Singer’s Notes on Amazing Grace

For this edition of Singer’s Notes, we had the opportunity of interviewing Winner. Watch his rendition of Craig Courtney’s arrangement of this timeless hymn, and then join us as Winner shares his experiences in using music as a tool for evangelism.

Hi Winner, thanks so much for collaborating with Hymns for Worship! We are really grateful for this opportunity. Now tell us a little bit about yourself and what you are currently doing so our readers can have a bit of a background who you are.

I am a music missionary.  I am currently teaching at Central Philippine Adventist College Department of Music.

Now I’ve had the privilege of knowing a little bit about your backstory. Becoming a professional musician was not the first choice for you. Am I right?

Never.  I was thinking that if God really wanted me to be a professional musician, then He would have given me the opportunity to begin taking music lessons back when I was 3 years old.  But I did not have that opportunity.  Our family did not have the money to pay for such “leisure.” However, I grew up in an amateur musical community.  But music is perceived not as a profession but only as a hobby.  

My childhood dream is to be a physician- a surgeon even.  I wanted to help the family to be lifted from poverty.  When I read the research about the rate of Music Majors being accepted in Medical Schools, I made up my mind.  I finished the music program with medicine in mind.  Not to be a music professional.  

At what point did you determine to pursue music full-time? Do you see this as a life-calling? Why?

I would say that I caught the vision from my dear mentor, Dr. Heidi Cerna.  Ma’am Heidi decided to accept the call to pioneer a Music Program in Central Philippine Adventist College in 2009. She was envisioning a Music Program that would genuinely respond to the need of spreading the gospel through music education and ministry. She invited me to come and help her for only one year after I graduate. One year in mission work before I start Medical School was not a bad idea, I thought. Little did I know that God will use this one-year mission work to gradually open my eyes to recognize music as my lifework/mission- not a transition for a Medical Career.

Being involved with the Annual Bible & Health Music Camp with Ma’am Heidi and Dr. Claudio Gonzalez, I witnessed first-hand the capacity of music to minister to people who do not have church privileges- rich or poor, Christian or non-Christian- regardless of their life situations. It was mindboggling for instance to sing Handel’s Messiah to a non-Christian country like Malaysia. 

Such experiences awakened my interest in voice but in the choral setting. Teaching the art of voice production in the choir becomes meaningful. Carrying powerful words, the harmony produced by human voices is indeed breathtaking. My passion for choral conducting continues to grow as I use choral music for mission. I was inspired to conduct a chamber choir that devoted school breaks for Music Mission Trips. With mostly a Capella sacred repertoire, these young people are committed to sharing the everlasting gospel through our lives and excellent choral music. This mission brings us to a lot of settings of music evangelism. 

Let’s talk a little bit about the song you just recorded for us. It really is all about God’s power in the lives of undeserving people. Through His grace, we are changed and saved. Can you share with us a bit about how God’s grace changed your life? How does the hymn relate to you?

Growing up as an Adventist, I sang and heard the song many times.  It was not hard to learn and remember a catchy tune based on the pentatonic scale.  However, it took time for me to understand what is really “amazing” about “grace.”  Don’t get me wrong, John Newton’s poetry is profound but I realized that without an intimate relationship with God, the words will just be words sung in a very familiar tune oftentimes without understanding.  

When I found myself repeating the same wrongs, falling into the same temptations, and thought, why would God want to, “Save a wretch like me”?  But God would always reveal who He is – a loving God. He does not leave me, I leave Him… “I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see.” I have found solace in the words of “Amazing Grace” as I reflect, repent, and seek God’s merciful forgiveness. 

This new tune composed by Craig Courtney gives a fresh expression that revitalizes the powerful message of this poetry.

When I found myself repeating the same wrongs, falling into the same temptations, and thought, why would God want to, “Save a wretch like me”?  But God would always reveal who He is – a loving God. He does not leave me, I leave Him… I have found solace in the words of “Amazing Grace” as I reflect, repent, and seek God’s merciful forgiveness. 

WINNER SILVESTRE

You’ve had the opportunity to study choral conducting deeper. What are your top 5 tips or advice for beginning choral conductors?

My conducting professor Mr. Stephen Zork would always remind me that a conductor is a pair of big ears.  If there is one thing that conductors should be known about, it should be their ability to listen.  I take this advice on a wider spectrum.  Here are 5 listening tips for you:

1. LISTEN TO GOD, THE GIVER OF THE GIFT OF MUSIC. DOES HIS LOVE ABOUND IN YOUR SOUL?

“There is something peculiarly sacred in the human voice. Its harmony and its subdued and heaven-inspired pathos exceed every musical instrument. Vocal music is one of God’s gifts to men, an instrument that cannot be surpassed or equaled when God’s love abounds in the soul.{3SM 335.1}

2. LISTEN TO YOURSELF. ARE YOU AN INSIDE-OUT PERSON? IS YOUR HEART IN TUNE WITH GOD?

“We need to live our lives from the inside out…we need to live by our hearts, which transfers to movement…which transfers to sound…which transfers to healing. —Charles Bruffy from Westminster Conducting Institute (July 5, 2014)

3. LISTEN TO THE COMPOSERS. DO YOU SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THEM AND THEIR WORK OF ART?   

“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence in between.” –Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

 

4. LISTEN TO YOUR SINGERS. ARE THEY INSPIRED TO GROW WHOLISTICALLY WITH YOU?

“After many years of working with conductors on the issues of gesture, movement, and nonverbal communication, and then realizing I had stopped short of the real concerns that individuals were facing in music, it finally became clear to me what was missing.  What I found missing from the circle was the human being—the imperfect, ecstatic, mewing, searching, confused, magnificent human being. Instead, we were seeing only “the perfect” rendition of that person. Conductors and musicians alike presented only their “performance persona” to audiences instead of the whole, wonderful, flawed, complete person. All their fears, insecurities, delights, and possibilities seemed to have been put aside and replaced by a studied image of what they thought a conductor or musician should look like.” (p. 30) —Bud Beyer in Completing the Circle

5. LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCE. ARE YOU JUST PERFORMING TO IMPRESS AND GAIN RECOGNITION?

“The youth exercise their ability to execute this or that nice piece of art but do not feel that God requires them to turn their talents to a better account, that of adorning their profession and seeking to save souls for whom Christ died. One such soul saved is of more value than worlds. Gold and earthly treasure can bear no comparison to the salvation of even one poor soul.” {1T 512.3}

The evangelistic thrust of music plays such a big role in helping to hasten the Lord’s soon return. As a musician with a bent on mission work, how do you see your role in this big picture?

 One thing that fascinated me at Central Philippines Adventist College Music Department is the growth of the population of music students. From nine (9) students in 2010 to an average of 40 students from 2012 every semester. Young people from different parts of the Philippines (mostly from the Visayas), Taiwan, and China are responding to be trained to be soul winners through music. Due to a lack of music education in the area from elementary and secondary levels, many applied to the program with no music background. I praise God that through my musical journey, these young people find hope. I believe that our young people who are called to the music ministry in the Central Philippines (and beyond) deserve the excellent quality Adventist Education in Music provided by excellent Adventist music educators. I am very much humbled to be called by God for such a great responsibility in the last days.

 If we want to know more about you, follow your social media accounts, ministries, and other passions, what links would you share with us?

This is something that I need help with to be more intentional.  I only have a Facebook account – Winner Silvestre.  But you can also follow our CPAC Music Department Page on FaceBook. We also created a YouTube account for the department and we are still working on providing more content.