old.
And it's in the tearful smile of a wheelchair-bound woman in a rest home when she hears "I've Got a Mansion Just Over the Hill Top." Or in the delight of a child at a church for the first time hearing "Just A Closer Walk With Thee," and not realizing the song has been sung for several generations before him. But mostly it's an opportunity for a lot of wonderful seniors who don't want to warm chairs while a younger generation moves forward, who have retired into vital ministry rather than a barcalounger...who have learned that you are never too old to serve the Lord. |
