CHOOSING SONGS FOR THE CHURCH TO SING CHOOSING
- Slides: 43
CHOOSING SONGS FOR THE CHURCH TO SING
CHOOSING SONGS FOR THE CHURCH TO SING HOW DO WE AS WORSHIP LEADERS AND PLANNERS EVALUATE SONGS FOR USE IN OUR LOCAL WORSHIP COMMUNITY, AND IF WE ARE SONGWRITERS, WHAT MIGHT CAUSE THEM TO MAKE OUR SONGS PART OF THEIR WORSHIP LIFE – OR NOT!
“WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS OF SPIRITUALITY AND FAITH, WE ARE WHAT WE SING” DISCUSS!!
A FEW QUESTIONS…… IN YOUR HOME CHURCH WHO CHOOSES THE SONGS? • SERVICE LEADER� • SENIOR PASTOR � • LEADERSHIP TEAM� • WORSHIP PASTOR� • WORSHIP LEADER FOR THAT MEETING� • OTHER ……………. . � • IS IT A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS? YES� SOMETIMES� NEVER�
A FEW QUESTIONS……… WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE REASONS WHY YOU MIGHT CHOOSE A PARTICULAR SONG OUT OF THE THOUSANDS AVAILABLE? THERE ARE NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS HERE! BECAUSE IT WORKS � BECAUSE IT’S POPULAR� BECAUSE I/WE LIKE IT� BECAUSE GOD INSPIRED ME/US TO � BECAUSE IT FITS THEME OF THE MEETING� BECAUSE IT SUITS MY VOICE� BECAUSE IT’S WITHIN MY CAPABILITY TO LEAD IT WITHOUT MESSING UP� BECAUSE IT’S WITHIN OUR CAPABILITY AS MUSICIANS TO PLAY IT COMPETENTLY� BECAUSE I’M TOLD TO�
HOW DO I/WE GENERALLY DISCOVER A NEW SONG? • BY WORD OF MOUTH RECOMMENDATION� BY SOCIAL MEDIA RECOMMENDATION� • BY WHAT IS TRENDING ONLINE� ONLINE STREAMING� ON A CD� • BY FOLLOWING A ‘BRAND’ E. G. BETHEL/HILLSONG ETC� • THROUGH ATTENDING A CONFERENCE, FESTIVAL OR CONCERT� • A YOUTUBE [OR OTHER] SEARCH� A SCRIPTURE-BASED SEARCH� • A THEMATIC SEARCH� • OTHER …………………………………. . �
LAST FEW QUESTIONS! DOES YOUR CHURCH HAVE A WRITTEN SET OF CRITERIA FOR INCLUDING SONGS? YES� NO� IS A RECORD KEPT OF HOW OFTEN A SONG IS SUNG? YES� NO� IS THERE A MECHANISM BY WHICH ALL SERVICE PLANNERS AND WORSHIP LEADERS DISCOVER WHICH NEW SONGS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED AND WHEN? YES � NO � DOES YOUR CHURCH HAVE A MECHANISM TO REVIEW THE REPERTOIRE OF SONGS IN THE LIGHT OF ITS VISION, VALUES AND TEACHING PROGRAMME? YES � NO �
WHY DO GOOD SONG CHOICES MATTER? • WORSHIP SONGS FORM US [OR PERHAPS COULD DE-FORM US] • WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR THE PRAYERS AND PRAISE WE PUT ON PEOPLE’S LIPS • ?
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? THE TERMS ‘WORSHIP LEADER’, ‘LEAD WORSHIPER’ AND ‘WORSHIP PASTOR’ ARE FAMILIAR. BUT WHAT OTHER TERMS COULD DESCRIBE THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF WHAT THE ‘CHOOSER OF SONGS FOR THE CHURCH TO SING’ ACTUALLY DOES?
