Reformation Concert 2024: Soli Deo Gloria

On 26 October 2024, over 140 GBC members came together to be a part of the choir, musicians and AV team for the fifth and final Reformation Concert: Soli Deo Gloria, which is Latin for “Glory to God Alone”. Our sanctuary was packed to the brim, as many came to sing of this glorious God, and also to hear of who He is. 

We sang about God’s glory and it also marked the end of our yearlong sermon series in Isaiah. Isaiah speaks of God’s glorious nature and His promise to save.

The evening of music had two main sections: the first section focused on the glory of God and His wonderful works, and the second focused on the Christian waiting and the hope of glory. You can find out more in the programme booklet, found here.

The concert opened with Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”. The great composer, Johann Sebastian Bach of the Baroque period was a Christian, and his faith was also reflected in his works. He would often mark his scores with the abbreviation “JJ”, which was Latin for “Jesu, Juva”, or “Jesus, help”. God’s glory was seen in and through his compositions, and this opening piece spoke of Jesus as the God who became flesh, and the joy and desire of our hearts. 

The congregation also participated in song as led by the choir and team of musicians. We sang a blended mixture of modern hymns and more traditional ones, but each served to highlight aspects of God’s glorious character and exhorted believers to anticipate and wait on the Lord with hope. We read Scripture, interspersed with animated videos by GBC members that reinforced key themes and ideas.

It was an encouraging night for both the audience, as well as the musicians and choir members. Here we interview some of them and hear their experiences in their own words. 

Wen Xiu, one of our musicians, played the cello in the orchestra. She also participated in the first Reformation Concert a decade ago! When asked about her latest experience, she shared,

“I last played in the concert 10 years ago - the first one! It was harder this time because I have more responsibilities (e.g. heavier workload, kids, part-time studies) to juggle. The few weeks leading up to the concert were exceptionally busy on multiple fronts. I had to rely on God to protect time for practice and to be able to play the pieces somewhat decently. Sometimes I felt more like a liability than help by agreeing to play in the concert. But it was meaningful to play in the first and last concerts.

I think most people were shocked to learn that I don’t actually play the cello. God was gracious to provide help and encouragement. Caleb, my fellow cellist, really went above and beyond to help me level up in the past two months. Jeremiah, a fellow musician, and our conductors Aaron and Caleb, also gave feedback in a very kind manner. I’m very thankful! 

It was also heartwarming to see some of the younger folks who also played in the first concert improve and matured so much. I was encouraged when I saw how everyone was giving their best together, motivated solely to glorify God.

We thank God for the choir, musicians, AV and sound crew and organisers! 

Timothy Wan, one of our young adults, sang tenor as part of the choir. He shared that the rehearsals helped him to meditate on God’s truths and His character,

I admit that I can get pretty distracted during corporate worship at times. I find my focus drifting to my week, or if I'm singing alright, or what I'm doing later that day, and suddenly... what were we singing again? It can be easy to sing through the motions, to enjoy the nice melodies, to be somewhat passive.

In preparing for this concert, as we worked on how we were singing, we also got to ponder deeply what we were singing. “What does it mean, really, that God is holy? That our Redeemer lives? Or that He gives us more grace? Do I really believe that?” And as we let these truths sit in, it helped me understand moreover why we sing — because if all these things are true, how could we possibly not sing? 

Some truths are too glorious not to be sung; one lyric that stood out to me was, "To God be the glory for the things He has done!" It helped me understand that worship is a response to what God has done and who He is. What response do these merit? Worship that is not passive, but active and joyful and grateful — and what a privilege we can do so together!

Evelyn Chia, a GBC member, also sang in the previous concert in 2022. Both times, she sang as an alto in the choir. As she reflected on her experience in the choir, she had this to say:

“It has been a privilege to join fellow brothers and sisters in giving glory to God in songs and music.  I am thankful for the leaders and organisers who had always ensured everyone's well being every step of the way in the past months. I am also thankful that my husband and son (both of whom do not attend GBC) came for the preview session and a friend whom I invited came on the actual day.

