Christianity Today pulled together information from several hymnals to compile a list of the most-enduring hymns. Here are the top hymns, in alphabetical order, appearing in multiple editions of hymnals from mainline denominations (Anglican {Episcopal}, Baptist, Congregational, Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran) as well as four key evangelical hymnals. The article that explains the selection process and criteria is very interesting.
Scoring 28 out of a possible 28 in the CT analysis:
Abide with me: fast falls the eventide
All hail the power of Jesus’ name
Come, ye thankful people, come
Crown him with many crowns
Glorious things of thee are spoken
Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty
How firm a foundation
In the cross of Christ I glory
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Love divine, all loves excelling
O sacred Head, now wounded
When I survey the wondrous cross
Scoring 27 out of 28 in the CT analysis:
A mighty fortress is our God
All glory, laud, and honor
Come, thou almighty King
Just as I am, without one plea
Now thank we all our God
O, for a thousand tongues to sing
O God, our help in ages past
O, worship the King all glorious above
The church’s one foundation
Curious about the absence of "Amazing Grace?" Read the article and a followup story.
Curious about how CT out this analysis together? Read the article.
Wonder how many of these we've NOT sung at BMPCNC in recent months? Ask me.
Wonder how many of these we've used at our FirstLight service? Ask me.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Review: music by Rob Clearfield
I value very much Louis R. Carlozo's reviews of music for The Christian Century. I've culled his lists before to make my own to-listen-to list. So based on a review of several releases by a single musician, I brought three recordings by Rob Clearfield. (To read the whole review you'll have to register and log on online, or subscribe to CC, find it at a library, or borrow my copy; sorry.)
Paisajes de Sudamerica ( + + + ) is music for guitar quartet hearkening from South America. (Clearfield is one of the players, a student of Alfonso Chaco'n.) I was reminded somewhat of Grete Dollitz' guitar program on the Public Broadcasting station in Richmond; for folks already into guitar music, this will no doubt be a great recording to have. For the rest of us, eh, a little goes a long way. Each of the 10 tracks seems to be a medley of sorts of music from a particular South American country. It's fine as far as it goes, but I could have used a little more help from the liner notes.
This is not the ending ( + + + ) is a recording by Information Superhighway, a "jazz-inflected" group Clearfield leads. Jazz really isn't my realm, so I won't say too much. I didn't find anything impossible to listen to for my taste, but by the same token nothing called out to me to want to hear more.
I was intrigued by an album of worship songs by Clearfield, The beauty that we live in ( + + + ), with vocalist Bethany Hamilton. The lyrics are fine in all the songs (perhaps the best thing going for this album is the poetry), but I got rather weary of a similar melodic contour in several of the songs. Tracks 1, 2 and 4 all use a scale-like pattern as the core of the melody. Track 4, All that you have made, does take an adventuresome harmonic journey in its coda. I found myself wishing for something more substantial musically from these songs though. Track 3, This water, could prove quite useful for baptism services in either a traditional/formal or contemporary/informal setting. I haven't searched for the chart, but hope it's available. The last track, Hands and feet, is very much a jazz sounding song; my teen aged son noticed it right-away. It could find a place in a traditional service in which the jazz idiom is welcomed and has already found a niche, but probably not in a more contemporary service, that being the implication of my son's raised eyebrow and smirk.
Paisajes de Sudamerica ( + + + ) is music for guitar quartet hearkening from South America. (Clearfield is one of the players, a student of Alfonso Chaco'n.) I was reminded somewhat of Grete Dollitz' guitar program on the Public Broadcasting station in Richmond; for folks already into guitar music, this will no doubt be a great recording to have. For the rest of us, eh, a little goes a long way. Each of the 10 tracks seems to be a medley of sorts of music from a particular South American country. It's fine as far as it goes, but I could have used a little more help from the liner notes.
This is not the ending ( + + + ) is a recording by Information Superhighway, a "jazz-inflected" group Clearfield leads. Jazz really isn't my realm, so I won't say too much. I didn't find anything impossible to listen to for my taste, but by the same token nothing called out to me to want to hear more.
I was intrigued by an album of worship songs by Clearfield, The beauty that we live in ( + + + ), with vocalist Bethany Hamilton. The lyrics are fine in all the songs (perhaps the best thing going for this album is the poetry), but I got rather weary of a similar melodic contour in several of the songs. Tracks 1, 2 and 4 all use a scale-like pattern as the core of the melody. Track 4, All that you have made, does take an adventuresome harmonic journey in its coda. I found myself wishing for something more substantial musically from these songs though. Track 3, This water, could prove quite useful for baptism services in either a traditional/formal or contemporary/informal setting. I haven't searched for the chart, but hope it's available. The last track, Hands and feet, is very much a jazz sounding song; my teen aged son noticed it right-away. It could find a place in a traditional service in which the jazz idiom is welcomed and has already found a niche, but probably not in a more contemporary service, that being the implication of my son's raised eyebrow and smirk.
Worship Music
The magazine Christianity Today this month has a follow-up pair of articles on worship music. The issue arose with a set of five article in the March 2011 issue. I have found the whole discussion quite helpful in refining my thinking on the function of music in worship and how it's selected.