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? • CURATOR OF WORSHIP RESOURCES
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? • CURATOR OF WORSHIP RESOURCES • CUSTODIAN OF THE CHURCH’S SONG •
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? • CURATOR OF WORSHIP RESOURCES • CUSTODIAN OF THE CHURCH’S SONG • LOCAL THEOLOGIAN
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? • CURATOR OF WORSHIP RESOURCES • CUSTODIAN OF THE CHURCH’S SONG • LOCAL THEOLOGIAN • QUALITY SUPERVISOR
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? • CURATOR OF WORSHIP RESOURCES • CUSTODIAN OF THE CHURCH’S SONG • LOCAL THEOLOGIAN • QUALITY SUPERVISOR • SHAPER OF WORSHIP MEMORY
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? • CURATOR OF WORSHIP RESOURCES • CUSTODIAN OF THE CHURCH’S SONG • LOCAL THEOLOGIAN • QUALITY SUPERVISOR • SHAPER OF WORSHIP MEMORY • LOCAL CULTURE-SHAPER
WHAT ELSE ARE WE? • CURATOR OF WORSHIP RESOURCES • CUSTODIAN OF THE CHURCH’S SONG • LOCAL THEOLOGIAN • QUALITY SUPERVISOR • SHAPER OF WORSHIP MEMORY • LOCAL CULTURE-SHAPER • RESIDENT EXAMPLER OF WORSHIP LIFESTYLE
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD’? • FIRST OF ALL, A NEW SONG IS ‘TO THE LORD’. WORSHIP IS PRIMARILY FOR GOD’S BENEFIT, NOT OURS. BIBLICALLY, WORSHIP IS CHRISTOCENTRIC, IN OTHER WORDS IT CENTRES ON THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD’? • FIRST OF ALL, A NEW SONG IS ‘TO THE LORD’. WORSHIP IS PRIMARILY FOR GOD’S BENEFIT, NOT OURS. BIBLICALLY, WORSHIP IS CHRISTOCENTRIC, IN OTHER WORDS IT CENTRES ON THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST. • THE OPPOSITE OF CHRISTOCENTRIC IS ANTHROPOCENTRIC, IN OTHER WORDS REGARDING THE HUMAN BEING AS THE CENTRAL FACT OF THE UNIVERSE, VIEWING AND INTERPRETING EVERYTHING IN TERMS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND VALUES.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD’? • THERE ARE THREE MEANINGS OF THE TERM ‘NEW SONG’ IN THE BIBLE:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD’? • THERE ARE THREE MEANINGS OF THE TERM ‘NEW SONG’ IN THE BIBLE: 1. THE COMPOSING OF NEW MUSIC TO BE SUNG IN WORSHIP [THE OBVIOUS MEANING!]
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD’? • THERE ARE THREE MEANINGS OF THE TERM ‘NEW SONG’ IN THE BIBLE: 1. THE COMPOSING OF NEW MUSIC TO BE SUNG IN WORSHIP [THE OBVIOUS MEANING!] 2. BIBLICAL SCHOLARS SEE THE TERM ALSO APPLIED TO A FAMILIAR SONG SUNG WITH NEW MEANING AND PASSION. [MARK D. ROBERTS ‘THE TRUE SOURCE OF A NEW SONG’ WORSHIP LEADER JAN/FEB 2010].
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ‘SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD’? • THERE ARE THREE MEANINGS OF THE TERM ‘NEW SONG’ IN THE BIBLE: 1. THE COMPOSING OF NEW MUSIC TO BE SUNG IN WORSHIP [THE OBVIOUS MEANING!] 2. AS WELL AS THE ABOVE LITERAL MEANING, BIBLICAL SCHOLARS SEE THE TERM ALSO APPLIED TO A FAMILIAR SONG SUNG WITH NEW MEANING AND PASSION. [MARK D. ROBERTS ‘THE TRUE SOURCE OF A NEW SONG’ WORSHIP LEADER JAN/FEB 2010]. 3. A THIRD MEANING OF SINGING A NEW SONG REFERS TO JESUS CHRIST AS THE NEW SONG. ‘IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY THE TERM ‘NEW SONG’ EMERGED IN THE WRITINGS OF THE CHURCH FATHERS AS A METAPHOR WITH A VERY SPECIAL MEANING; IT REFERRED SPECIFICALLY TO JESUS CHRIST.
