Giving up Musical Instruments for Lent

Giving Stuff Up. 
Each year I wonder at the notion of giving something up. It is admirable of course, and can lead to new spiritual depths in the process. However sometimes the giving up of chocolate, grog, or coffee becomes almost a boast in some. One year I had a friend who gave up car travel for Lent. Great. But in reality instead of driving her own car, she constantly pestered her friends and family for lifts increasing their fuel bills and eating into their time. Unless something becomes of the denial, the action becomes a gratuitous exercise.


Why give up musical instruments?
Lent would seem to me to be the best time to have an A Capella Sunday. This is a day where the gathered people sing without instrumental accompaniment, in unison, in rounds and in part harmony. What is A Capella Sunday. 


To my mind the 'denial' of music instruments in worship turns out to be an unexpected trove of spiritual riches which bind the community in new ways. A Capella Sunday takes you out of your comfort zone. Whether you believe Lent is a personal or corporate pilgrimage, a capella singing in Lent nourishes both. 


The key here is access. If people perceive the exercise to be too difficult for them, or as something only the musicians in the community can do, there is something wrong with the approach.The SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT decision you will make is about seating arrangements. MUST READ: A Capella Sunday for seating and preparation tips.


What to Sing?
As suggested previously, the key to a successful A Cappella Sunday is preparation. Another key is repertoire choice. If you decide to have all 4 part harmony pieces led from the front, the message is that they are the focal point. Most people will become disconnected and possibly antagonistic. A Capella Sunday is about participation, and it's about community - NOT performance.


As a guide, I would choose:

• 1 well known hymn sung unaccompanied with assistance of simple drum to keep time
• 1 round or canon
• 1 echo song
• 1 simple 3 part song (usually one male part and two treble parts)

Many of our well known hymns did not start out as hymns at all, but as pop songs, folk tunes, dances and even beer drinking songs. Choosing one that works well unaccompanied is as easy as trying it yourself. If you sing the hymn as you go about your day, you'll notice it takes on its own life, free of accompaniment constraints. Go with it. The pace and mood will be altogether different. For more on this: Revisiting Old Treasures.

Rounds, canons and simple 3 parts songs are relatively easy to access thanks to the prolific and quality resources published by the Wild Goose Resource Group. Among their collections of songs from around the globe are There is One Among Us, Many and Great, We walk his way and Come All you People. There are also many possibilities included in the Altogether series: All Together Now (1980), All Together Again (1983), All Together Everybody (1991), All Together OK (1996), All Together Whatever (2001) and All Together for Good (2007). 


You already have a store of songs in your memory at your disposal. Everybody knows Kum by Yah and Jubilate Deo which are both wonderful for Lent. What's stopping you writing your own words to a round your community knows. Oh come on, you know you want to. While Row your boat doesn't quite do it for me in Lent, songs like Frere Jacques, Oh How Lovely is the Evening (trad German), Within a Shady thicket, Twinkle Twinkle little star all work as rounds.

Use pentatonic hymns and songs like Were you there, Be thou my vision, Kum by Yah, Standing in the need of prayer, and Train is a Comin' oh yeah, which all invite people to make their own harmonies. There is no such thing as a wrong note.

You are welcome to share your 4 songs for A Capella Lent with others via the comments facility on this past. Let us all know about what worked and what didn't. Why you did, or why you'll never, give A Capella Lent a guernsey.

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Getting Gatherings to Sing

How Does the Church Accompany Song in 2011?

We are a diverse church. That's a given. But we are also living in a time where the pace of change and the opportunities technology presents have reached fever pitch.

Like the Industrial Revolution did, this Technological Revolution now affects every aspect of our lives, not least the life of our church.

Or does it?

Is technological diversity revolutionising the way we do music in church? Or are we sticking with the old ways. Is technology enabling your community to enhance it's musical life like it has never done before? How? What are the advantages of such change, and what do we lose by pursuing them? Is the church something of a sanctuary from the clutter of technology, or is it poorer for disregarding it? Perhaps your community is a trail blazer in this sphere.

Many communities use a variety of means to accompany community singing, and that's great. I am interested in exploring the emerging 'norms' or preferences in 2011. To this end, please add your voice to the poll on accompaniment. You'll find it on the left column of this blog.