The series began with John Koessler's article giving a helpful corrective by asserting that the whole point of worship is not about satisfying the individual's needs for a particular style of liturgy or music, but in our need to acclaim God and and God's sovereignty. Penny-ante "wars" over worship and music have no place in the context of what we are truly to be about when we worship.
We think of worship as something that originates with us, our gift to God. Perhaps this is why so many of us are conflicted about it. We consider worship to be an expression of our personal devotion. So when the musical style or some expression gets in the way, we don't feel like it is our worship at all.
Several years ago I read Thomas Day's book Why Catholics can't sing. T. David Gordon seems to have followed-up with a Protestant version of the thesis with Why Johnny can't sing hymns. An insightful interview with him is part of this collection in the March issue of CT. His beef is with a perceived idolatry of that-which-is-contemporary in our worship, especially the fleeting trends in contemporary church music. The interview was a helpful reminder of the sin inherent in jettisoning everything old from our worship.
Another of the 5 articles explores the handful of hymns that keep appearing in published hymnals generation after generation; it was quite revealing and interesting.
The June issue (not available on line yet) has two follow-up articles offered somewhat in response to the first series. Both were helpful. Lawrence Mumford is a composer, teacher and worship leader in CA; his article is a sort of primer in what distinguishes pop worship music from traditional worship music. As an important aside he notes that young listeners hear symphonic music quite a bit when they watch even the newest film releases; that arena is one of the last in which a symphonic composer can make a career. His main point may be that the emotional depth called for by the experience of worship calls for an equally deep (or wide) pool of worship music. D.H. Williams sends a cautionary shot across the bow of worship planners who mimic too closely the entertainment field. I don't think person involved in planning contemporary worship and music have this (entertainment value) as a goal, but it's possible for me to see where such could influence worship/music design and planning where due diligence is not exercised.
CT promises that the discussion of the issue of worship style and music-for-worship style will continue in upcoming issues.
The series began with John Koessler's article giving a helpful corrective by asserting that the whole point of worship is not about satisfying the individual's needs for a particular style of liturgy or music, but in our need to acclaim God and and God's sovereignty. Penny-ante "wars" over worship and music have no place in the context of what we are truly to be about when we worship.
We think of worship as something that originates with us, our gift to God. Perhaps this is why so many of us are conflicted about it. We consider worship to be an expression of our personal devotion. So when the musical style or some expression gets in the way, we don't feel like it is our worship at all.
Several years ago I read Thomas Day's book Why Catholics can't sing. T. David Gordon seems to have followed-up with a Protestant version of the thesis with Why Johnny can't sing hymns. An insightful interview with him is part of this collection in the March issue of CT. His beef is with a perceived idolatry of that-which-is-contemporary in our worship, especially the fleeting trends in contemporary church music. The interview was a helpful reminder of the sin inherent in jettisoning everything old from our worship.
Another of the 5 articles explores the handful of hymns that keep appearing in published hymnals generation after generation; it was quite revealing and interesting.
The June issue (not available on line yet) has two follow-up articles offered somewhat in response to the first series. Both were helpful. Lawrence Mumford is a composer, teacher and worship leader in CA; his article is a sort of primer in what distinguishes pop worship music from traditional worship music. As an important aside he notes that young listeners hear symphonic music quite a bit when they watch even the newest film releases; that arena is one of the last in which a symphonic composer can make a career. His main point may be that the emotional depth called for by the experience of worship calls for an equally deep (or wide) pool of worship music. D.H. Williams sends a cautionary shot across the bow of worship planners who mimic too closely the entertainment field. I don't think person involved in planning contemporary worship and music have this (entertainment value) as a goal, but it's possible for me to see where such could influence worship/music design and planning where due diligence is not exercised.
CT promises that the discussion of the issue of worship style and music-for-worship style will continue in upcoming issues.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Music for 060511
FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
He knows my name
All hail the power of Jesus’ name
Opening Song
Blessed be your name
Confession
Halle, halle
Offertory
Here I am, Lord
Doxology
Alleluia, give thanks
Closing Song
Shine, Jesus shine
11 AM
Hymns
149, The head that once was crowned (ST. MAGNUS)
423, Jesus shall reign (DUKE STREET)
Confession
O’Carroll, Celtic Alleluia
Doxology
592 Lasst uns erfreuen, With alleluias
Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Healy Willan, Andante, from Andante, Fugue and Chorale
Offertory: Healy Willan, God is gone up with a shout (Chancel Choir)
Postlude: Andre Campra, Rigaudon
Gathering Song(s)
He knows my name
All hail the power of Jesus’ name
Opening Song
Blessed be your name
Confession
Halle, halle
Offertory
Here I am, Lord
Doxology
Alleluia, give thanks
Closing Song
Shine, Jesus shine
11 AM
Hymns
149, The head that once was crowned (ST. MAGNUS)
423, Jesus shall reign (DUKE STREET)
Confession
O’Carroll, Celtic Alleluia
Doxology
592 Lasst uns erfreuen, With alleluias
Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Healy Willan, Andante, from Andante, Fugue and Chorale
Offertory: Healy Willan, God is gone up with a shout (Chancel Choir)
Postlude: Andre Campra, Rigaudon
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