A Volley from the Canon, #65

LIVE OR (MEMOREX) DIGITAL

It may be that there are more people who play musical instruments or who are trained vocalists today than at any time in human history. At least those accomplishments are more democratically distributed. Nevertheless, the great majority of people play just a handful of instruments: the Ipod, the CD, the satellite radio….

Think about it. In every previous generation of the church’s life, if the community wanted to have music for their worship, they had to make it themselves. People alive today are the first ones in the history of this planet who do not have that restriction.

There has always been a chasm between musicians and the tonally challenged in churches. The one set could hardly have enough music, complicated enough, to suit them. The other would as soon have none at all (the eight-o’clockers in their lead); or if there is music, they prefer it to be: a) sung by others, or b) exceedingly simple, or c) highly familiar and/or repetitious, or d) all of the above. But now, more than ever, the question persists: why should Christians have to sing together in order to worship, or even to have music for their worship?

As objectionable as “Christian karaoke” may be to many musical purists, I must say I have worshiped in congregations in which the music was so painful to hear, I would have been grateful for a good boom box and a choice compact disc. I’ve also worshiped where hymns or service music were so difficult as to be un-singable by a congregation (and I do read music), and also where the organ was played at such volume that it didn’t really matter whether anyone was singing or not—one could not hear even oneself.

But I have seen instances in which even large groups of people sang willingly, energetically, and well. This has occurred ONLY when the music being offered was simultaneously easy, familiar, and popular. I observe this at Peterkin every summer (note that most songs have to be taught!). I recently downloaded a free concert offering from the popular group Cold Play, which was recorded live. At several points, the audience, quite large, was invited to join the group in singing the chorus of one of their well-known songs, much loved by those present. They did, in thousands, with gusto—and they sounded good!

I see no reason why we should not continue to have expertly played instrumental music in church, as well as choral offerings sung by competent choirs. But why should we suppose that a “real” church has to have a vested choir, processing and performing an offertory anthem? Sometimes, “canned” music, or no music, would be preferable spiritually as well as aesthetically. But whether there is a choir or not, it remains the case that, if the congregation is to be invited to sing, their portion of the musical offering must have those three characteristics: it must be familiar (or immediately taught) for competency’s sake; it must be easy and repetitious, for simplicity’s sake; and it must be widely liked, for everyone’s sake.