And please, comment here if you have something to offer on the subject.

You may also be interested in Percussion Perspective.

The Bright Wind is Blowing

Ah Pentecost - the time of year when the imagined suddenly seems possible. Althought not strictly an "old treasure", The Bright Wind is Blowing suggests creative accompaniment. It is something of a puzzle to me why this song, so rich in pentecostal imagery, is included in the section Jesus Christ: Lord and Redeemer rather than Holy Spirit. But I digress... This song was written by John Maynard (1925-85) to the words of Cecily Taylor (1930-  ). It is number 263 in TIS (Together in Song), the most recently sanctioned hymnal of the Uniting Church in Australia.

'The Bright Wind' sung in Victoria (Aust) recently was
accompanied with flute, recorder and bodhran.

Sadly it is broadly assumed to be an "organ hymn" by virtue of inclusion in TIS. By assuming all songs contained in hymnals stem from the same era and continent, we inhibit and belittle what is a richly diverse collection of world music across many times, peoples and cultures.

Why choose this one?
This song is in a minor key. So what, you say. This may sound trivial, but the reality is most music is written in major keys. This means alternative tonalities may have greater impact than we realise. Another less common feature about this song is that it is in triple time enabling it with a freedom and dance quality others songs may lack. Furthermore, "hymns" often have melodies that move predominently by step (one note to the very next) but here we welcome a more expansive quality which is refreshing and entirely singable.

Imagining Creative Accompaniment
The most productive way I find to settle on song accompaniment is simply to sing it around for awhile, without subscribing to the prescribed accompaniment. Pick the melody out on your instruments initially, but then move away: sing it in the shower, hum it over the ironing, and whistle it while cycling. In an hour or so, you'll have begun to adopt a flavour - one that comes naturally to you. This process will undoubtedly suggest a tempo and instrumentation.

Full-On-Flavour
You will come up with your own ideas. Here's mine. I was drawn into the triple time feel, and found myself imagining a gentle dance, slightly emphasising the first beat of each bar, with the first beat of the second bar still being strong but with less emphasis than the first. So we would sing: The bright wind is blowing the bright wind of heaven, and where it is going to no one can say. This shouldn't be deliberate and laboured (and certainly NOT announced), its just a feeling.The metronome speed given in TIS is cathedral pace, and way too slow for my taste. Try singing it unaccompanied and you will find you settle on a comfortable singing speed. This should dictate the pace the instruments play - not the other way around! I like singing this song at about ♩ = 132.

Informed by Imagery
In the intial stages the text can sometimes call instrumentation to mind. This song text makes many wind references, so wind instruments have a certain relevance. It is also the "bright wind" not the "stodgy old wind" , or "stormy", or "gruff", "cold" or "mellow wind".The text includes the unexpected nature of the wind, so an instrumental surprise here and there may be justified.

Instrumentation
Gladly this somg has a counter melody included in TIS (Together in Song), alongside the suggestion it can be played on a woodwind instruments. or even sung. Your faith community may be limited as to the instruments available, so consider your choice carefully. A flute, recorder, tin whistle or trumpet will provide the "bright" timbre required. Harmonica, electric guitar, or glockenspeil will render quite a different effect. Clarinet, oboe or saxophone will produce a mellow quality. Children's voices will lighten, whereas trained adult singers may weigh it down and inhibit the tempo. Only you know the resources contained wthin your community, or just beyond it. There is no need to cling to this counter melody. Feel free to improvise or invent your own, or improvise on the notes given.

Simple percussion contributes to the dance - my preference in fact, is to do away with all instruments except for a drum (either bongos, toms, bodhran or tambour) and a tin whistle. No piano, no guitars and definately give the organ a rest for this one. Even the simplest drumming pattern will lift the singing.

If you do choose to use piano, consider abandoning the given accompaniment and play the guitar chords in a simple pattern alongside the drumming.

Breathing Space
An introduction and space in betweeen verses is important. The simplest way of doing this is to have the drumming begin and your melody instrument of choice play through the song once as an intro. In between verses, just have the drummer play four bars of drumming, and your wind player reprise the last 4 bars of the sung melody, and there you have it.

