History

In 1978, the Northwest Texas Council on Youth Ministries of the United Methodist Church began a program for Senior High Youth across the conference that would truly make history. It was first conceived by Rev. Tom Nagle and the youth council as a youth Musical/Drama Troupe and they gave it the name of SPIRIT WIND. During those early years twelve to twenty youth auditioned and participated in the two week summer program. However small the number, the leadership remained committed. In 1982 both of the original directors, Mr. Mark Gaskell and Mrs. Ann Moore, were transferred out of the area, but because of their determination and strong belief in the program, they laid a foundation which would bear much fruit.

The Conference Director approached Bert Bostic with the possibility of directing the Conference Youth Choir in the winter of 1981. His proposal was for Bert to be the interim until a permanent director could be found and Bert cleared the project with the Church where he was then serving and accepted the challenge. Auditions were held the four week-ends of January and still are, in Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, and Abilene, which are the larger metropolitan areas of our conference.

Bert wanted the program to be inclusive of youth with little or no musical background. Because his audition notes told him that each individual who auditioned could at least match pitch, he used that as the basic criteria. The second criteria was that the youth could meet the time commitment, which was a week-end rehearsal the middle of March and the first two full weeks of June. That year 24 youth participated in Spirit Wind and they performed Allen Pote's A REASON TO REJOICE throughout the conference.

Following the same process and using the same criteria, he began to pick up youth from areas where there were and still are large church and school programs, although the majority of the choir is from the Panhandle and West Texas towns of less than 10,000 with limited exposure to choral music. Throughout the past decade the number of participants has grown and in several years the choir has exceeded 135.

Spirit Wind dropped the youth musical to perform a concert of sacred music representative of all styles and periods. We have each year tried to include anthems which are standard repertoire in most churches and to include selections from the great masterworks.

In 1988, Bert asked a fellow musician in our conference if he would like to help with this ministry and he readily accepted. Mr. Jon Johnson of Levelland, Texas became a co-director worked with the group for many years. Since our program rehearses only four full days at Camp Butman in Merkel, Texas, this gives a greater amount of flexibility to those in leadership positions. We have also traveled with two accompanists when possible.

The administrative responsibilities for the ministry are somewhat overwhelming with the amount of promotion, letter writing, rehearsal and performance arrangements, but St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Midland has been willing to commit its resources in getting the job done. Dealing with over 150 youth and 45 churches from our conference is indeed a challenging opportunity.

The cost to the individual has always been a great concern. In 1992 each member was responsible for a $70.00 registration fee which covered the cost of the Spirit Wind performance shirt, the packet of concert music, and some of the incidental expenses. That amount has only grown to $225.00 in 2007. Each concert includes a love offering. Several local churches across the conference with youth in the choir sponsor fund raisers and recently the group became subsidized by two foundations in our area.

In 1992 SPIRIT WIND was selected to be one of the twelve choirs to sing for the Quadrennial General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. This was a magnificent experience for all.

In July of 1995, the SPIRIT WIND choir made its first international tour. The choir toured Great Britain from July 10th-20th performing concerts and sightseeing in London, Bristol, Exeter, Epworth, Loughborough, and Eastbourne. The choir visited historic sights of the Methodist Church's heritage and it was indeed an inspiring tour for both the SPIRIT WIND choir and the English.

July of 1997 took us on a tour of the East Coast. The choir, in three chartered buses, spent fourteen days spreading the Joy of Christ through music in Atlanta, Georgia; Jamestown and Williamsburg, Virginia; Washington, DC; Charleston, West Virginia; and many places in between. The most poignant moments were the Holocaust Museum, the Capital Building at night, the Vietnam Memorial, singing in the National Cathedral, singing in the rotunda of the West Virginia State Capital, and singing in my home church in Charleston, West Virginia.

The summer of 2000 took us across another ocean with members of the Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra to perform concerts in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Rotorua, and Auckland, New Zealand. Two weeks filled with amazing side trips, much food, little sleep, lots of shopping, and great camaraderie.

The evening of July 4, 2003 brought the choir’s first performance of the National Anthem at the Midland Rockhounds baseball game. First United Methodist Church, Burlingame, California hosted the first concert of our sixteen day tour on July 7. The next day found us at the Oakland A's stadium - What an honor - to sing the national anthem for a major league baseball game!! Other concerts were hosted by First United Methodist Church, Renton, Washington; St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Victoria, British Columbia; and Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, Calgary, Alberta. Spirit Wind was honored to be given permission for a full concert on the steps of the Parliament Building in Victoria. British Columbia. Bay tours, ferry rides, trains through the Canadian Rockies, glaciers, museums, and gardens all provided the backdrop for the growth of spirit and Christian community experienced by each person privileged to participate in this tour.

July of 2006 took Spirit Wind to Boston for the 4th. On to New York City - Broadway shows, Rockefeller Center, Central Park’s Strawberry Field, China Town, The Bowery Mission, Washington DC with the Smithsonian, the Capitol Building, Hard Rock Café, a day touring the memorials and experiencing our Nations Capitol, followed with a visit to Charleston, West Virginia and the governors mansion, and Tamarack Mall.

After serving as Spirit Wind Director for 25 years, Bert Bostic resigned in April 2008. He was most instrumental in developing Spirit Wind into the amazing and wonderful program we know today.

We are very fortunate to have Wes Gomer as our fifth director of Spirit Wind. Wes is a music faculty member of McMurry University, the conductor of the McMurry Chanters, and serves as the organist for the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene. Please join Spirit Wind 2008 on our tour this year as we "REJOICE IN THE SPIRIT!"