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Music Matters

October 2011

 

 

What Next?

Musicians for worship may be called upon to provide music for a wide variety of purposes and any time from the moment the first worshiper enters the room until the last person leaves. In some ways, the musicians may have greater influence on the character of the service and the depth of worship than just about any other participant... Even the speaker! It is no small responsibility. 

In order to fulfill our responsibilities, we invest in practice and preparation... knowing the order of service, practicing the hymns, rehearsing with others, and selecting music that we think will fit the situation. All of this because the smallest detail or musical offering can have a significant impact on the worship. 

Then, after all the preparation, what happens mid-service may change everything. This is one of those stories.

I recently had the opportunity to play the piano for a service and was thrilled to learn that the closing hymn selected was "Sent Forth by God's Blessing" (Ash Grove is the hymntune name). It's such a lively and joyous way to end a worship service! I remember an occasion when Ted Stewart (a wonderful organist and worship leader) accompanied that hymn during a Community of Christ World Conference - he "arranged" the accompaniment to stress the chords on the first and third beat of each measure, not even playing every note of the melody, and the people gathered in the Auditorium that night were inspired by his musical leadership to sing with such enthusiasm!

I practiced that hymn on the piano to try and do something "special" and was ready Sunday with a rousing, spirited intro when suddenly things changed. The sermon ended in a very quiet, meditative way with a testimony. The presider recognized an opportunity and invited the congregation to engage in a time of personal reflection. After a few moments, she nodded to me to begin the closing hymn.

If I had introduced the closing hymn with the rhythm, volume, and energy originally planned, it would have shocked the sensibilities of the congregation. Time for plan B. 

Instead of showy, loud, and fancy, the intro the congregation heard that morning began with just the melody line, played quietly, somewhat slowly, and an octave lower (in the tenor range). Using Ted's idea of stressing the first and third beats, I only played the melody notes from the first and third beat. It was almost like a "shadow" of the original melody. For the second line of the intro, the same thing only in the normal soprano range. For each successive line of the hymn, I added another voice part, then a little louder, slowly increasing tempo. It's a long hymn and that worked perfectly to build and bring the congregation in ready to sing by the end of page 2.

I'm so thankful for Ted's creativity. Unwittingly, it became the basis for a sensitive segue from a quiet moment in the service to the energetic recessional hymn. And I was surprised at the number of people who took time to tell me later how much that simple transition meant to them, leading them in worship.

The experience reminded me that our calling as musicians surely includes making faithful preparation. But it also demands we constantly be sensitive to "where the congregation is" emotionally and spiritually during the service... And then think creatively about how to facilitate their movement to what comes next in the worship experience.

I wish I could tell you that this type of experience was the norm when I play or sing. But it what we all aspire to as musicians - to achieve sensitivity to the congregation, becoming a true leader and facilitator of worship. May God bless each of us in pursuit of this calling.

—Blake West

If you have suggestions or ideas for future columns, please contact:

Jan Kraybill
Principal Organist
Community of Christ Headquarters
Independence, MO, USA

or

Pam Robison
Worship and Music Support Specialist
Community of Christ Headquarters
Independence, MO, USA