Teaching it.
If this is new to your community, try this. Don't give them a hymn number, or show them the words. If they have a book or words to look at they'll be reading the words, not learning the song. Trust me. Check out How to teach a Song in 4 Steps.

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Percussion Perspective
Psalm 107 with Drum 
Revisiting Old Treasures. 

Song: 'Oh God Today' by Craig Mitchell

The supremely talented (and very handsome) Craig Mitchell has provided access to his song, Oh God Today, just in time for Advent. Check out the words, and the manuscript, then listen to the funky band backing provided.

Oh God Today by Craig Mitchell (lyrics and manuscript)

Oh God Today (band backing)

Percussion Perspective

Contemporary culture puts great store on the latest technology and trends. Paradoxically, the traditional church has a tendency to scorn new ideas, instead clinging to tried and tested practices.This poses particular challenges for contemporarily minded musicians.

An Historical Perspective
Are those highly valued traditions really that old anyway? Pipe organs, for example, were unheard of for the first 1,500 years of Christendom. Prior to that church bands and a cappella singing were the order of the day. And in the early church scholars believe song was predominantly accompanied by percussion instruments.

But those old hymns were written for pipe organ, weren't they?
On the contrary, many of the oldest hymns are settings of old dance tunes, drinking songs, popular songs and patriotic anthems. Be Thou my vision (Slane) is Gaelic and hails from the 8th century (no pipe organs then my friend) and may be best accompanied with tin whistle and bodhran. Many other hymn tunes of Gaelic origin might be considered in the same light. All Creatures of our God and King (Lasst uns Erfreuen) and Praise to The Lord (Lobe den Herren) are thought to have originally been dances from northern Europe (think dancing and singing around a campfire here folks). Famously, Silent Night was written for guitar accompaniment after mice ate through the cathedral organ's bellows. But I digress!

The Trouble with Hymnbooks
Put a song into a hymnbook and you can be sure of one thing: many people will ignore its origin, assume the accompanying instrument should be the organ, and play at cathedral pace. Consequently many of our hymns are inapproprately hyper-harmonised in the traditional mould, diminishing one of the great strengths of our repertoire - global diversity.  God sends us his Spirit hails from Ghana. How many pipe organs do you think there are are in Ghana?

Using Percussion to Enlivening the Singing
Accompanying sung voices with percussion is the most effective way of ensuring the sung words are dominant. The more notes that are played by instrumentalists, the less weight is given to the sung text. Not only does harmonisation alter the mood of the song, but it also tends to slow its tempo or pace. Keep in mind that cathedral pace, neccesarily slow because of the reverberant acoustic in a cathedral, is irrelevent in most worship spaces. 

Advantages of Percussion Accompaniment

1. Most People Can
Most of those who come to worship can tap in time, and by extension will be able to play a simple beat. Fewer people, but still a goodly number, can play a simple complementary rhythm. It doesn't need to be complex. A simple beat on the first beat of the bar can be surprisingly effective. Most people will need to devote their entire attention to their percussion part, and refrain from singing.
 
2. Portability
There is no need for electricity and so percussion instruments have obvious advantages for stations of the cross, carol singing, worship-on-the-move, camps, and worship in the open air. Many larger drums can be hung across the body of their player by drumming straps.
 
3. Inexpensive
OK, so they can be very expensive, depending on what you choose to purchase. Claves, tone blocks and maracas are easily found at reasonable prices. A maraca egg can be bought for just a dollar or two. A quality tambourine or cabasa is a little more expensive, and good quality drums can set the heart rate apace!

However, fairs and fetes, local music shops and e-bay are great places to pick up a bargain. Washboards can occasionally be found in second hand shops - and I'll wager there are plenty of older folks who have an old one lying around in their shed.  Consider making your own instruments for a fraction of the price. Start by acquiring a great drum, the deeper the better, and build from there.

