Sacred Liturgical Music Ways to Promote Congregational Singing (original) (raw)

Church music as cultural and inter-cultural music

The presence of at least two prominent streams of church music within the DRC is evident – this is also true of most other Protestant and Reformed churches. There is tension between the ‘old music’ and the ‘new music’; traditional church music and contemporary church music; the official repertoire of church music and the utilized repertoire of songs. Liturgical singing often includes various free songs (songs outside the official hymnal). Songs from various traditions are cut and pasted or copied and merged into liturgy through a process of bricolage. Within bricolage liturgy there is a growing tendency towards bricolage liturgical singing. A brief overview of the history of church music illustrates the complexities regarding church music. The official song of the temple was often complimented by the ecstatic song of individuals. The more formal and official song of the church often stood in contrast to the song and music that were played and sung in houses and elsewhere. Christian believers in different eras expressed themselves in different forms and genres of music. The Bible does not support a blueprint for church music. There is no Biblical church music, mainly because no ‘melodies’ could be preserved (cf. Mowinckel 2004:9). The latter is further complicated by the culture-bound nature of Biblical music and songs. The Biblical data mostly provides snapshots of instances where God’s people utilized music and singing in their interaction with the Almighty and covenantal God. Certain principles and guidelines for church music could be drawn from these, although the danger of fundamentalism, relativism and subjectivism remains. A study of liturgy illustrates the important role of music and singing within the dialogue of the liturgy. Recent studies emphasize that church music could function as a ritual symbol within a specific cultural or sub-cultural community. As such church music is closely related to the culture (or sub-culture) of a given community and can never be evaluated apart from that culture. Within a postmodern culture, church music will be greatly influenced and coloured by the values and attitudes of postmodernism. The latter have major implications for musical styles, genres, repertoires and the sanctification of church music. Within postmodernism the borders between sacred and secular are not so clear, neither between sacred (liturgical) music and secular music. Within Western culture and postmodernism there is a growing need for an inculturated and an inter-culturated song, expressing the smaller narrative(s) of the local congregation in idioms, language, metaphors and styles true to the local culture. Church music is closely related to the spirituality of the local congregation. The dominant type of spirituality will necessarily have a sound influence on the musical genres, accompaniments, styles and repertoire of the local congregation. The growing phenomenon of popular spirituality has definite implications for church music. At least three circles of spiritualities must find expression in the song of the local congregation, namely an ecumenical spirituality, a denominational spirituality and a congregational spirituality. Where the official song (Liedboek van die Kerk) gives expression to the denominational or Reformed spirituality as well as the meta-narrative, the free song often gives expression to the congregational spirituality as well as the smaller narrative. It is argued that the freely chosen song is an important means of expressing the spirituality of the local congregation (culture). In this sense, it does not threaten the official church song but compliments it. These two could stand in a positive and creative tension. Regarding liturgical singing, the DRC is presently moving from a societas through a phase of communitas to a new societas. It is impossible to predict the outcome of this process. As Burger (1995:31) indicates, a communitas-phase releases a lot of new energy that could be of great value to the church. Church music, as folk music and cultural music, will have to be faithful to the culture and spirituality of God’s people living in the twenty first century within a given context. The age-old tradition must continue hand in hand with a new song. Vos (2009:5) summarizes accurately: “However, each generation of believers must interpret the ancient sources and traditions of the Church anew, within the demands of their time, without being unfaithful to the traditions in which a definitive liturgy exists”.

Christian song in a global church: The role of musical structure in community formation

International Journal of Community Music, 2009

While recognizing the importance of musical style in congregational singing, this article suggests that the underlying structure of the people's song influences how they receive theology and the relationship of song to ritual action. The author, after introducing sequential, cyclic and refrain structures, defines the characteristics of each and proposes ways that each structure may enliven a ritual and enable community building.

Empirical study with regards to congregational singing in Potchefstroom

The presence of at least two prominent streams of church music within the DRC is evident – this is also true of most other Protestant and Reformed churches. There is tension between the ‘old music’ and the ‘new music’; traditional church music and contemporary church music; the official repertoire of church music and the utilized repertoire of songs. Liturgical singing often includes various free songs (songs outside the official hymnal). Songs from various traditions are cut and pasted or copied and merged into liturgy through a process of bricolage. Within bricolage liturgy there is a growing tendency towards bricolage liturgical singing. A brief overview of the history of church music illustrates the complexities regarding church music. The official song of the temple was often complimented by the ecstatic song of individuals. The more formal and official song of the church often stood in contrast to the song and music that were played and sung in houses and elsewhere. Christian believers in different eras expressed themselves in different forms and genres of music. The Bible does not support a blueprint for church music. There is no Biblical church music, mainly because no ‘melodies’ could be preserved (cf. Mowinckel 2004:9). The latter is further complicated by the culture-bound nature of Biblical music and songs. The Biblical data mostly provides snapshots of instances where God’s people utilized music and singing in their interaction with the Almighty and covenantal God. Certain principles and guidelines for church music could be drawn from these, although the danger of fundamentalism, relativism and subjectivism remains. A study of liturgy illustrates the important role of music and singing within the dialogue of the liturgy. Recent studies emphasize that church music could function as a ritual symbol within a specific cultural or sub-cultural community. As such church music is closely related to the culture (or sub-culture) of a given community and can never be evaluated apart from that culture. Within a postmodern culture, church music will be greatly influenced and coloured by the values and attitudes of postmodernism. The latter have major implications for musical styles, genres, repertoires and the sanctification of church music. Within postmodernism the borders between sacred and secular are not so clear, neither between sacred (liturgical) music and secular music. Within Western culture and postmodernism there is a growing need for an inculturated and an inter-culturated song, expressing the smaller narrative(s) of the local congregation in idioms, language, metaphors and styles true to the local culture. Church music is closely related to the spirituality of the local congregation. The dominant type of spirituality will necessarily have a sound influence on the musical genres, accompaniments, styles and repertoire of the local congregation. The growing phenomenon of popular spirituality has definite implications for church music. At least three circles of spiritualities must find expression in the song of the local congregation, namely an ecumenical spirituality, a denominational spirituality and a congregational spirituality. Where the official song (Liedboek van die Kerk) gives expression to the denominational or Reformed spirituality as well as the meta-narrative, the free song often gives expression to the congregational spirituality as well as the smaller narrative. It is argued that the freely chosen song is an important means of expressing the spirituality of the local congregation (culture). In this sense, it does not threaten the official church song but compliments it. These two could stand in a positive and creative tension. Regarding liturgical singing, the DRC is presently moving from a societas through a phase of communitas to a new societas. It is impossible to predict the outcome of this process. As Burger (1995:31) indicates, a communitas-phase releases a lot of new energy that could be of great value to the church. Church music, as folk music and cultural music, will have to be faithful to the culture and spirituality of God’s people living in the twenty first century within a given context. The age-old tradition must continue hand in hand with a new song. Vos (2009:5) summarizes accurately: “However, each generation of believers must interpret the ancient sources and traditions of the Church anew, within the demands of their time, without being unfaithful to the traditions in which a definitive liturgy exists”.

