tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post4970890063119691551..comments2024-03-17T04:17:30.905-05:00Comments on PostConsumer Reports: The Moment I Began to Lose Faith in Contemporary Worship MusicPostConsumer Reportshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04382150335755928153noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-40620332859594888352022-08-28T06:25:48.560-05:002022-08-28T06:25:48.560-05:00I find it difficult to connect with much of contem...I find it difficult to connect with much of contemporary worship music. The lyrics often feel shallow and the music feels more like pop than worship.professional software testing services companyhttps://squadtechsolution.com/software-testing-and-qa/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-88788517529567112572016-05-11T10:53:52.740-05:002016-05-11T10:53:52.740-05:00Leaving a new comment on a very old post...
I cou...Leaving a new comment on a very old post...<br /><br />I could never adequately explain to our worship leader why I struggled with singing Newsboy's "He Reigns" as a worship team. ("Too wordy for congregational worship" was the best I could do). I think you finally nailed it for me. Thanks!JesusFreaknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-59038043352362171002015-09-04T10:22:18.326-05:002015-09-04T10:22:18.326-05:00Okay, I am a 40-something United Methodist pastor ...Okay, I am a 40-something United Methodist pastor with a music background. I believe I straddle the divide between worship styles. Grew up on hymns at church and pop in everyday life. Was drummer in a Baptist praise and worship band when drums were not welcome in Methodist churches. My mother taught voice and piano. My current charge has a large electronic organ augmented with real pipes. The organ was dedicated "To the Glory of God" and I feel that it should occasionally be heard. The title of your post (The moment I began to lose faith...) captured my attention during a Google search and drew me into this conversation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-54568139778841013972015-09-03T21:13:30.805-05:002015-09-03T21:13:30.805-05:00Most recent "Anonymous", I curious what ...Most recent "Anonymous", I curious what your church music context is. Not everyone has an actual organ in their worship space, though a lot of churches have decent synths, which might be able to replicate something like an actual organ sound.<br /><br />I would love to use the organ in the way you describe, BTW.PostConsumer Reportshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04382150335755928153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-83273360397877897122015-09-03T18:04:03.906-05:002015-09-03T18:04:03.906-05:00And, Chris, even incorporate the organ into the mi...And, Chris, even incorporate the organ into the mix for a brief moment. Most good organists can pick up the rhythm and texture of the band, smooth it out over a measure or two of improvisation and segue into a modulation or interlude. Meanwhile increasing the drama of the organ sound to lead a verse of a major hymn, and then rapidly pull back on the stops while the kbd or piano picks up the lead and reestablishes the rhythm. The band joins and the pulse takes hold again and you move on. Your pew people will be thinking, Wow, What Just Happened Here?! Make it the midpoint of a set. If you save that for a once-a-month experience, it will be the high point of some people's worship. You're not giving up anything, you're not making any concessions, you're just adding a totally unexpected texture for a moment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-90381294177874616412015-09-03T14:23:30.364-05:002015-09-03T14:23:30.364-05:00Anonymous, have you thought about re-incorporating...Anonymous, have you thought about re-incorporating hymns but with the worship band?<br />People don't necessarily need the organ if they've got the melody down deep inside them. Or you could even make a hymn more synth-heavy. <br /><br />I'm being a little cheeky when I say this, but being 100% contemporary in your song selection is pretty behind the times. That's so 2005.... :) All I mean to say is, it's pretty common to draw from both the best of what's being written today and from the hymns of the past but done in a contemporary style.PostConsumer Reportshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04382150335755928153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-1514062280481371792015-09-03T11:12:45.567-05:002015-09-03T11:12:45.567-05:00The author honestly articulates problems that many...The author honestly articulates problems that many of us have chosen to ignore. I'm afraid I am guilty (along with the rest of my team) of being "contemporary snobs." When the congregation doesn't "get it" on a song that we have been rehearsing for weeks, we roll our eyes and joke about the glassy stares and closed mouths in the pews. I have had to come to a very depressing conclusion, that contemporary worship will take another entire generation before it suits everybody, no matter how you package it. At my church we abruptly ended all elements of previous church music 12 years ago in order to jump whole-heartedly into praise mode without looking back. I keep thinking, "Don't they see that this is where music has been headed for a century?" Yet probably two-thirds of them would only sing if we cranked up the organ again and sang "Holy, Holy, Holy" every service with the pipes roaring like race day at the drag strip. It's frustrating. Fixing the range and rhythm of songs is a good step, but it won't solve everything.