The Letters That Started It All
By Meredith Smith on 6/5/2026
More than 75 years ago, Ruth Krehbiel Jacobs was a highly respected and sought-after clinician. Through workshops, festivals, and lectures, she was considered a leading voice for children’s choirs. More and more directors wanted to learn from her experience, looking for ideas, encouragement, and practical ways to help their choirs thrive. They began to write letters to Ruth asking the same question:
“How do you do it?”
So, Ruth started writing them back.
These responses became the original Choristers Guild Letters: mimeographed newsletters filled with ideas, teaching insights, and encouragement for church musicians. Eventually, these letters grew into something much bigger, inspiring Ruth to found Choristers Guild in 1949.
Ruth believed that children’s choirs were more than just music. They were a vital tool for building character, developing leadership skills, and forming meaningful connections with others. This belief continues to inspire the work we do today.
What began as a series of monthly letters steadily grew into a national organization. In 1953, Choristers Guild was officially incorporated, and over the years, thousands of directors found community through festivals, workshops, multiple publications, and educational resources.
Many leaders helped carry Ruth's vision forward, including Helen Kemp. She continued Ruth's work through festivals, workshops, articles, and more. Her influence on children's choir ministry can still be felt today. Reflecting on the needs of children, Helen once said:
"Today's children have the same emotional needs, they have the same need for beauty in their lives, and they have the same need for teachers to set an example for them."
Even decades later, those words ring true.
Over the years, Choristers Guild has continued to grow and evolve, but through all the change, one thing has stayed the same: we have always existed to support the work of music directors.
It’s sharing ideas to support your rehearsals each week. It’s finding encouragement and support in challenging times. It’s connecting and learning from one another, knowing that you will find camaraderie and support no matter where you go.
That is why Ruth wrote those letters many years ago, and that is why we feel it is important to bring them back today.
Today, we are excited to introduce a new chapter of the Choristers Guild Letters as a monthly email series. Each month, we will share teaching tips and tricks, music and resource recommendations, upcoming events, stories across the Choristers Guild community, and practical ideas you can use with your own choirs.
While the format might be a little different than Ruth’s original letters, the heart remains the same. We hope that these letters will become a place to learn, grow, and connect.
We are glad you are here, and welcome to the next chapter of the Choristers Guild Letters.