Wow, so many adverbs describing alternative singing and church music styles! Great column.
And the organist/accompanist is ultimately responsible for the results.
My mom played the organ at our local Methodist/UMC for 50+ years. I remember her often trying to move the congregation along to sing at a quicker pace, but not always successfully. And if the pastor liked to sing loud and drug the song along, there was not much she could do except play louder!
The Methodist (and United Methodist) Hymnal has the page, “Directions for Singing,” written by John Wesley, in the front that to tell us how to sing. There are many gems in there, such as number V:
“Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.”
Thank you for bringing back some fond memories on this -17 degrees cold Sunday morning!
Thank YOU, Jim! Suffice to say, paging through these hymnals brought back many warm thoughts. Similarly, any feedback that includes the words "great column" thrills my soul! I will now search out Wesley's "Directions for Singing," which I have not yet come across (but I will... ah, google). Please know how much I appreciate your kind note. --K
I will admit, church going for me ended with my two years in Vietnam. With that said, my recall of church music is a throw back to my attendence days high school and earlier. In an Evangelical Missouri Synod Lutheran Church in rural Iowa, the singing was often slow and mythodical for every hymm, let us call it "Durge" music, a la farmer style! The difference between walking briskly and dragging you foot behind you! Year in and year out that hymm singing would drive a sober man to drink if he had an inkling of how melodies so filled with joy and hope could be so butchered! Frankly, I stay completely away from places that have so little appreciation for music to even sing like that!
Oh my! Music like that may have driven me out, too. Fortunately, people have choices, including the choice to not go, which seems to be where you landed. I choose to participate... to sing as best I can, when serving as organist, to play as best I can, and let the chips fall where they may. When I'm at the keys, perhaps the greatest threat is an occasional wrong note that does creep in periodically, sigh. I tend to walk briskly and to play briskly, which may not be to everyone's liking... but as I point out, I'm happy to "turn over the bench" if / when someone else wishes to assume the role.
Fascinating piece. I have some acquaintance with the Lutheran SBH, but I somehow have forgotten these directives. As a current organist and/or pianist for my church, i take my power to interpret hymns very seriously. As you note, there's not much competition for this job!
My rural congregations, where I am the occasional organist, are about to launch a keyboard scholarship program to encourage and promote lessons by actually paying for them if members of the congregation take this step. It's intended as a "grow our own" effort... and if nothing but greater music appreciation comes from it, well, then it will have advanced the cause a bit, too. (Oh, Karen, I greatly appreciate your first two words!)
Wow, so many adverbs describing alternative singing and church music styles! Great column.
And the organist/accompanist is ultimately responsible for the results.
My mom played the organ at our local Methodist/UMC for 50+ years. I remember her often trying to move the congregation along to sing at a quicker pace, but not always successfully. And if the pastor liked to sing loud and drug the song along, there was not much she could do except play louder!
The Methodist (and United Methodist) Hymnal has the page, “Directions for Singing,” written by John Wesley, in the front that to tell us how to sing. There are many gems in there, such as number V:
“Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.”
Thank you for bringing back some fond memories on this -17 degrees cold Sunday morning!
Thank YOU, Jim! Suffice to say, paging through these hymnals brought back many warm thoughts. Similarly, any feedback that includes the words "great column" thrills my soul! I will now search out Wesley's "Directions for Singing," which I have not yet come across (but I will... ah, google). Please know how much I appreciate your kind note. --K
I will admit, church going for me ended with my two years in Vietnam. With that said, my recall of church music is a throw back to my attendence days high school and earlier. In an Evangelical Missouri Synod Lutheran Church in rural Iowa, the singing was often slow and mythodical for every hymm, let us call it "Durge" music, a la farmer style! The difference between walking briskly and dragging you foot behind you! Year in and year out that hymm singing would drive a sober man to drink if he had an inkling of how melodies so filled with joy and hope could be so butchered! Frankly, I stay completely away from places that have so little appreciation for music to even sing like that!
Oh my! Music like that may have driven me out, too. Fortunately, people have choices, including the choice to not go, which seems to be where you landed. I choose to participate... to sing as best I can, when serving as organist, to play as best I can, and let the chips fall where they may. When I'm at the keys, perhaps the greatest threat is an occasional wrong note that does creep in periodically, sigh. I tend to walk briskly and to play briskly, which may not be to everyone's liking... but as I point out, I'm happy to "turn over the bench" if / when someone else wishes to assume the role.
Fascinating piece. I have some acquaintance with the Lutheran SBH, but I somehow have forgotten these directives. As a current organist and/or pianist for my church, i take my power to interpret hymns very seriously. As you note, there's not much competition for this job!
My rural congregations, where I am the occasional organist, are about to launch a keyboard scholarship program to encourage and promote lessons by actually paying for them if members of the congregation take this step. It's intended as a "grow our own" effort... and if nothing but greater music appreciation comes from it, well, then it will have advanced the cause a bit, too. (Oh, Karen, I greatly appreciate your first two words!)