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-56130425089665837232015-08-25T21:51:10.254-05:002015-08-25T21:51:10.254-05:00To those people wondering or confusing what kind o...To those people wondering or confusing what kind of article this is. It is about the bloody practicality of being a bloody musician in charge of non musicians. You make things easier for them when they take part. If they can't do it and you can, wait for a solo performance. If they have to take part, make sure you aren't dumping them in the deep end. This is basic leading, and the fact that it's in the church doesn't take away from the sheer nature of practical leadership. Give people to do what they are capable of doing, and they will enjoy doing it. Teach them something in their capacity to learn, and they will enjoy learning it. Dump something ridiculously difficult for the amateur on a crowd of likely amateurs (who else other than you actually has the experience and training to do this, I mean really... there's bound to be a handful of tone deaf people, if nothing else), and you will end up with people stumbling over words, stumbling over rhythms, losing focus, losing their place, and losing interest in taking part. That's not worship leading, that's misplaced performing. Anyone taking spiritual offense to this article, and I hope to high God that there aren't any even though i realize the world is full of people who can't interpret things well, go learn first, and then contribute to the conversation when you know the parameters of the conversation. Until then, you not only can be safely ignored with impunity, but we all hate you for speaking your misguided mind. Please go away.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-29820490431626414282015-08-25T21:44:17.292-05:002015-08-25T21:44:17.292-05:00Having had a similar conversation with my own prie...Having had a similar conversation with my own priest at my Anglican parish, and being something of a worship songwriter myself, I both recognize the tendency for the art to grow isolated enough to enjoy personal vocal complexity and range luxuries and overdo them, as well as the sheer appreciation people have for simplicity done well. To me, a song that does well is one that not only has a narrow vocal range and a simple melody though. Both of those things are tools, and ones with a high degree of monotony if you're not careful. But here's the trick. The simpler the melody, the easier it is to make the structure underneath, chordal and rhythmic, more interesting and complicated underneath the strong simple easy-to-grasp melody line. That becomes the art form, to surround a simple melody with something different, without drawing attention away from the main point of the song (the words and melody). Achieve that, and you achieve something great.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-44892819909393168792015-07-31T09:10:26.440-05:002015-07-31T09:10:26.440-05:00Very good article!
I've always, well almost a...Very good article! <br />I've always, well almost always, been mindful of range and considered ease of learning a song in introducing something new. At times I will teach only a chorus and encourage the congregation to listen to the verses if it's challenging to sing and still "worthy of worship." <br />A few years back we began listing the album, album art and artist in the worship order to encourage our congregation to listen, learn and worship with during the week. It has helped!<br />Maybe someone should write an article on the "benefits of worshipping the Spirit influenced by the 'spirits'!" OBVIOUSLY KIDDING<br />Last thought - every church and congregation is different. Some may be able to learn syncopation and some not. Finding your church's "groove" and leading them to worship is our goal!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04051002366794735877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-47239190048327067372015-07-30T16:05:47.315-05:002015-07-30T16:05:47.315-05:00Re: "What's difficult to sing for one cu...Re: "What's difficult to sing for one culture is easy to sing for another. It's about musical characteristics of culture. There is no normative way to do music."<br /><br />So, Mozart and Bach are difficult to sing not because it is musically demanding, but solely because of culture?<br /><br />When I was younger, I had a higher vocal range and was able to sing all my favorite tunes without difficulty, but as I got (ahem) older my range dropped significantly and am no longer able to sing them without lowering the key - is that because of cultural influence or just physical and musical realities that I have to deal with?<br /><br />Look, I am not saying that "culture" has NO influence on musical style and preferences - of course it does. But people having difficulty in singing a song in a worship service may be having difficulty because of pitch, range, tempo, rhythm, etc. That is not culture, that is just plain old musical limitations and reality. I like many styles of music - from rock to rhythm n blues to jazz to classical to bluegrass - does that I mean I am poly-cultural? No. It just means I enjoy those styles of music.<br /><br />I agree there is no one "right" way to do music, and the average guy from A rural country setting might relate more to Hank Willams than to Mozart. But, that doesn't mean that composing a song that is easier to sing melodically, textually, and rhythmically wouldn't also be easier to sing for Hank Williams, or Mozart, a New Yorker, a head-banger, or a guy from my own church.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348935931849121370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-90303665897862834872015-07-30T14:59:05.661-05:002015-07-30T14:59:05.661-05:00Re: "This is not about culture. It is about m...Re: "This is not about culture. It is about musical characteristics of music."<br /><br />^ What's difficult to sing for one culture is easy to sing for another. It's about musical characteristics of culture. There is no normative way to do music.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-67086139076477125732015-07-30T14:16:49.258-05:002015-07-30T14:16:49.258-05:00Re: "Please don't make the mistake of ma...Re: "Please don't make the mistake of making this an ethical issue when it's really a cultural one. The only ethical issue here is when we insist that our cultural preferences are right and others are wrong."