The Sound of Singing Youth
One man’s journey to redefine the typical church choir
For as long as I can remember, music has always run deep in my family. I recall many days when the sweet melodious sound of the piano accompanied by the hum of the male baritone voice emanated throughout my grandparent’s house. By nature, I quickly became fond of this life filled with music and happiness. While my grandfather instilled in me a passion for music, I was not the only victim of such a passionate, talented, and dedicated man. Before he even reached me, he had already touched the lives of many others.
It Only Takes a Spark to Get the Fire Going
After moving to Hendersonville, NC, it did not take long for my grandfather, Aubrey Edwards, to begin finding ways to engage the community. He had a long history of being in the ministry and would stop at nothing to share the Gospel with others. In 1969, he saw an opportunity to make a difference in Henderson County, NC. After taking on the position as Minister of Music and Youth at First Baptist Hendersonville in 1970, a passion for reaching young adults of the church and a commitment to do things in a way they had never been done before led my grandfather to create The Sound of Singing Youth.
The group began as a small choir of 10–20 students, but soon surged to reach over 110 young lives, no matter their home church or denomination. The 1970s was a decade of uncertainty for many youth trying to find themselves in the midst of a cultural revolution, and the Sound of Singing Youth was their answer.
“As I peeped in from one of the large, back auditorium windows at Hendersonville High School, I saw lots of teenagers in red, white, and blue outfits smiling and singing those words. Living on Oakland Street, I just happened by and heard the music. I wasn’t a “seeker”, but the radiance of those singing left me desiring to have that life that they had.”
-Former SSY member, Myra Kitchin
Getting the Band Together
Even for a graduate of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Sanford University, organizing a musical group of this type was not an easy task with a group of 100 talents including vocal, drum, guitar, keyboard, woodwind and brass performers. My grandfather hand picked musical arrangements from the hippest contemporary Christian arrangers to satisfy the taste of the younger generation. In the process, he not only attracted talented people to him, but he also brought the talents out of people that they never knew existed.
“Aubrey was an encourager. He allowed me to play whatever I wanted on the flute. I never heard a harsh word from him; it was always positive”
-Former SSY member, Cathy Beale
My grandfather’s passion for bringing coherence to the lives of the youth of Hendersonville fostered the creation of a new type of church choir that touched many souls both inside and outside of the choir. As an extension of the Sound of Singing Youth ministry, a desire to tour around the world became reality as a means of spreading the Gospel with those who had never been reached. The ministry went beyond the call of duty, traveling far and wide to perform in churches, prisons, malls, and even on the Capitol steps in Washington.
The man behind it all did not think it was beyond a group of teenagers from the small town of Hendersonville, NC to go to The Magic Attic club in Myrtle Beach, SC, to praise God and country or to visit Bridgeport, Conn., to spread the good news to teenage gang members. Every single member had a story, a story worth sharing with others. There was something immensely powerful about 100 distinct young lives traveling the country together to share a message of hope and sing of what they truly believed to be the answer to a better life.
While their roots were in the church, the music group reached the lives of those both in and out of the faith. The group did not force religion on those that they influenced, but instead shared a common message of compassion and love when the nation needed it most.
Leading with Humility
While many would boast the success of being the driving force behind such a transformative movement, Aubrey Edwards was not a man to seek the praise of others.
Following his passing in November of 2010, former members of the Sound of Sining Youth gathered in Hendersonville to celebrate the life of the man who changed theirs. At the reunion, members took the chance to share their experiences in the Sound of Singing Youth and how they significantly contributed to where they are at in life.
“Aubrey had the ability to see the ‘bright shadow’ in each teenager he encountered”
- Debbie Fain
“I have been blessed to be a band director for many years…Aubrey had a tremendous ripple affect on us!”
- Andy Edmundson
The Life of Passion
Looking back on the life and legacy of my grandfather, Aubrey Edwards, it is no doubt that his passion for serving others and challenging the status quo of religion touched the hearts of many. Whether an individual performed in the Sound of Singing Youth or even just met my grandfather once, many saw him live a life of hope and love. This was a contagious love that spread to leave its mark on generations to come.
