If you can't hear the congregation singing, something's wrong. If, during the music, the primary focus is on something other than the congregational singing, something's wrong.
If you can't hear the congregation singing, something's wrong. If, during the music, the primary focus is on something other than the congregational singing, something's wrong.
In the early ‘70’s and for a couple of years, I played a folk mass every Saturday evening at the Catholic church down the street with my buddy Dave. “I played” badly overstates my role: Dave rehearsed the two of us, arranged the music, led the singing, and played all the chords (even the hard ones). I hung out to his right and behind him, played what chords I could manage, and tried to not screw up too badly. (This is also when and how I met the girl who would become my wife.)
I remember some Saturday evenings were loud with song and participation and others quiet. The hymns changed with the liturgical calendar (thus not too often), so it wasn’t familiarity (or lack thereof) with the music.
I always chalked it up to the variability of the crowd.
Haha Al, I just watched that episode on TV last night!
There is a gal who sings with us at Eldermusic, and she always sings quite flat. But I wouldn't point that out to her in a million years; she is one of our most faithful volunteers.
If you can't hear the congregation singing, something's wrong. If, during the music, the primary focus is on something other than the congregational singing, something's wrong.
It is sad how many people were told 50 years ago by an insensitive but influential person in their life, that they cannot or should not sing. Overcoming that is not something easily done.
Kinda related, I remember several time over the years when I was in a "traditional" church, being told to open up the hymnal to page whatever, and wondering how the heck anybody ever managed to make out what the heck the melody was between so many off-key singers, (didn't anybody ever coach 'em?) or how I was expected to just jump right in on something I'd never heard before.
Also wondered why the pastor assumed everybody knew how to read music.
In retrospect, I realize I was probably assuming to much in my youthful naivete, and the hymnals were there primarily for folks to remember the words, and that "everybody" wasn't expected to be reading music.
But it was never explained to me and I don't think I ever thought to ask.
And this started when I would stay with my grandparents periodically, and grandma actually could read music and play piano.
Still, it was like the stuff never resolved the way I thought it should, the melodies were always muddy.
Maybe the folks who really wanted to learn joined the choir?
Maybe that's why "traditional" (Protestant) church music just never grabbed me the way the "Old Testament" stuff did when I went to some Friday night services with a Jewish buddy in junior high school.
My folks were very permissive about letting me go to whatever church my friends invited me to as a kid, although they never went themselves.
I think it helped me have an open-minded attitude about religion in general.
But that early bafflement always stuck with me..
I am no singer but I think it is still acceptable to be in the crowd along the lines of "making a joyful noise". I figure if my heart is in it the Almighty knows it whether I sing like an acappella star or an old sick cow. In the interim I can play guitar and be acceptable (but not great!)
I spent three years on summer staff at a church camp and the years in between working with the youth at two different churches. I had lots of fun and enjoyed my "service" but I was never the lead. As was quoted earlier by WWood "a man's got to know his limitations". I am no singer but I think it is still acceptable to be in the crowd along the lines of "making a joyful noise". I figure if my heart is in it the Almighty knows it whether I sing like an acappella star or an old sick cow. In the interim I can play guitar and be acceptable (but not great!)
The Almighty created the song of the whippoorwill and the bullfrog. I have to believe he loves them both.
i like that oneThe Almighty created the song of the whippoorwill and the bullfrog. I have to believe he loves them both.
I note the comparison was between whippoorwill and bullfrog.
But I wonder about crows.
:highly_amused:
The official state bird of Hell.oh crows are the worst
But I wonder about crows.
:highly_amused:
Most of my life I've had it associated with tuneless 4/4 along the lines of "A Mighty Fortress Is My Lord" and tended to overlook the whole "Gospel Music" segment like "This Little Light Of Mine" and "He's Got the Whole Wide World", probably 'cause I never got invited to that type of church.
Eventually you've even got Elvis performing "Peace In The Valley".
After all the title of the thread is "Playing and Singing Gospel Music" and ... that still leaves me at 50/50 for whether the words or the instruments are more important.
Oh to be sure, I was aware of that and was laying it on a bit thick for humor's sake.But, for the record, many of the hymns were actually sung to well known tunes of the day (Some even say they were drinking songs -- something the Methodists and Lutherans fervently deny.) But "Greensleeves" became the tune for "What Child Is This, "Beethoven's 9th was used to set "Ode to Joy" to music, and there is even a hymn called: "He Looked Beyond My Faults," that is sung to the tune of Danny Boy.
So not all of them were dirges.
Now that you mention it I think he did say as much, but I was thinking of an entirely different genre so just wanted to revisit the subject..I can't speak for Dread -- but to me it seemed he was saying that the modern worship style (as opposed to the modern music songs) are more about making it loud and performing, and he was thinking it was better when the musicians lead the people in singing, rather than performing for the people.