<br /><br />I don't think Chris's article is necessarily attempting to make this an ethical issue, but a musical reality that we, as worship leaders, need to take into consideration that some kinds of music do not lend themselves to congregational singing. Now, if one chooses to ignore the issue because of our personal musical preferences over the needs of the congregation, then at that point it can become an issue of Christian ethics.<br /><br />This is not about culture. It is about musical characteristics of music. The truth is that some songs were written for the purpose of being sung by a group of people, while othe kinds of songs are composed to be performed by a solo vocalist/vocal praise band. Most classic hymns and Gospel songs were written the the express purpose of being sung by a large group of people. That influenced the melody, rhythm, key selection, and vocabulary. Now, it's true that some classic hymns or Gospel songs may have a cultural barrier to people today when it comes to vocabulary. We don't speak the same way people did in the 18th and 19th centuries, so vocabulary can obviously be a problem for modern Christians to sing and understand.<br /><br />But, the qualities of good writing for congregational use still apply no matter what style the music is. There are contemporary praise songs that do utilize good composition for congregational use - such as "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High." Though it definitely has syncopation, the melody is very easy to catch on to and the text is easy to sing, combined with a solid 4/4 beat. That is why this song is so popular with so many churches - good text, nice singable melody, etc.<br /><br />Again, this doesn't mean that contemporary Christian music is "bad" - just that some does not lend itself to being sung easily by a large group of people with varied levels of musical ability. All Chris is saying is that we. Need to be aware of this issue when selecting songs for the whole church to sing. Congregational songs AND vocal soloistic songs can both help the church to praise and worship Christ. There is a place for both types in worship.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348935931849121370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-30256336149867335012015-07-30T10:31:33.391-05:002015-07-30T10:31:33.391-05:00I love both classic hymns and well done contempora...I love both classic hymns and well done contemporary worship songs. Many of the accusations toward CCM that the author makes can just as easily be applied to old hymns. Old hymns are often more difficult to sing and have more complicated rhythms and timing than do CCM songs. It really comes down to cultural familiarity. Some people are more familiar with hymn style music. Others not so much. Please don't make the mistake of making this an ethical issue when it's really a cultural one. The only ethical issue here is when we insist that our cultural preferences are right and others are wrong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-59379235822081657252015-07-29T08:09:20.448-05:002015-07-29T08:09:20.448-05:00^^^ Pure gold, this.^^^ Pure gold, this.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13022997908112895061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-56241560003743081902015-07-28T18:33:01.544-05:002015-07-28T18:33:01.544-05:00As a music leader for the Contemporary service at ...As a music leader for the Contemporary service at my church, I just want to add one side note....Something that is very different in this day and age is that people can actually turn on the radio and hear the very same songs they're singing in church. This was not the case with many of the hymns of old, so of course they had to be simpler. What a blessing it is to have our worship songs available any time of night or day with just a switch of the dial. <br />My car radio is always set on the Christian music channels and I know many of my church members also frequent these stations. Even though some of the songs are syncopated and a bit out of my vocal range, I just drop down to where I can sing them. They're catchy and the repetition of words makes most of them really easy to learn with words that stay with me all day long.<br />When we're learning a new song in worship, I often post it on my church's Facebook page several weeks prior so people can get a jump start on the new song. I follow the practice pretty consistently of introducing one new song per month. I believe people appreciate the freshness of learning new songs and the fact that they can hear them on the radio. I think this makes worship relevant to their every day lives...not just one day of the week. <br /> lovenotes60noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-60816529502097939732015-07-28T14:21:50.931-05:002015-07-28T14:21:50.931-05:00Let's be honest: The picture accompanying the ...Let's be honest: The picture accompanying the article's title is an atrocious representation of music notation. Anyone would have a difficult time reading syncopation when written in this manner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-85486517786792900062015-07-28T13:03:09.446-05:002015-07-28T13:03:09.446-05:00Thank you, Chris, for an excellent and well though...Thank you, Chris, for an excellent and well though out article. Over the past few years I have thought over these same concerns and come to similar conclusions. <br /><br />Of course, the congregation is always kept in mind when a new song is being considered. And every congregation is different. I recently removed "Let Everything That Has Breath" from our church's repertoire because everyone sang a different rhythm on the verses. Therefore we started using soloists for them. But we also wanted to keep solos to special music to encourage the congregation to sing out more often.