The ugliest song ever

Every song we sing was new once. And chances are it went over like a lead balloon when it debuted. Yet it persevered somehow and rooted in people's minds and hearts and ears. And it came to be seen as durable, worthwhile, beautiful.



I come across some musical dogs every now and then. Last year the Prophets were asked to consider adding a song to their repertoire. We played through it and hated it. Then we played through it again. And hated it still. The words were dated and the musical idiom passe. And the style of the song just didn't mesh with what we thought was "our" sound, nor did we think it would resonate with the worshiping congregation we lead musically each week. We decided not to add it to our repertoire.



The adult choir sang through a hymn in rehearsal recently. Someone remarked, "1962?!? I didn't know this song was that recent!!" An "old" favorite was actually a relatively new song, especially in terms of making it into a hardcover hymnal. BTW the same is true for that stalwart favorite, "How great thou art." It was new in 1953; if you're over the age of 30, that's still a new song for you. You really didn't grow up singing it all your life.



A musician colleague used to remind me that, "if a worship song was more than 3 years old it belongs in a hymnal. " A couple of things are at play here. First, he accounted hymnals as stale and moribund. Second the best songs for worship were the newest and hottest; they hadn't even been published, merely circulated via the Internet. And more incredibly, a song was "old" after a mere 3 years! And while I disagree there is still food for thought here. There are some extremely popular contemporary songs that have some theological heft and substance, which do belong in bound hymnals, and indeed have been added to standard collections in recent years.



The are plenty of solid ways to score a hymn on music and language. But ultimately there is that "x" factor that can make or break a song for any musical group or any worshiping congregation. Regularly I remark to the musicians I work with about the "thing" that keeps a song from being perfect in my estimation. It may be a weak chord progression or a wimpy lyric phrase. There are plenty of good songs around, several great songs, but very, very few perfect songs.

And yet, for every song, there is probably someone for whom it means the whole world. Someone for whom that lyric and tune opened up a new dimension in sound and faith. So I tread lightly when I critique a song. And every time I speak disparagingly about a song, I try to remember to say something to the effect that I know it may be someone's favorite.




As I've said before the days of going to the hymnal and picking three hymns for a given Sunday morning are long gone. There are too many choices and their are too many personal and social mandates to consider (i.e. "I have to like it," we need to sing songs by women, by African-Americans, from third world cultures; we need newer songs with fresh images for God). With that in mind we can't afford to sing even a very, very favorite hymn more than two or three times in a year. Not only will it not be likely that a single hymn really is the best fit more than that, there are so many other songs that could be the best fit, if we can just allow room for them to make their way into our liturgy, and from there into our subconscious and from there into our theological memory.



If you don't like the songs this Sunday, just wait a week. They'll be totally different next week! Sorry for the rambling. Guess what: I was looking at some new songs for worship this week: Woof!

Summer Music at Montreat

I recevied this note from Bob Keener today. I had heard that changes are afoot. Here's the official word. We sang a Sunday morning at Montreat last summer. We'll see what the future brings.

During the last year, we have heard much about CHANGE. And we see it all about us: some of it good, some of it not as good. However, even change that seems negative initially often proves to be positive in a larger perspective.

CHANGE is also happening – “right here in River City” – or the Swannanoa Valley. Music for the Sunday summer services at Montreat will have a new direction in 2009. Montreat Conference Center has formed a partnership with the Sacred Music Department at Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC. Dr. Porter Stokes and Dr. Ron Davis will be on site this summer guiding the process. Additionally, they are bringing a student intern who will serve as the summer worship coordinator.

How does this change your life? I’m not completely sure. Dr. Stokes has requested, and I have provided, a list of participating choirs from previous summers. He may invite visiting choirs. He may establish a resident choir. Or there may be a combination of both. Suffice it to say that any invitation for your participation in Sunday worship in the future will come from Dr. Stokes or Dr. Davis.