Getting Started - What to Play
I am not a fan of the everyone-pick-up-an-instrument-and-whack routine. We can do much better than that! Rather have two or three well-rehearsed people accompany a song with well-chosen rhythms. One person might simply beat a drum on the first beat of each bar, providing stability to the ensemble. A second could choose a brief and interesting rhythm from the song and play it several times throughout, leaving plenty of space inbetween. To get started, have a gander at my percussion suggestions for using The King of Glory Comes and Praise to the Lord. Better still, find out how to have a full-on A Cappella Sunday.

And another thing...
For drummers, faith communities can be a tough crowd, particularly those with a traditional music heritage. Take a look at this article, The Challenge of Playing Drums in Church by John Schmidli which offers practical solutions to some common pitfalls for young drummers.

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Poll: How Does the Church Accompany Song in 2011?
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The King of Glory Comes

'Christ The King' Sunday
When planning for 'Christ the King' Sunday, consider using The King of Glory - a great choice for young bands. Its tune originates from a traditional Israeli melody, and has just enough rhythmic invention to make it interesting, and not so much to perplex those singing it. The key of the song is user-friendly. E minor is a simple key, with only an F sharp in the key signature. While a single G sharp appears for the final chord, those playing the bass notes, much of the accompaniment, and the entire melody will be untroubled by troublesome "black notes" (if you'll excuse the pianist's terminology!).

Instrument-Friendly
In the verses recorder players will find the range accessible, as will flautists. The notes to be played are among those first learnt on these instruments.

The Bass
Bass instruments could play a simplified bassline: E-B-E-B in the refrain, and G-D-G-D etc.. in the verses, but that can sound a bit oompah! Instead try sustaining a single bass note (E (for two bars) then C-D-E in the refrain (twice). For the verse, bass players can underpin the accompaniment simply by sustaining a G until the refrain comes around again. Thats a total of 4 different notes. Simple!

Percussive Ostinato
Chose a motif (eg: "na-tion re-joi-ces") and allocate the rhythm to claves, tambourines or hand drum, to play whenever that rhythm occurs in the song. In this case, the identical rhythm comes with "lift up your voices", and both phrases occur during the refrain.

Mixing it Up
As the rhythm is quite repetitive I'd suggest alternative instrumental treatment from refrain to verse. For example you may engage drum, guitars, bass instruments and hand percussion in the refrain, and make a contrast by utilising recorders, keyboard and triangle for the verses. The advantage of this 2-edged approach for a young band is the playing is not so relentless, there is less for each player to learn, and the result is varied for the singers/listeners.

I suspect variety is the intention behind the suggested note that a cantor sing the verses and the gathered people render the refrain. While some songs by Joseph Gelineau, for example, have verses which are rhythmically and melodically varied from one to the next, it is not so here. I see no reason for this instruction, other than the provision of contrast. An alternative suggestion for those without instruments is to alternate the verse singing between left and right side, women and men, or children and adults.

Final Refrain
As the origins of the music are from Israel, it is quite legitimate to repeat the refrain several times over, gradually increasing the speed. What an exhilarating way the prepare for Advent.

Now if you could just get the congregation to dance...WOW!

For more on accompanying hymns creatively with integrity, visit Revisiting Old Treasures

More Resources for Advent and Christmas

10 Ways to Improve the Church Band by Next Sunday

How's the band sounding? Enliven your musical output by adopting one or more of these ideas.

1. Rehearse before Sunday!
2. At rehearsal get all band members to sing the song before playing - this is a great for getting the right speed.
3. Ask everyone to practise at home before the joint rehearsal.
4. Tune up properly - spend time on this step, until you get it right.
5. Position the band at the back of the worship space, because change is as good as a holiday, and listen to the singing lift.
6. Those who can play while standing, should be standing.
7. Rehearse introductions and endings several times over for each song. Make sure they improve each time you rehearse them.
8. Record the band playing at rehearsal then play it back - ask them how they (personally and corporately) can improve the result. Make sure they act on their own advice.
9. Use stable music stands
10.Don't play the melody - that's the singer's part.

You may also be interested in the short course for song leaders - Songmakers

Visit Spirited and Singing on Facebook

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Cre-a-tion

This hymn has been included in the repertoire for many centuries, and is regarded by many as a 'classic'. The exact origin of this hymn tune 'Lobe den Herren' is unknown, other than that it came from the German region known as Stralsund, a trading centre that belonged to the Kingdom of Denmark in medieval times. It is quite possible this tune was a known folk tune before it was adopted as a chorale melody in the 1600s.