<br /><br />Some songs that jump an octave, such as "Lord I Need You", are easy to put in the same octave so that all the notes fall into a 6th instead of an octave and a 6th. There are many other songs such as "Oceans" that we keep for special music. They're beautiful but difficult to sing. I normally try to keep the vocal range of our repertoire from low A to high D - otherwise our congregation doesn't sing along very well. <br /><br />I don't usually like the idea of straightening out rhythms since it tends to make songs sound slower and more stringent. And then the congregation tends to want to sing them very fast so that they have some kind of life. However, there are songs where I change the rhythm so that it's consistent from phrase to phrase or verse to verse. For example, the same rhythm can be used (for the most part) for both verses of "All the People Said Amen". <br /><br />I've noticed that the congregation responds differently to different new songs. When I tried introducing "Happy Day" by Tim Hughes several years ago, the congregation didn't sing along with it. So after the 4th time in 6 weeks we dropped the song. On the other hand, the congregation started singing enthusiastically with "Build Your Kingdom Here" by Rend Collective the 2nd time we sang it, and they continue to sing it enthusiastically. So much depends on what your congregation likes and if they're able to learn the song easily.Bertramnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-79084553526310436502015-07-28T12:17:48.941-05:002015-07-28T12:17:48.941-05:00Chris,
Excellent article and valid concerns. I h...Chris,<br /><br />Excellent article and valid concerns. I have been a music leader in churches for over 30 years. I have four music degrees, including a Masters in Church Music. In addition, I was a teenager/young adult during the rise of Christian contemporary music in the late 1960's and during the 70's. I put this info out there because I wanted to confirm to you every issue you brought up as to selecting music that is appropriate for congregational singing.<br /><br />And that's the point - music for corporate singing, by everyone in the congregation. It is a common problem in every church that there are people who do not vocally participate in the singing. And, the truth is, there are some people, that no matter how careful you are with song selection, who just will not sing, for whatever reason.<br /><br />However, your point is that we as worship leaders, do not want to put up unnecessary barriers that might discourage participation. The worst thing is for people just stop participating and just sit back and "watch", becoming a spectator rather than a participant.<br /><br />Most contemporary Christian music is soloistic, that is, it was created and recorded by a specific vocalist or vocalists. Therefore, the rhythm is usually more difficult to sing. It's part of what creates the interest in the song. And, this is also true do Chrisitan music in almost any style, whether contemporary or even classical. We don't take arias from Handel's "Messiah" and sing them with the congregation. <br /><br />This problem has occurred before in church music history. Back in the Middle Ages, just prior to the Reformation, the state of church music in the Catholic Church had become so complicated that only trained musicians could sing it. As a result, for literally hundreds of years the average church goer stopped singing and just listened. When the Reformation occurred, Martin Luther, who loved church music, wanted to reinstall corporate hymn-singing back into the worship services. The problem was that there was no heritage of contemporary hymns that was known by the common person - it had been a lost art. Therefore many of the early Reformation hymn writers used secular tunes that were well known to everyone and set Christian words to the tunes. After a while they began composing their own and all this led to an explosion of Church music for use by the congregation - in fact, the organ became THE instrument of choice in churches because its primary purpose was to help support the hymn singing of the congregation.<br /><br />Anyway, I've gone on too long. I just wanted to affirm your concerns and applaud your efforts to make congregational singing more assessable to everyone, no matter what the style of music ones church is used to singing. God bless you and may your ministry bring even greater praise to our Lord Jesus Christ.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15348935931849121370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-13089690895365887192015-07-28T10:22:27.717-05:002015-07-28T10:22:27.717-05:00This is something I think about a lot. As a person...This is something I think about a lot. As a person who loves new music and new songs and learns melodies and lyrics extremely fast, it was a hard lesson for me to learn. I think it's important as a worship leader to remember we want the congregation to move forward in worship with us. I'm much more hesitant about introducing new songs than I used to be and I realized lately that I can't completely stop introducing new songs from over thinking it too much - that's not the answer. When I am thinking of introducing a new song or songs, I pray about it a lot and try my best to pick ones that fit the themes and direction our church is moving in. I want new songs to become songs that we want to keep singing and doing for at least a few years. You want it to be singable of course, but also one that will resonate in the hearts of the people. I always pray for the Lord's direction in selecting them - He knows what the people need and where He wants to lead us in worship :)Lauranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-3776356539136029842015-07-28T08:10:36.212-05:002015-07-28T08:10:36.212-05:00As a participant in both Congregation singing, and...As a participant in both Congregation singing, and being on the worship team, I agree with a lot of this article. Keep the songs easy to sing, for everyone. I will admit, I have lip synched while singing on the worship team because the song was so difficult to sing and I had hours of practice with the worship team. The congregation just stopped singing. <br />In my experience, the best worship comes from the heart, without having to stare at each and every word, and without hesitating because you aren't sure if its time to sing again or not (long interludes and guitar solos come to mind and so do the songs that have a rest right before you start the next verse or phrase)<br />There are so many great and easy songs to sing, so why do we have to make it so difficult? 