Issue 14
Psalm
19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be
acceptable in thy sight, O lord, my rock and my salvation.
Psalm 21:13 We praise you, Lord, for all your glorious power. With
music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
I am a firm believer in the power
of the spoken word. It is one thing to see a word in print and another
to hear the word spoken. A good example is the word "fine".
Ask somehow how they are doing and the word "Fine" can have
many meanings depending on how they say it. This power is evident
in memorable speeches by people such as Dr. King and Gandhi. The most
powerful words ever are those contained in the Bible.
Music can add even more power to
the word by engaging both sides of our brain at the same time. It
is for this reason that we must choose our music carefully. The text
of a song or hymn can stick in a person's mind long after the tune
is forgotten. We must pay special attention to what we are "saying"
when we sing. Does this text really say something we want people to
remember? Does it help teach the faith as well as deepen our understanding
of God? Is it inclusive of all God's creation? Does it celebrate?
Pray? Lead?
Most of the songs, hymns and anthems
we use in worship last about 3 minutes. In this short amount of time,
we can do much to deepen the understanding and faith of our congregation.
Let's invest some time in making sure that the power in our "sung"
word is the power of Christ.
Music Alert:
Choral - Sing
to the Lord by Deborah Govenor, 2 part, Beckenhorst Press,
#BP1692 This energetic 2-part anthem uses various phrases from the
Psalms. While there is some use of mixed meters, it aligns so well
with the text that it will not present a problem. A descant in the
middle section, while written for voices, could be played by any C
instrument. This anthem could be used as a prelude, call to worship
or anthem.
Piano - If you are trying to incorporate
more contemporary praise songs into your worship, Contemporary
Hits for Solo Piano, (Word Music, ISBN #080689383380) will
provide one avenue for achieving that goal. This collection, with
arrangements by Craig Curry, Bill Wolaver and Jim Hammerly, contains
such CCM favorites as God of Wonders, I Can Only Imagine and Breathe.
The arrangements are substantial and could easily be used as preludes
or special music.
Handbell
- Good King Wenceslas, Arr. Richard McKee, 2-3 oct., Level
2+ , Agape/Hope Publishing, MHP2413. Something out of the ordinary
in this setting of this not-so-familiar Christmas carol. Thumb damping
and mallets, as well as added percussion highlight the medieval quality.
Experiment with different percussion instruments and involve as many
people as possible. Inclusion of the words, or dramatic presentation
of the story of this carol would add an extra-special touch to your
service or concert.
Book Alert:
New
Harmonies by Terri Bocklund McLean, Alban Instritute, ISBN#
1566992060. While there are many books out there to help us in designing
and implementing contemporary/blended worship, this is the first one
that I have found that focuses on the process of choosing the songs
and creating a congregation-specific repertoire. McLean provides a
four-step process to evaluating a song based on theology, church mission,
songwriting and use in worship. A CD-ROM includes worksheets and samples
of both "good" and "bad" songwriting. The worksheets
themselves are quite useful, no matter what style or type of music
used in your worship.
Up-Coming Events:
July 14 Music Night at First Baptist-West
Allis at 6:30 p.m.
Come and listen or bring your instrument
and jam with the band! No, you don't have to be a pro, just someone
who wants to have fun while making music. For information, call 414-258-7400.
Food, fun, fellowship and music. What could be better????
July 14-21 Fellowship of American
Baptist Musicians Conference - Green Lake Conference Center.
This yearly event is well worth the
time and money is takes to attend. Well-known organ, piano, choral
and worship clinicians provide workshops to enhance our skills. Reading
sessions provide a glimpse at new materials from publishers. Check
out fabm.org for registration information. You will love it!
Any comments? Questions? Send me
an email at fbwamusic@aol.com
Mary