CHRIST - THE NEW SONG AS ONE EXAMPLE, CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA [C. 150 -215] IDENTIFIED THE NEW SONG AS CHRIST THE LOGOS (THE WORD). CHRIST THE WORD, CO-CREATOR WITH GOD (JOHN 1: 1 -3], SANG THE WORLD INTO BEING, SO TO SPEAK. IN DOING SO, THE NEW SONG PRESIDED OVER THE MUSIC OF THE COSMOS BRINGING HARMONY TO ITS SOUND. CLEMENT SAYS THAT THE LORD [CHRIST] MADE HUMANS TO BE “BEAUTIFUL, BREATHING INSTRUMENT[S], AFTER HIS OWN IMAGE; AND ASSUREDLY HE HIMSELF IS AN ALL-HARMONIOUS INSTRUMENT OF GOD, MELODIOUS AND HOLY, THE WISDOM THAT IS ABOVE THIS WORLD, THE HEAVENLY WORD…. . WORTHY OF POWER, THE CHRIST - I HAVE CALLED HIM A NEW SONG. ”
JESUS CHRIST IS THE NEW SONG! “JESUS CHRIST IS THE NEW SONG! ……HE IS NOT ONLY THE LEADER OF THE SONG BUT ALSO THE SONG ITSELF…. WE SING WITH CHRIST AS HE SINGS TO THE FATHER [HEBREWS 2: 12]. THE FINAL ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH RESTS ON CHRIST’S PROMISE: “SEE, I AM MAKING ALL THINGS NEW” [REV 21: 5]. TO PARTICIPATE IN WORSHIP IS ULTIMATELY TO SING TO THE ONE WHO MAKES ALL THINGS NEW, THE ONE WHO IS BOTH THE SINGER AND THE SONG. ” [CONSTANCE CHERRY THE MUSIC ARCHITECT P 232].
THE SONGS WE CHOOSE… …. . ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE PATTERNS, COLOURS AND SHAPES IN A MOSAIC THAT GROWS PIECE BY PIECE OVER TIME FORMING A PICTURE OF CHRIST IN THE MIND, IMAGINATION AND EXPERIENCE OF THE COMMUNITY WE LEAD, WHICH IN TURN FORMS THEM IN HIS LIKENESS. “AND WE ALL, WHO WITH UNVEILED FACES CONTEMPLATE THE LORD’S GLORY, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE WITH EVER-INCREASING GLORY, WHICH COMES FROM THE LORD, WHO IS THE SPIRIT. ” 2 COR 3: 18
HOW DO I GO ABOUT CHOOSING SONGS? I NEED TO PRAY…. . AND I NEED INFORMATION: • CONTEXT • PURPOSE • THEME/CONTENT • OTHER COMPONENTS AND WHERE THEY FIT • TIME AVAILABLE
HOW DO I IN MY HOME CHURCH GO ABOUT CHOOSING SONGS FOR A MEETING? THEN, IN THE LIGHT OF THAT INFORMATION I BEGIN TO CHOOSE SONGS THAT SERVE CERTAIN KEY MOMENTS IN THE ORDER OF SERVICE AND THEN, ASSUMING THERE IS TIME FOR A SET OF SONGS THAT FLOW TOGETHER, I CHOOSE SOME THAT FIT AS A MUSICAL, CONCEPTUALLY AND EMOTIONALLY CONNECTED JOURNEY THAT SUPPORTS THE OVERALL THEME AND PURPOSE. AS I CONSIDER CHOICES I AM ALSO CONSIDERING SUCH FACTORS AS………….
