BREATHEcast had the pleasure of being able to have a interview with Carol Cymbala, choir director for Brooklyn Tabernacle Church in New York, about the choir's upcoming new album and the excitment of hitting a milestone.  The beginning of November marked the churches choir groups 40th anniversary of praising the Lord together. The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir has had the pleasure of singing behind many prestigous names such as Billy Graham, Barack Obama during the presidential inaguration, and even on Radio City's Music Hall. The choir has grown from nine to over 200+ people within the last decade and has won many Dove and Grammy Awards for their outstanding praise and worship songs. During the interview, Carol speaks about the Choir's upcoming Christmas album, and their latest debut, Love Lead the Way. The full Q&A is below to learn more about the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and their exciting 40th Anniversary milestone. 

 Q: The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is celebrating 40-years of ministry, How does that make you and the choir feel about the success and impact of your music?  

A: We rejoice in the fact that we can lift up Jesus as Savior and that lives are still being changed by the power of the gospel as it is proclaimed through the message of our music. 

Q: Your newest CD, Love Lead the Way, was released this year. What kind of feedback have you gotten from the congregation and fans alike?

A:  People love it, especially the eclectic nature of the songs.  As with our other live albums, the congregational singing is a big part of the project, so the people are participants in this celebration of God's love.  That makes it special for each and every person who forms part of a congregation, both here at The Brooklyn Tabernacle and elsewhere. 

Q: How long did it take you to choose the songs on the Love Lead the Way album, and what made you choose those particular songs? 

A: We spent a few months gathering songs for the album Love Lead the Way.  These were songs that we had already been singing on Sundays. As with previous albums, before the recording I came together with my team and discussed the songs that had been a real blessing for the congregation.  That is how we choose the songs for every project. Some songs are written in house and others are written by other artists.

Q: Have you and the Choir done any promoting for the new album? Or have you strictly stayed within the church? 

 A:We recently released our lead single, "Let Your Kingdom Come" from the album Love Lead the Way, and it is now playing on radio stations around the country.  The song says, "Your will be done. Use us to change this generation." It's a song that the Christian church should be singing, as we ask God to use us to do His will and to reach out to the world, letting them know there is a Jesus who saves, redeems, changes lives, and sets people free! Our goal is simply to let as many people as possible hear the message of Christ, and we want to make use of every opportunity we have to do that.

Q:The Choir has performed at many prestigious concert venues. Should we expect to see the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at any events this year?

A:The choir is blessed to have had the opportunity over the years to share our ministry of music in venues such as Radio city Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall; and, most recently, to have formed a part of history at the inauguration of the President of the United States. In the next year, we will be sharing the gospel through song in Japan, England, Ireland, and other places.

Q:The 280+ vocalists that make up the Choir weren't always there. How long did it take for the choir to grow to such great capacity?

A:The choir began with nine voices that met in my home in the early days of The Brooklyn Tabernacle.  As the Lord added to the congregation, the choir also began to grow.  I remember when we extended the number of people in the choir to 50, and then 100, and 150, thinking each time that we had reached our limit.  We never imagined that we would end up with a 280+-voice choir!

Q:What would you say each particular person brought to the music group? Character, Love, Outstanding Voice.  ( Choir Group as a whole, not single individuals) 

A:The choir is made up of people from all walks of life.  We have doctors, lawyers, and other professionals in the choir; but we also have folks who have come out of difficult life situations such as homelessness, prison, and substance abuse.  While we do have vocal auditions for anyone applying to the choir, the most important thing is when I interview each potential choir member to make sure that they really want to lift up the name of Jesus and not just have a platform to show off their talent. Talent is easy to come by, but someone who wants to glorify Christ and encourage others to do the same is a rare and beautiful quality in a person.  That is the kind of person that I love to have in the choir.   

Q: Looking back on the past 40-years, How do you feel as a Choir director and the accomplishment of having such a beautiful group of people come together to share God's love?

A: I feel so grateful to God for how He's used the choir to spread the gospel. It still gives me great joy to stand and lead this ensemble filled with so many people who share the same passion as I to bring glory to the name of Jesus. Even with all we've been able to do by His grace, I know the best is yet to come. 

Q:Should we expect any new albums for the remainder of 2013, or the beginning of 2014? Are there any plans in the making? 

 A:We are beginning talks now, and sharing ideas, for a new CD next year. Right now we are still excited to see what God will do with Love Lead the Way.

Q: Do you have anything to add about the new album, the future of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, or the excitement of hitting such an important milestone?

A:Our Christmas presentation is coming up in December here at The Brooklyn Tabernacle. Please visit our website http://www.brooklyntabernacle.org to find out more information about the show, which is going to be a spectacular here in New York City. It's better than Broadway. The purpose of a choir is to lead the congregation into the presence of God. We are doing this to lift up the name of Jesus, and when we think about all He's done for us, how excited we should be to lift up His name! If we can continue to do that for many years to come, then that is what will make me happiest.