Posted on 06/02/2014 1:42:10 AM PDT by markomalley
Msgr Pope ping
A Mighty Fortress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRJHKzU_t1M
I can’t stand Christian pop music. Give me the old stoic hymnal any day. I occasionally go to my sister’s church. And they must play a full hour of Christian pop. BORING!
I do not care for the use of “praise” music in congregational settings, with the projection of the words on a screen, like a Mitch Miller sing-along. This has become prevalent even in the Church of Christ with the New Testament, non-instrumental approach to songs. Some CoC congregations have added “praise bands” in the auditorium. My main objection to the “praise” music is it is repetitious and doesn’t really “praise,” IMO.
Give me some Southern gospel shaped-note singing any day. Most any Stamps-Baxter songbook selection will do.
The ECUSA Hymnal 1982 is due to be revised. I am not at all looking forward to what they come up with. Modernity-culture PC nonsense, I suspect...
If I see a drum kit in a church I walk out immediately.
The charismatics have tried to take over the music at our church. Twice a month we have to use the special blue binder, but instrumentally they’ve only gone so far as to add cymbals and a guitar. We have an amazing pipe organ of which I’m a fan, and the organist always “jams out” after the benediction hymn. The praise music just is not my thing.
I don’t sing the modern 7/11 songs (7 words, repeated 11 times) because I don’t know the tunes and entrances. I can read music and so can join an unfamiliar tune when following the music. And to those who can’t read music: LEARN HOW! It isn’t that hard. As it is, we are not presenting our best to God.
The above really isn't so. An overhead slide with the words, and many many of the contemporary songs are great for congregational singing. There is also a genre that combines the old hymns with words of praise or new rhythms that is absolutely praise worthy. "Glorious Day" comes to mind by
The Methodists in the Methodist town of Ocean Grove, NJ, have a choir that sings the great Protestant songs during their services - pure Americana. Not only do they have a great choir, they hire four singers every summer from the Metropolitan Opera to augment the singing. So somebody is doing it right!
The reason why the contempary Christian is being played more in Evangelical churches, so it is to bring in a much more younger group of believers.
bttt
That being said, try listening to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, whose director (and she is a choir director) Carol Cymbala, not only directs but also writes most of their music - while not being able to read or write music!!!
Along with her husband, Jim, who pastors the diverse church, Carol began their "choir" with a mere 9 people, today ranges in the neighborhood of 250, including some tremendously talented folk who move to the area to be able to sing along with Carol.
This choir has recorded albums and travel to share the love of Christ with their gift of singing.
You feel the angels singing when listening to some of the BTC's music yet I, like you, still long for the days of singing with the congregation, using a hymnal.
To listen to some of Carol's fine gifts, go here: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=brooklyn+tabernacle+choir+youtube&qpvt=brooklyn+tabernacle+choir+youtube&FORM=VDRE
Ditto....in a FLASH! The only exception is on Youth Sunday.
I am married to the worship leader of our church....we rock the place every Sunday morning.
I grew up with the Hymnal.....boring. And not always relevant...who knows what a sheave is anyway?
If we could get rid of the insipid pap from Marty Haugen and David Haas things might start to look up.
Modern instruments are tuned at standard 440 and old hymns were written when the key of “a” was as low as 410...often depending on the the “a” pipe of an organ. So sometimes a hymn written say in the key of c can be hard to sing especially when when the high notes can be an octave and third higher than base clef c(standard starting note for treble clef c). Some Baptist hymn books have lowered the registers of many songs by a 1/2 step to a step in recognition of this problem and many songs are now much more singable and enjoyable.
My issue with many contemporary Christian praise music is that it is often written by folks who tend to sing in a high tenor or soprano pop like tessitura. The praise and worship band leaders will imitate these songs in the way they heard them on the radio and sing like solo virtuosos with trick rhythm riffs and sudden full octave shifts that most untrained voices can’t follow( baritones and mezzos, basses and altos are lost or are stuck singing at a higher register than they may be comfortable, or may try to harmonize if they are talented enough to follow these complex ‘jiggy’ meolodies, or they go screaming to the comforts of traditional worship services). Sound engineers trade subtlety and finesse in operating the speakers for the power of brute force, blasting the ears of the listeners, intimidating many folks into silence.
I know some contemporary Christian music is very good, though the shorter praise songs don’t have to be repeated 10 times ad nauseum. The time spent repeating the same songs could be used for more praise songs or longer hymns.
My main objection to a lot of praise music is that while MUCH OF IT IN FACT DOES “praise God”, especially scripturally derived.(Such as the song of Miriam and the prophetesses...known as Horse and Rider)....some praise and worship teams repeat each song about 10 times, making the message of the song sound like a repetitive mind control cultic rant! Twice is enough for some of these songs then they should move on to other songs, testimonies, scriptures, ect.!
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