? ? ? • DO THE MUSICIANS ON THE ROTA THIS SUNDAY ALREADY KNOW THIS SONG WELL? • DO WE HAVE THE INSTRUMENTAL LINE-UP TO LEAD IT WELL, OR ARE WE MISSING A KEY PLAYER ESSENTIAL TO THE USUAL ARRANGEMENT? • CAN WE MAKE IT WORK WITH AN ARRANGEMENT BUILT AROUND THE LINE-UP WE DO HAVE? • CAN THE BAND REHEARSE IT IN THE LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE? • IF MY CHOICE IS A NEW SONG, IS IT INSTANTLY MEMORABLE OR DO I NEED TO TEACH THE MELODY TO THE CONGREGATION FIRST? WHEN COULD THAT BE DONE? • DO I KNOW IT WELL ENOUGH TO LEAD IT CONFIDENTLY? • WHAT OTHER NEW SONGS ARE CURRENTLY BEING INTRODUCED AND ARE WE IN DANGER OF HAVING TOO MANY TO ABSORB WELL ENOUGH TO FULLY ENGAGE
A SUCCESSFUL WORSHIP SONG WILL BE… • SCRIPTURAL • UNIVERSAL • EMOTIONAL • UPLIFTING • FRESH AND ORIGINAL • SIMPLE • BUILT ON A STRONG HOOK
A SUCCESSFUL WORSHIP SONG WILL BE… • REPETITIVE • PREDICTABLE [SEQUENTIAL] • IN THE COMMON VOCAL RANGE [AROUND A OR B FLAT UP TO D OR E FLAT • MELODICALLY INTERESTING • HARMONICALLY SIMPLE BUT COLOURFUL • EASY TO SING, EASY TO LEARN, HARD TO FORGET!
WHAT MAKES UP A GREAT SONG? A GREAT SONG MUST: • ACHIEVE IT’S INTENDED EFFECT ON THE LISTENER E. G. CONVEY WONDER OR HUMOUR, JOY, LAMENT, TELL A STORY ETC. • MAKE THE LISTENER WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN. HOW IS THAT ACHIEVED?
BY MAKING ALL THE ELEMENTS WORK TOGETHER TO ENHANCE THE FEELING OF THE MESSAGE. WHY FEELING? BECAUSE SONG-WRITING IS AN EMOTIONAL MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION. IT IS NOT JUST A TRANSFER OF DATA BUT AN EXPERIENCE COMMUNICATED. THE MOOD MUST MATCH THE MESSAGE.
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF SONGWRITING? • MESSAGE • STYLE • ATMOSPHERE • MOOD • FORM • LYRICS • MELODY • HARMONY • RHYTHM
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF SONGWRITING? • MESSAGE - THE MESSAGE IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, THE LYRICS ARE THE WORDS YOU USE TO SAY IT • STYLE - SUCH AS POP, ROCK, COUNTRY, GOSPEL, HIP HOP ETC. • ATMOSPHERE - AMBIENCE, EVOKING A SETTING SUCH AS A CATHEDRAL OR TROPICAL ISLAND OR BUSY STREET • MOOD - NOT THE SAME AS ATMOSPHERE, MOOD ASKS HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, ARE YOU HAPPY, PENSIVE, SAD, NOSTALGIC, TRIUMPHANT, WORSHIPFUL – IS THE WRITER MAKING US FEEL IT TOO? [BALOCHE/OWENS & OWENS BOOK GOD SONGS].
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF SONGWRITING? • FORM – THE SHAPE OF THE SONG E. G. AAAA, ABAB, AABABCB ETC. • LYRICS – THE WORDS • MELODY – THE TUNE • HARMONY – CHORD STRUCTURE AND VOICING • RHYTHM – THE BEAT [BALOCHE/OWENS & OWENS BOOK GOD SONGS].
GREEN FLAGS/RED FLAGS GREEN FLAG: WOW, EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SONG WORKS TOGETHER TO ENHANCE THE FEELING OF THE MESSAGE! RED FLAG: MMM, SOMEHOW THIS SONG DOESN’T FEEL COMPLETE/BALANCED/SATISFYING/ETC.
GREEN FLAGS/RED FLAGS TRY WORKING DOWN THE LIST OF ELEMENTS TO IDENTIFY MORE PRECISELY WHY THAT IS. OF COURSE, AN OTHERWISE GOOD SONG COULD BE LET DOWN BY JUST ONE OR TWO FACTORS. MESSAGE STYLE ATMOSPHERE MOOD FORM LYRICS MELODY HARMONY RHYTHM Q: WHERE DO YOU TEND TO COME ACROSS RED FLAGS AND WHAT ARE THEY?