'We Believe' is a great song, but have you ever tried to sing the chorus of "Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen" as written? I have a very wide range but every time we sing this song, I just want to pass out trying to catch my breath so I can hit those notes (and singing an octave lower is almost too low)<br />Sing the songs people know and love. Introduce new songs, but if the first time you sing it most of the congregation isn't singing by the last chorus, skip it in the future. <br />and please, leaders, please limit your guitar solos and music interludes to one or two per Sunday morning. I know your guitarist is really good and can play really well, but it's not a concert. Jam on Saturdays with your buddies, not on Sunday mornings. Those singing on the worship team don't even know what to do during those times so why do you think the congregation will 'reflect' during this time? BTW, I'm not old.. but I'm not young either. I'm in the middle. I love to sing songs that have words that line up with scripture, songs you can easily harmonize to, and songs that lead me to truly Worship God with abandon. Keep it simple, keep it in line with scripture and remember you are leading the congregation so they will fully engage in worship thru music and singing. just my 2 cents on the subject. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-79994911715767808122015-07-28T06:36:05.456-05:002015-07-28T06:36:05.456-05:00We thank you for the article. It is well written a...We thank you for the article. It is well written and has some valid points. However, as said previously, churches are very different, and congregational 'ability" varies. One of the best ways to help the congregation is to teach the parts and simplify at first, and then bring in more of the syncopation later. But, the major idea of to considering the congregation when choosing songs is a very good one. After 16 years of worship leading, we have discovered 1) lifting up God, 2) enhancing the message, 3) considering the congregation, 4) taking into account which band members/singers are available, and lastly 5) what songs we might like to do is a healthy way to run a contemporary service. We wish you the best. God Blessings and success for your worship service.Dennis Niechttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03037541575594584567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-11638045982047770172015-07-28T05:40:13.902-05:002015-07-28T05:40:13.902-05:00I agree with the main thrust of this article but b...I agree with the main thrust of this article but believe Chris advocates taking it too far. That verse of "Every Breath" is too difficult for your average congregation. But "Mighty To Save" is widely sung by congregations all over the globe. I think the concerns here are valid but while we should be sensitive to them, we also risk underestimating our congregations.<br /><br />For instance, attempting to straighten out more moderate syncopations in my view is both unnecessary and just stiffens the songs. I have heard congregations sing these syncopations in two ways simultaneously... I've heard some people singing them correctly & others being off rhythmically. You would think that the two could not coexist in the same congregation but not only do they coexist, such a difference does NOT cause the congregation to cease from singing.<br /><br />As for octave jumps, I have found that those in our congregations who can't sing them will sing in the octave that is in their vocal range. Furthermore, I have found they even do this with songs that are NOT written octave jumps.<br /><br />So, great points, but don't underestimate your congregations & "dumb it down" too much...Greg Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16771536675375060120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-2087861306092728502015-07-28T04:45:05.174-05:002015-07-28T04:45:05.174-05:00Hi, I am a worship leader in a small church which ...Hi, I am a worship leader in a small church which do not have "seasoned musicians" or people that can read music. I sometimes make the songs easier to sing by leaving out all the chord progressions and chord changes. I also would on occasion change the melody to make it easier to sing. I know we would like to do things as perfectly as possible but I have come to learn two things. (not by myself but by fellow christians) 1. Make a joyful NOISE unto the Lord. 2. God does not want your ability He wants your availability. Your task is not to play the song perfectly but to bring HIS congregation into HIS Presence. To many times we want to do GOD's work for HIM by doing things He never asked us to do. I pray the prayer of Paul in ef. 1:17 a lot. God give my your Spirit of wisdom and revelation to lead YOUR people. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3508293003737956258.post-90149706232602598962015-07-24T03:47:14.212-05:002015-07-24T03:47:14.212-05:00Matt Redmond, please stop posting like this. He ...Matt Redmond, please stop posting like this. He is still doing your song Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com