The Shoals Praise and Worship Choir

TimesDaily file

Ruby Tiggs of the Shoals Praise and Worship Choir sings performs a solo during a recent concert

Fred Hendon said the Shoals Praise and Worship Choir has been a blessing. A blessing not only to the thousands of people who have heard the 220-member group perform, but also to him and to each of the members. "This is a ministry for us," said Hendon the director of the choir. "And each one of us get such a blessing out of being a part of this ministry."

The Shoals Praise and Worship Choir is made up of men and women with a variety of backgrounds and religions from throughout Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale counties as well as the Athens area. The group, which Hendon said has about 80 original members, began performing nine years ago for audiences throughout the Shoals. Since that time, the popularity and the ministry has grown beyond anyone's belief." I don't think anyone would have thought when this all started that we would be performing this long," he said.

Ruby Tiggs, of Florence and one of the original members of the choir, said the ministry is what keep the group so popular and is such demand. "I can't tell you how many letters I've gotten from people sharing their testimony with me and talking about how blessed they were by the choir," she sad.

Recently, the choir released its first live DVD to compliment a CD of some of their favorite songs that was compiled two years ago. Hendon said the two-hour DVD is from a live performance at Round Island Baptist Church in Athens. "The DVD and the CD is a way to share our ministry through song with those who can't come to the concerts," Tiggs said. "It's another way to get the spread the word of Christ." Hendon said CDs and DVDs are not something the choir intended to make until the demand got so great. "A few years ago, we had just finished a concert at the Shoals Theatre (in Florence) and a man walked up to me with his wallet in his hand and asked where our CDs were," Hendon said. "I laughed and told him we didn't have any. He said he had hoped we did because he wanted to take something with him from the concert. "That planted a seed in my mind that through the CDs and now the DVD, that our ministry could touch others. It's allowed us to a far-reaching arm of the Lord, and after, that's all any of us want. We want to spread the Lord's message and glorify them through song."

Hendon said in 2006, the group performed 10-12 concerts, and he's expecting that many or more in 2008. During the recently concluded ninth season, Hendon said not only did the choir perform locally, but in Northport and in Southern Tennessee. For performance dates, go to www.shoalspraisechoir.org. "And we've already gotten requests for next year from churches in Kentucky and Mississippi," he said.

Hendon said the choir, which is unofficially based at Woodmont Baptist Church in Florence, is also planning a large homecoming at Flowers Hall for their 10th anniversary. "This choir is a witness (to the Lord) though music. Our entire purpose is to exalt the Lord through music," Hendon said. "There is a power in music, especially music that is anointed," Tiggs said. "It's a sweet spirit that the choir has and we're excited about sharing whenever we can."

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.


The Shoals Praise and Worship Choir While this large group of singers is not exclusively from Sheffield, their membership includes Sheffieldians and their contributions are so well-received and bring so much credit to our hometown along with all the communities in the Shoals that I include them in our Brag Book. I would have not known of them unless a member of the organization, Carole Driskell, of the Sheffield Mayor's office, told me about one of their performances down here in the Tuscaloosa area. Now I want to get their CD's. This page will chronicle their rise to fame, starting with this newspaper article which appeared in the TimesDaily on December 28, 2007. P.S.: I may be mistaken, but that beautiful lady with the pearly white shoulder-length hair in the center of the second row of the choir in the photo below looks a lot like Carole.
	10-year-old Shoals Praise and Worship Choir counts blessings *Praising Him in song* By Tom Smith Senior Staff Writer Last Updated:December 27. 2007 11:16PM Published: December 28. 2007 3:30AM TimesDaily file Ruby Tiggs of the Shoals Praise and Worship Choir sings performs a solo during a recent concert Fred Hendon said the Shoals Praise and Worship Choir has been a blessing. A blessing not only to the thousands of people who have heard the 220-member group perform, but also to him and to each of the members. "This is a ministry for us," said Hendon the director of the choir. "And each one of us get such a blessing out of being a part of this ministry." The Shoals Praise and Worship Choir is made up of men and women with a variety of backgrounds and religions from throughout Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale counties as well as the Athens area. The group, which Hendon said has about 80 original members, began performing nine years ago for audiences throughout the Shoals. Since that time, the popularity and the ministry has grown beyond anyone's belief." I don't think anyone would have thought when this all started that we would be performing this long," he said. Ruby Tiggs, of Florence and one of the original members of the choir, said the ministry is what keep the group so popular and is such demand. "I can't tell you how many letters I've gotten from people sharing their testimony with me and talking about how blessed they were by the choir," she sad. Recently, the choir released its first live DVD to compliment a CD of some of their favorite songs that was compiled two years ago. Hendon said the two-hour DVD is from a live performance at Round Island Baptist Church in Athens. "The DVD and the CD is a way to share our ministry through song with those who can't come to the concerts," Tiggs said. "It's another way to get the spread the word of Christ." Hendon said CDs and DVDs are not something the choir intended to make until the demand got so great. "A few years ago, we had just finished a concert at the Shoals Theatre (in Florence) and a man walked up to me with his wallet in his hand and asked where our CDs were," Hendon said. "I laughed and told him we didn't have any. He said he had hoped we did because he wanted to take something with him from the concert. "That planted a seed in my mind that through the CDs and now the DVD, that our ministry could touch others. It's allowed us to a far-reaching arm of the Lord, and after, that's all any of us want. We want to spread the Lord's message and glorify them through song." Hendon said in 2006, the group performed 10-12 concerts, and he's expecting that many or more in 2008. During the recently concluded ninth season, Hendon said not only did the choir perform locally, but in Northport and in Southern Tennessee. For performance dates, go to www.shoalspraisechoir.org. "And we've already gotten requests for next year from churches in Kentucky and Mississippi," he said. Hendon said the choir, which is unofficially based at Woodmont Baptist Church in Florence, is also planning a large homecoming at Flowers Hall for their 10th anniversary. "This choir is a witness (to the Lord) though music. Our entire purpose is to exalt the Lord through music," Hendon said. "There is a power in music, especially music that is anointed," Tiggs said. "It's a sweet spirit that the choir has and we're excited about sharing whenever we can." Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.