RED FLAGS – SOME COMMON ONES! • PREDICTABLE/CHEESY/OVER-USED/TRITE/ARCHAIC WORDS AND PHRASES • THE BASIC IDEA OF THE SONG IS WEAK • NONDESCRIPT, FORGETTABLE MELODIES • INCONSISTENT OR CONTORTED RHYMES • OVER-COMPLICATED MELODIES • DIFFICULT MELODIC INTERVALS • OVER-SYNCOPATED MELODIES • SYLLABLES COME TOO FAST TO SING COMFORTABLY
RED FLAGS – SOME COMMON ONES! • IRREGULAR/INCONSISTENT SCANNING OF LINES AND SYLLABLE COUNTS FROM VERSE TO VERSE • TOO MANY SECTIONS WITHIN THE SONG [BRIDGE 2, TAG 3, PRE-CHORUS 5!!] • NO TIME TO BREATHE BETWEEN PHRASES • TOO MUCH INFORMATION/CONTENT BECOMES TOO DENSE OR ‘TECHNICAL’. • LACK OF EFFECTIVE REVELATION/RELEASE PATTERN • NO SATISFYING OPPORTUNITY TO RELEASE THE FEELING OF THE MESSAGE WITH FULL HEART FULL VOICE • UNCLEAR, OBSCURE, LIGHTWEIGHT OR UNBALANCED MESSAGE • THE STYLE/MELODY/CHORDS [HARMONISATION]/TEMPO FIGHTS AGAINST THE MESSAGE
RED FLAGS – SOME COMMON ONES! • THIS SONG GOES OVER THE SAME GROUND AS 1000’S OF OTHER SONGS – PLEASE HELP US SING ABOUT WHAT WE NEVER USUALLY SING ABOUT! • LACK OF POETIC DEVICES – SHORT ON USE OF IMAGERY, SIMILE, METAPHOR, RHYME, ALLITERATION, ETC. ] • NO CLEAR TITLE OR LINE OR MOMENT THAT EFFECTIVELY SUMS UP THE HEART AND MESSAGE OF THE SONG • DIRECTION OF MELODY APPEARS TO CONTRADICT THE MEANING OF THE WORDS [‘IT’S RISING UP’] • MIXED METAPHORS [‘THE LAMB WITH HEALING IN HIS WINGS’] • CONFUSION AS TO THE ‘VOICE’ SPEAKING • SIBILANCE – TOO MANY ‘S’ SOUNDS • NOT ENOUGH OPEN VOWEL SOUNDS TO ALLOW THE VOICE TO OPEN UP [ESPECIALLY AT LINE ENDS]
RED FLAGS – SOME COMMON ONES! • QUESTIONABLE THEOLOGICAL INTEGRITY • IT’S ‘EXTRA-BIBLICAL’ - I’M STRUGGLING TO RELATE IT TO ANY BIBLICAL PASSAGE OR TEACHING • I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE WRITER PERFORM IT BUT THE CONTENT IS TOO PERSONAL FOR CONGREGATIONAL USE • NO STRONG ‘HOOK/EAR-WORM’ • NOT ENOUGH OR TOO MUCH REPETITION • VOCAL RANGE TOO WIDE [CAN’T BE SUNG RIGHT THROUGH BY WOMEN AND MEN IN UNISON] • THE IMPACT OF THE SONG DEPENDS UPON AN OCTAVE LEAP [HALF THE PEOPLE BAIL OUT!]
OTHER QUESTIONS……… • WHAT DOES THE SONG ‘DO’ SUCCESSFULLY? • IS THERE A CONTEXT WHERE I WOULD RELISH USING THIS SONG? • IS THERE ANOTHER SONG THAT DOES THE JOB BETTER? • DOES THIS SONG TAKE ANCIENT TRUTHS AND FAITHFULLY MAKE THEM FRESH AND ALIVE FOR US? • THIS SONG HAS MANY QUALITIES BUT IS IT WITHIN OUR SCOPE TO SUCCESSFULLY DELIVER IN OUR LOCAL SETTING
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