When the tune is allowed to stand on its own, much of its character is revealed. In triple time, it is less austere than many other old hymns, and suggests a dance-like quality.

Flavour
If you were to wander about the house singing this sing, you may well find it assumes a very different style and tempo than that we usually adopt. Traditionally this old hymn beats a grand and deliberate time, giving almost equal weight to each note and syllable. Try singing the opening now in the way your community commonly sings it, noting your pace and style.

Now try this: pick up the pace slightly, emphisising the first beat of each bar. Keep your singing light and dancy, skipping over the dotted rhythms in bars 2, 8 and 16. Clearly this old hymn has now taken on a new rhythmic character, invoking celebration rather than solemnity.

Re-thinking accompaniment
The rich chordal accompaniment is particularly beautiful, and yet to engage with this new style means the harmonic change on every note will hamper the flow. Give this hymn new life by adopting sparse accompaniment, thinking carefully about instrumentation. Brass instruments are grand, wheras tin whistle or recorder and bodhran will create an entirely different mood. By playing a simple rhythm on a hand drum, and a counter melody on tin whistle (you can use the tenor line for this) will reinvigorate this classic.

Breathing space
Now that we are all rollicking along in song we encounter a challenge. Singers will need some space at the end of the verse, similarly to that which a laong pause on the pipe-organ provided. But slowing down will damage the mood we are setting. Instead repeat the final four bars between each verse, or simply continue the rhythmic pattern on the hand drum. Songleaders can give clear non-verbal cues to the congregation for the next verse.

Introductions are vital
The purpose of an introduction is not only to remind people of the tune they are about to sing, but to set the mood and tempo. Don'tunder estimate the value of a great introduction which reveals the intention for the singing. When adopting an unfamiliar style, musical introductions become even more important. If not done with care, people will misunderstand the intention for the singing, and adopt the austere style. A short explanation at the appropriate time can alleviate confusion.

Shall we dance?
Consider using this song as an introit or processional song, and have someone dance the bible down the aisle. Consider whether the musicians themselves might be part of the procession. Don't assume this song will always be sung the same way, but refresh your approach.

Teaching the song
This is so well known and does not need teaching. As long as the instrumentalists and songleader are engaged in the style, a quick word about the different approach will be all that is required.

Let me know if you refresh this hymn in your community.

More like this in Revisting Old Treasures

About this hymn

History of chorales and use of folk tunes

For more on the region of Stralsund

Starting a Band (and avoiding instrumental cacophony)

Some years ago I was invited to kick start a new church band in a tiny rural congregation in Victoria. It was a faith community that had previously been dependent on a small organ. When I arrived the prospective band members were waiting. It was possibly the most unusual instrumental combination I'd ever encountered: acoustic guitar, piano accordian, euphonium, pipe organ and clarinet.

Acknowledging the Challenges
The encounter raised some significant musical and theological challenges for me. The musicians were nervous. They had never played together before, and their previous public 'performance' experience could be recorded on one hand. The age-range of the particpants was vast, with the youngest in primary school and the oldest over 70.

Questions pinballed about in my brain as I listened to them talk:
Is it even possible to combine these instruments in a satisfactory way?
Is it possible to include people in musical leadership with such limited experience?
Is the musical result more or less important than engaging these musicians in the church's life, particularly as some had virtually no connection with the congregation in the past?
What is the minimum skill level advisable for participation in musical leadership?
When and how and should we say 'wait awhile' to those learning their instrument?


Getting Started

Learning to sit and wait for answers does not always come easily, but it often turns out to be quite fruitful. I decided to find out what each of them imagined their contribution would be. It is not unusual for the 'musical director' to have quite a different vision to that of the players. Rather than the process being director-driven,  the opportunity was offered for input from others.

We talked about the willingness and availablity of the musicians to rehearse together and to practise at home. They were all willing to work on improving their musical skills.

We explored the notion of being prepared NOT to play. For some songs, the piano accordian and clarinet would team up, for another the guitar would lead, and in the next the organist and euphonium. These various combinations not only enabled variety on accompaniment for the congregation, but meant the musicians only need to practise up one or two songs each week.

