More Than Just a Choir - Menno Youth Ensemble

“They have surprised me with the maturity they bring, even though they are a bunch of silly goofy kids.” That’s how Chloe Shantz, one of the co-directors of Menno Youth Ensemble (MYE), describes the 18 musicians of the group.

MYE is a community of youth who gather each week to make music, learn, and develop worship skills. Choral singing is central to their work, but the group is far more than a choir. Together they plan worship services for local churches, incorporate a wide range of instruments into their performances, and learn both about and from one another.

The group is organized and directed by Chloe and by Isabel Song. Chloe is a recent graduate of the University of Waterloo, where she studied Music and English literature. Isabel, also at the University of Waterloo, is in her fourth year studying Science and Music. They lead 17 musicians from the Kitchener-Waterloo area and one very enthusiastic musician who takes the train from Toronto to Kitchener every Wednesday night for their rehearsals. MYE is part of the Menno Singers family of choirs, a long-standing musical presence in the Waterloo region since 1955.

"We want to foster an environment where older singers, or those with more experience can teach and lead those with less experience. It’s all about bringing different abilities together.”

The current iteration of the group started in the fall of 2023. Chloe began as co-director last season and Isabel came on board this fall. The ensemble started small but has grown quickly—12 musicians participated last year, compared to 18 this year. Many of the participants have introduced friends from school or church to the group.

“The goal is to be inclusive of as many of people as possible, no matter their backgrounds or experience,” says Chloe. “We want to foster an environment where older singers, or those with more experience can teach and lead those with less experience. It’s all about bringing different abilities together.”

A big focus this year is building church leadership skills. MYE led a church service at Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church this fall and is planning more services in KW congregations in the new year.

”It’s a skill we want to foster, giving the kids a chance to try [worship leading] out.” Isabel says, “It also gives back to the Mennonite community which is really supportive of our ensemble.”

For these services, MYE works together to pick appropriate hymns based on the Sunday's theme, prepare musical accompaniment and any specific worship music to feature. The co-directors offer guidance, but the youth decide what music resonates with them and how it should be used.

They noted how important confidence and leadership are to creating music.

Isabel and Chloe note that many young people are not introduced to these worship-leading skills in their congregations. Providing these opportunities allows the youth to explore an aspect of church life they may not have experienced before—and begins preparing the next generation of church leaders.

The MYE weekly rehearsals pack a lot into two hours. They start with a group check-in, interspersing vocal warmups and stretches with the participants sharing about their weeks. The bulk of the rehearsal is choral practice, followed by about half an hour for instrumental practice, often in smaller groups. Finally, there is a snack and some time for goofing around at the end.

Chloe and Isabel highlighted how much they’ve appreciated seeing the group come together, not just as a choir but as friends. They noted how important confidence and leadership are to creating music.

Chloe says, “The vibes of rehearsals are great, [the kids] are just really excited to hang out and be there. Some of the kids are already friends from school, but once a new person joins they immediately become part of the group.”

When asked what they appreciate about directing MYE, learning came up again.

“I’m so grateful to have this hands-on experience.” Isabel commented, “We often say to each other ‘there is no other way to learn the things we are learning’ … I’m interested in teaching music, so this is a great environment to build those skills.”

Chloe mentioned how MYE helped her spiritual growth as well.

She says, “This has been one of the top three biggest spiritual aspects of my life. [MYE] has helped me build a more personal connect with my faith.”

The group is working hard to prepare for their Christmas concert which will be at Stirling Ave Mennonite Church on Dec 14, starting at 7:30. They will also be lead a hymn sing in January, alongside the Menno Singers choir and taking part in the choir retreat at Toronto United Mennonite Church in January. MYE is always looking for more young musicians to join the group. Those interested can contact Chloe at chloe.shantz1@gmail.com.

MCEC supported MYE with a grant this past year. MCEC has been grateful for the opportunity to support them through this past year of development. We affirm the ensemble’s vision to grow and flourish—musically and spiritually—so that young people can offer meaningful musical leadership within Mennonite congregations. We also celebrate the participation community, and sense of belonging that continues to take root among the youth, marking MYE as a vibrant and hopeful expression of shared faith, leadership development and music.