Sacred or Non-sacred Music in Church Worship: An Ancient Argument Revisited By

Icheke Journal of the Faculty of Humanities, 2023

Music comprises the lyrics and the melody, rhythm and the beats in which it is set. It conveys a particular mood and the sense of purpose, which it is expected to serve. By these characteristics, it defines itself as belonging to a specified genre. Church music is offered to God as part of the process of worship, which in its simplest term means submission to God-His Will, His desire, His dictates and guidance. In this light, it stands to reason that any music, in its lyrics and its musical setting, used in the worship of God must reflect man's humble realization of his dependence on the almightiness of God Jehovah. Therefore, music used in the worship of God Jehovah must of necessity be music that glorifies the name and overall essence of God while simultaneously edifying the church as the body of Christ. It is in this light that this seminar paper examines the concept of Sacred or Non-Sacred songs in worship. It finds that non-sacred music is emotive and can be distractive from true worship. It is recommended that the church has the duty to determine the quality of the music in use for

On the Principles of Sacred Music

Monastic Musicians, 2015

What makes sacred music to be a fitting expression of man's worship and devotion for God? Are there principles interior to the science of music by which it can judge its own sacredness, or does it depend upon something external, such as the theology of liturgy, by which it is determined? Joseph Swain argues that a theology of the liturgy is insufficient to ground a theory of liturgical music. On the other hand, Benedict the XVI, in consonance with the Magisterial tradition of the Church, states that liturgical music must be subservient to and grounded in the liturgy and that liturgical theology is more than sufficient to ground liturgical music. Which of these two positions is correct? In this essay I would like to argue that sacred music, if it is going to retain its nature as leading man from the mundane to his final goal of union with God, must be subservient to and determined by the liturgy. In order to see this we must investigate what are the liturgical principles that determine and guide liturgical music. By understanding the root of the problem that has infected liturgy and liturgical music, we will be better able to understand on what principles a new theory of liturgical music must be based. Swain argues that one of the root causes of the post-conciliar depression in liturgical music is the surfeit of liturgical principles that are nevertheless hopelessly integrated. It is apparent that this is indeed a problem. However, it seems perhaps more correct to say that this is rather the symptom of a deeper underlying problem. The present confusion in liturgical principles seems to stem from relying too heavily on the council document Sacrosanctum Concilium as the only source for the first principles of liturgy. This document gives some very salutary indications regarding the general nature of liturgical music and yet, because of the great ambiguities that it and other of the documents from Vatican II contain, they do not serve very well as a unique source for clearly defined principles. On the one hand, Sacrosanctum Concilium suggests that sacred music needs to be closely connected to the liturgical action, that it should foster unity of minds and confer greater solemnity upon the sacred rites, also that Gregorian chant in particular should be given pride of place in the liturgy as being proper to it. But this same document also states that new compositions should have 'the qualities proper to genuine sacred music… providing also for the needs of small choirs and for the active participation of the entire assembly of the faithful.' If one takes 'active participation' in a physically external manner, thus meaning that the laity should be able to sing out all the parts of the mass, then it would seem to contradict the earlier principle of making Gregorian chant the centerpiece of the liturgy. Certain aspects of plain chant are simply too difficult to be sung

Healing liturgy: The role of music and singing

Verbum et Ecclesia

Apart from all the other functions of liturgical singing and music, it also has a pastoral function or aim. Within the normal Sunday-to-Sunday liturgy, singing and music aims at promoting and restoring spiritual well-being. Within communities struck by disaster or grief, liturgical singing aims at healing people and processing their loss and ultimately promoting spiritual wellness by restoring or reshaping their picture of God. A brief look at liturgies in a lamenting congregation by means of an autoethnography illustrates the functional use of music and singing in the process of spiritual or emotional healing, thus illustrating the role of music in worship as an in-between experience: between laughter and lament.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article explores the role of music and singing in healing liturgy in a descriptive way, using ethnography and autoethnography to describe the process. Although the article refers to insights from pastoral therapy,...