I encouraged them to make further connections with their local primary school and to invite participation from those in the school community.

What about you? 
How do you go about deciding who can and can't (yet) offer musical leadership in your faith community? How do you balance the theological imperative to encourage the developments of gifts, with the responsibilities that come with any form of leadership?
How does the musical life in your faith community reflect 'Kingdom' values?
How does your community blend unusual instruments?
Are there any instruments you regard as unacceptable for use in worship?

What to Play
For tips on how to use The King of Glory with a young band click here.

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World Music Day: singing the global church

Concerts and performances in 350 cities worldwide next Monday, will mark World Music Day (Fete de la Musique). Held June 21st each year, the festival aims to enhance the scope and diversity of all musical genres with an invitation to free and spontaneous music making. It encourages performance in non-traditional performance spaces such as museums, corporate foyers and public transport facilities, and is a non-profit enterprise.

The Global Church
Many congregations work intentionally to acknowledge their commitment to the global community through music and song. It is a powerful reminder that while our faith communities exist in a local area, they are part of an extensive network. Indeed, the irony of World Music Day is that the principles of participation, non-profit, musical diversity and spontaneity  and inclusivity are, or a least should, be the aspiration of all faith communties. Where these values are espoused, people of varying skill and expereince gather together in an spirit of generosity and goodwill, to make provision for and engage in participatory music in their faith community.


Music of the Global Church
If you'd like to recognise your community's connection to the global church, there are many music resources available. Here is just a sample:
Songs from World Council of Churches 9th Assembly (Brazil)
Global Worship Music
Freedom is Coming
For Everyone Born
Global Praise Music
Wild Goose Publications

Using Current Resources
Alternatively a leaf through any hymnbook will turn up songs of diverse origin. The key is to present these songs not as though they have western roots, but to recognise the song's origins principally by instrument choice. In other words, if you are sing a chant from Ghana, strong vocal leadership with rhythmic accompaniment on drum is preferable to a pipe organ!

In Your Community
Which songs of other lands do you sing?
How do you accompany them?
Are the songs you sing reflected by all the nationalities in your community?
Let me know how you enagage with the global church in your place.

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Getting gatherings to sing - a checklist for success

Having trouble getting your faith community to sing well?
Low confidence can lurk about for years on end unless the reasons are dealt with effectively. Try this list on for size. Hopefully over time you will see increasing engagement in the singing.

Seating - if people are spread across the space they feel exposed. Get with the strength and have people sit together to encourage greater confidence. Experiment with seating arrangements by making fewer chairs available. Circular seating can be more successful than a 747 set-up.

Teach songs well - simply playing a new song through and claiming to have taught it, is like telling some how to drive and handing the keys over. In order to learn, we have to have a go ourselves. Too often songs are introduced without space for the gathering to sing.

Is this a community song - not all songs are designed for community singing. Many are performance numbers for choirs, or bands, or soloists.

Simplify the accompaniment - if there is too much musical embellishment while a song is being learnt, people will be baffled and unsure of which notes to sing. An old lecturer of mine said the key was "KISS" (aka. keep it simple stupid).

Acoustics - this can make or break community singing. If a space is too reverberant, clarity is lost to mush, and rhythmic integrity is lost. If acoutics are too flat (often due to carpet, soft furnishings, low ceilings) the effort being by singers will be unrewarding.

Teach without instruments - the most effectve way to teach is to have a single voice sing without any instrumental accompaniment, no not even doubling the melody. Ask the gathering to sing back to you, also without instruments. Don't forget to listen. Only when you listen to what comes from the gathering will you know they have learnt the song.

Verbal and non-verbal cues - "I know you hate learning new songs but we have to do this one. You're not very good at new ones, but I want you to try your best...." (bleh!) There is nothing like negative introductions to dampen enthusiasm. "We have this great new song ...." or "here's a new song by the same person who wrote...." or "this song was written when....." Personalising the song can heighten its significance for people.

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How to Teach a Song in 4 Steps.
Songmakers: short course for songleaders

Do you have a tip for others, or a story to share?
Please include your contributions here.