I personally felt I was not prepared to be able to sing all my parts correctly. I had missed a practice and was unfamiliar with some of the songs introduced at a later stage. But I was reminded that it is more important  to sing with grateful hearts and dedicate this special moment to express our love to our heavenly Father who had given us the precious gift of Christ for our salvation!

God has reminded me to live each day with thankful hearts and keep trusting in Him to carry me through in all of life's ups and downs. To God be the Glory!” 

One of the wonderful things about the Reformation Concert was seeing the church come together to sing. Men and women worked together and sang in harmony, as did a wide range of people from different ages and backgrounds! Soh Swee Kiat, one of our older members, was a part of the choir, and sang with the tenors. Learning the music was initially challenging for him, but God encouraged him through the help from other members, and through the lyrics of the songs, 

“The process of preparing for the Concert and singing was initially a challenge to me. I uttered, "Huh, eleven songs!" To make matters worse, I was not familiar with the musical notation and had difficulty in flipping the pages. I informed Elder Caleb that I wanted to withdraw, to which he suggested something simple and practical – to introduce dog-ears on every page of the score. God also provided the "stronger" tenors to sit with us to form the backbone of the group! The meaningful lyrics of the songs we sung also provided comfort, helped dispel the daunting situation! With the nine practices and hearing the angelic voices harmonising so distinctly, I could only exclaim "Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me!" It was a joy for me to dedicate my voice on this occasion!!

Swee Kiat shared that a recurring theme that stood out from the eleven songs on God were sixteen names and titles of God that spoke of the wonderful God whom we worship. He summarised it as follows:

“The Lord Almighty; Lord of lords; Light of light; Lord Most High; Lord of all; Jesus my Redeemer; The Saviour; The Shepherd; God of Grace; Lion of Judah; The Lamb who died; The Father; The Spirit; Jesus, our Messiah; The Son; Christ, our hope in life and death.” 

We also had some families participate in the choir, for example, Kang Wei and his daughter, Jia Xi. When asked about the involvement of the family together, Kang Wei shared,

“If I heard it right, it was a call for willing hearts? It wasn’t important whether we could sing or whether we looked like singers! 

And it was also timely as Jia Xi was considering joining her school choir as her co-curricular activity, so I encouraged her to consider joining the Concert, and that I’d do so with her. I thought that this was also something meaningful that a father and daughter could do to serve together. It was also one of the ways to get to know and be known in this growing church, even for the children to participate. So we did. 

Obviously, we sang different parts and we were separated most of the time. That was wonderful as Jia Xi had the chance to be known as herself, by her name rather than as my daughter.” 

When asked why she joined the choir, Jia Xi said, "I enjoy singing". Jia Xi also shared her experience in the preparation process and the concert itself,

“It got more interesting and exciting as the sessions progressed, and even more so when the musicians rehearsed with the choir. I enjoyed the concert tremendously and would consider joining again.” 

As they rehearsed and things came together, Kang Wei found that it reflected something of God’s design and a picture of a wise God who brings His plans together, 

“Honestly, I had my initial doubts on how this would turn out. We were practicing separately in our parts most times. Our full dress rehearsal gave me more confidence that it would turn out well and then I started thinking about names to invite. As it turned out, the actual concert was beautiful and I wish everyone I know was present. On hindsight, I regret not giving more thought into who I could invite to the event instead of just focusing on the singing and preparation. 

It also dawned on me how it very much represented God's design, deliberate intent for differences coming together in harmony and whole is more than the sum of its part as a display of His glory. We come together to offer what we can and let our Chief Conductor bring it all together.” 

While the concert may have ended, but we pray that God will help our church to live by grace through faith in Christ alone according to Scripture and to the glory of God alone. As God’s people at GBC gather weekly for worship, may the saints of God never tire of singing His praise.

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The livestream of the Concert can be found on our YouTube Channel. We also have a Spotify playlist with some of the songs sung at the Concert to help us continue to sing about God! We have also made available the Concert Booklet, which contains the lyrics, as well as photos of this Concert.