Between March 21–30, in partnership with local churches and organizations in Romania, we had the joy of organizing a special tour featuring the Taylor Sounds Choir from Taylor University, Indiana, USA. The purpose of this tour was to share the message of the gospel of Christ through high-quality music. The 18 students, accompanied by Dr. Reed Spencer (conductor), Dr. Loralee Songer (mezzo-soprano), and Dr. Christopher Bade (professor and music director), performed in partnering churches in Giurgiu, Alexandria, Bucharest, Sibiu, and Cluj, and also visited local music schools. The tour was made possible through our partnership with Zionsville Presbyterian Church (ZPC), IN.
Music and Community Impact
The six concerts were memorable; people everywhere were amazed by the artistic quality and diverse styles performed by the choir members. The message had a real impact—musically, emotionally, and spiritually—opening hearts to the gospel and inspiring a deeper sense of mission. The students’ personal testimonies, some spoken in Romanian, deeply moved us all.
The hour-and-a-half concert took the audience on a journey through classical and modern, sacred and secular pieces, sung in both English and Romanian. A particularly special moment was the performance of the Romanian piece “Rugă” (Prayer), a choral adaptation of a poem by Ion Vinea from Giurgiu, a Romanian poet, novelist, journalist, literary theorist, and political figure. Impressively, three of the students selected the poem and composed the music exclusively for this tour! Translation may not do justice to the poem, but gives an idea.
Prayer (“Rugă”)
Lord, You are my final thought,
Go before me when the dark star calls,
And the enemy lies in wait, fixed to the ground.
Alone in the night of exile I stand,
Without weapons, without command, without bread.
I wish to lose myself from myself,
But life follows me like a hound.
Lord, go before me,
Like an angel with a sword of light.
I will break through the darkness, the heavy path,
Step by step: like a hero, a traveler, a thief,
According to the laws of this dark border,
Of gropings, of clashes, of cunning,
To the end. The night will be filled with song.
All Your paths lead to light.
– Ion Vinea
The students kindly interacted with people before and after each event, and their openness and authenticity left a strong impression on everyone. Beyond their obvious musical talent, we were deeply moved by their character and their passion for faith, music and testimony.
Dr. Reed Spencer, the choir’s conductor, shared that the decision to come to Romania was inspired by their desire to serve through music:
“God placed this gift of music in us, and we believe we can use it for His glory and for the joy of those who listen.”
Thank you, Taylor Sounds!
We are grateful to the Lord and to the Taylor Sounds team for this extraordinary experience. We eagerly look forward to the next edition and hope to welcome them again soon in Romania.
