Review of "Choir Confidential" by Dr. Randal Quackenbush

Score: 94+/100 (9.4+ out of 10)

From the very beginning, the people of God have been a singing people. The Bible does not just give us a set of doctrines to recite, it gives us a songbook. King David was not only Israel’s greatest king, he was also a poet and musician who organized choirs, appointed instrumentalists, and wrote vivid lyrics about worship, confession, lament, and praise. For David, right worship was not an optional extra, it was a carefully tended ministry with real structure, real people, and real spiritual weight.

Across the centuries, that heritage has taken on countless musical shapes in the church. In one place it is monks chanting the Psalms through the night, in another it is a robed cathedral choir lifting polyphony to the rafters, in another it is a Gospel choir shaking the walls, and in yet another it is a praise team leading simple choruses that the whole congregation can sing by heart. In our own time, we see it in world renowned ensembles like The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square here in Utah, in the soaring sounds of groups like Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and in countless local church choirs that faithfully rehearse every week. Styles have shifted, instruments have changed, and cultures have added their own colors, but one thing has remained constant: music, song, and corporate worship are essential to the Christian life. They teach, they comfort, they correct, and they knit a congregation together in ways that sermons alone rarely can.

Choir Confidential by Dr. Randal Quackenbush joins this long, singing tradition, focusing not just on the music itself but on the people who stand in the middle of it all: the choir directors who are called to shepherd voices and hearts at the same time.

Choir Confidential is a heartfelt, practical field guide for church choir directors that treats the role as both ministry and craft. Quackenbush writes from decades of experience and frames the choir director as a multidimensional leader who must be spiritually grounded, musically competent, administratively organized, and relationally healthy.

Part One lays the foundation. In Spiritual Leadership Quackenbush argues that the choir exists first to glorify God, not the director or the music, and that humility is the starting posture. The director is called to dream of a better spiritual future for the choir, align tightly with the church’s mission and the lead pastor’s vision, continually inspire volunteers with Scripture and testimony, and act as a genuine shepherd to their “singing sheep.”

Musical Leadership then focuses on craft. The director needs real musicianship: solid reading skills, at least basic piano, functional vocal pedagogy, clear conducting technique, and strong listening. He stresses that volunteer choirs can absolutely reach a high standard, but only up to the level of the director’s own competence. This chapter also pushes directors to get organized, think seasonally and strategically about programming, and understand the stylistic culture of their particular church rather than importing a one size fits all model.

Several chapters are devoted to building culture and running the ministry week to week. He distinguishes between a robust musical culture (clear purpose, pursuit of excellence, communication of text, being a “team player” in the broader church) and a healthy communal culture (enjoyable rehearsals, realistic expectations, relational warmth, respect, and collaboration with staff and pastors). He then gets very concrete about rehearsal technique: planning the flow, pacing to keep energy up, teaching and memorizing music efficiently, and also setting spiritual goals so rehearsal itself becomes a formative worship space that resembles the Acts 2 picture of the early church.

The administration chapters split “people” from “program.” On the people side he covers recruiting and auditioning, how to communicate difficult audition results, onboarding and retaining members, celebrating birthdays and milestones, handling soloists in a way that strengthens rather than fragments the choir, and scheduling rest so no one burns out. On the program side he recommends creating a choir handbook, building and maintaining a music library, long range calendar planning for the year, forming a lay leadership team with defined roles, and using clear communication channels, including social media.

A chapter on performance practices treats every rehearsal as preparation for the next act of service, whether that is a Sunday anthem or a Christmas concert. He talks about programming for seasons like Advent and Holy Week, using congregational participation wisely, augmenting with instruments, choosing soloists, and underlining that the most important “technique” for a church choir is prayer and dependence on God for lasting fruit.

Part Two is a global tour of ten case studies. Quackenbush profiles church, community, and collegiate choirs from Ghana, India, Italy, England, Denmark, and various parts of the United States, showing how very different groups can all thrive. You see everything from Potters City Choir in Ghana with its joyful percussive worship rooted in local culture, to Volney Morgan & New-Ye in London with polished urban gospel presentations, to Osanna Gospel Choir in Italy serving in a conservative national church context. The case study introduction highlights differences in leadership style, membership expectations, repertoire, attire, and even how each choir navigated the COVID pandemic, and invites the reader to mine these stories for transferable principles rather than formulas.

Finally, Chapter 22: Insider Ruminations pulls the threads together. Quackenbush argues that the real aim is multidimensional leadership: musical, pastoral, communal, and administrative. A director who only focuses on technique is like a “one tool baseball player” who can hit but not run, field, or throw. He calls for a teachable spirit, patience with slow growth, commitment to a respectful, non-favoritist environment, and a long view that sees seasons of development as normal.

There are some great quotes and passages from this book. Here are some of our favorites:

"Goals should be set and a vision embarked on, yet the church-choir
director must be resolute about the choir’s purpose—the why behind
each objective. As Saint Augustine wrote, 'Do you wish to rise? Begin
by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first
the foundation of humility.'"

"The church-choir director, supported by senior leadership, must look
for opportunities to inspire its congregation afresh, not with a spirit of
performance but in the beauty of holiness and empowered by the Holy
Spirit."

"Effective leadership includes basing every decision on why the choir exists. Staying close to the choir’s mission, vision, and core values will ensure the why precedes the how, what, and when."

We found Choir Confidential to be warm, seasoned, and genuinely pastoral. It reads like sitting down with an experienced choir director who is honest about his own missteps and very eager to see the next generation thrive. For church choirs that want to stand in the tradition of David, the Tabernacle Choir, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and a thousand less famous but no less faithful ensembles, this book offers both a high calling and a very down to earth roadmap. We could easily see it becoming a go to resource for Christian Nonfiction in Worship or Ministry & Leadership and a staple on the shelves of pastors and directors who believe that, in the church, the people of God should never stop singing for the glory of the Lord.

Check it out on Amazon!