Emily Spencer

"I strongly endorse Emily Spencer’s website and hymn arrangements. After so many years of church musical service, beginning as a Sunday School organist, and now as a retired Tabernacle organist, I continue to make every effort to promote excellence in music Church-wide, and appreciate Emily’s efforts to do likewise."

"Choir directors in the Church often live on islands of isolation, having little support or assistance in their assignment. Where to turn for assistance in organizing and maintaining a ward choir? Where to look for music appropriate to LDS worship? Where to turn for training in preparing and conducting a piece of music? Emily Spencer has put together a masterful website with marvelous helps for both developing and experienced conductors with helpful hints on organizing and maintaining a ward choir, with inventive arrangements available for review, purchase, and download. She has thought of everything! I wish that her website had been around when I first started."

"It is a joy to sing for Emily. Not only is her music beautiful, but the way she conducts is so enlightening. I have never learned so much (so positively) from any conductor before. She hasa way of bringing out the best in people, and making me (and everyone else) want to do just a little better."

"I have known Emily Spencer for many years. Her energy and enthusiasm bubble over into all her endeavors, and I'm really pleased and excited to see her working on new choral music. …[Her] arrangements are well-crafted and solid. On top of that, I've never seen anyone who had so many good ideas for building and motivatingchurch choirs, and I've been in the role of church choir director for the better part of twenty years."

"There is undoubtedly a wealth of music available for church choirs in today's market. Some pieces, however, are unable to be performed by choirs with more limited forces. Emily Spencer has done brilliant work in arranging pieces that balance musical interest and integrity with accessibility. Emily also has a natural gift for building and shaping a group of amateur singers into a keenly sensitive performing force. This gift for musicality is apparent in the thoughtful preparation of her editions."

"Emily Spencer has an exquisite sense of musical composition and arrangement that is at once both rare and refreshing. Her ability to motivate her choirs is remarkable; her ability to communicate her love of God through the language of music is stirring. Listening to music arranged or performed by Emily brings me the greatest of pleasure."

"Emily Spencer is one of the most talented musicians I have ever known personally. I thrill at the opportunity to use her arrangements both as a singer and director because I feel they are more sophisticated than a lot of church music… Also one of the best choir directors I've ever worked under, Emily motivates people to participate because of the intellectual yet approachable and fun musical experience she provides. She has high musical standards and helps choir members find the talent within themselves to reach those standards. Most choir members have never been part of a church choir that works on the level that Emily creates, and it is very rewarding for them."

"Emily is an extremely talented musician and great conductor. It was a pleasure to be a part of her choir and even better to have the opportunity to perform some of her own arrangements and compositions. She has a wonderful talent of taking any piece of music and making it into something not only beautiful, but also interesting and enjoyable to perform and to listen to. She is well versed in a wide variety of styles and genres, which makes it that much more enjoyable to be part of her group. In fact, in the time that Emily was our choir director, our choir tripled in size because people heard our music and wanted to be a part of it. Emily was able to engage all those who were interested and strengthen their musical talents, no matter what level of experience they came to choir with. I would highly recommend her and her music to anyone!"

"I was always very impressed with Emily's skill, devotion, and ability to bring out the best in a group of talented singers, including those without much musical training. I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that much of the music was Emily's own arrangements. Emily is well known in the Milwaukee North Stake, and equally well missed …."

"Emily's arrangements are beautifully balanced to excite the novice singer as well as the trained musician. Through her arrangements, and her direction, she encourages all singers to stretch their abilities and create truly inspiring song."

"Emily cares a great deal about the church choir and has inspired me to continue in my church music program. Her direction helped me to become a confident and strong singer, something I had not ever been in my life. When we worked on pieces of music, some that Emily had arranged or written herself, I could feel the love and spirit of the Lord with me. One of the most spiritual experiences I had was listening to and performing in the Easter program. The joyful message of Easter and the Spirit of God abiding in that meeting were so strong and real, and it could only be brought with music. My family and I were so impressed with the meeting, that we invited our friends to join us for the next year's program. I want to thank Emily for a wonderful choir experience, for her friendship, and her commitment to improving choir programs."

"I have had wonderful experiences singing and listening to Emily's inspiring music … Her compositions are challenging, but [still accessible] to the novice singer. Each piece is true to form for hymns and other music appropriate to spiritual gatherings. Hopefully, more will be forthcoming."