I have enjoyed my association with Montreat over the past 22 years. The greatest joy of that experience has been knowing you and your singers/players and the wonderful music you have shared with us all. Thank you for that. I will miss interacting with you all.

CHANGE has also happened in my professional life. My summers will be free for the first time in many years. The time seemed right for another change; I retired from Oak Forest Presbyterian Church the end of December and am adjusting to being a congregant on Sunday mornings. This is the first time in more than 65 years that I have not been involved in church music either as a singer, organist, director, or administrator. So far, I’m managing that change quite well.

My best to you and your musicians. I will miss being in touch with you. Hopefully, we will see each other from time to time.

With deep appreciation,

Robert P. Keener

February 11, 2009

Intense

In my Facebook update I called this one of the most spiritually intense staff meetings I have even been part of.

We got to talking about the state of our church. We had been dancing around issues by discussing budget woes and directions the Session may take in the next few days to try to remedy the situation.

Ultimately we got around to where the problem or the need is not the budget at all, but rather the spiritual state of ourselves as individuals and a staff, and the spiritual needs and hunger on the part of the congregation. Not really rocket science when you think about it, but we have all gotten so wrapped up in money troubles, and before that our Centennial celebration and before that the departure of our pastor and associate pastor that we have lost our focus and prime directive. There has been blame and plenty of excuses to go around, but we realize that none of that is helpful.

We re-committed to prayer in very specific ways and to lead better. We've kind of bought into the moan and groan about money and trying to find a new pastor, and see a need to set better examples for the congregation. We sensed that our church folks have gotten somewhat weary from our worship life simply mirroring the state of our culture. The economy has tanked; the church budget is troublesome. The nation needed new leadership; the church is seeking new leadership. People are loosing their jobs; the quickest way to fix our budget would be to eliminate staff.

We confessed amongst ourselves, I hope I don't betray confidences by writing this, that we must do better at presenting a "more excellent way." We must proclaim Jesus Christ to be the Solid Rock when other ground is sinking sand.

We almost let ourselves believe it was a "downer" of a staff meeting. But we know, because we are an Easter people, that it was a great meeting. Pray for the staff, and look for and be part of new things coming in the next few days and weeks.

Worship Music February 8, 2009

In the interest of getting this information available in a timely fashion, and sacrificing narrative, I am going to simply list the music for Sundays, rather than try to provide it in a narrative form. I will comment when it seems helpful or especially informative. But to make it easier and quicker to get the information available, I'm going to use a list format. If you have an opinion or preference either way, do let me know.

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
What a mighty God we serve
My life is in you, Lord
Glorify thy name
Confession
Dayenu
Offertory
Holy is the Lord
Doxology
Glory and gratitude and praise
Prayers
Be still for the presence of the Lord
Communion
NA
Closing Song
Go forth in his name

11 AM
Hymns
265, Great God we sing that mighty hand (WAREHAM)
2137, Would I have answered when you called (KINGSFOLD)
398, Thereʼs a sweet, sweet spirit (SWEET, SWEET SPIRIT)
Introit
Schoenster herr Jesu, Fairest Lord Jesus
Confession
Celtic Alleluia
Anthem
Arr. Fettke, Beautiful Savior
Benediction
Vaughan Williams, God be with you till we meet again
Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Willan, Voluntary on Wareham
Offertory: JS Bach, Siliciano, Concerto in d
Postlude: Johnson, Trumpet Tune in D

Music for Sunday January 25

FirstLight worship will begin with gathering songs "We fall down" and "Holy, holy, holy" (NICEA)and conclude with "Come, now is the time to worship." We'll sing "Halle, halle, hallelujah" at the Confession. The Prophets will sing "Take my life" at the offering and include "Give thanks" as our doxology. We'll be singing "Hungry" during the distribution at communion and conclude worship with John Bell's "The Summons."

Hymns at 11AM will include "Sing praise to God who reigns above" (MIT FREUDEN ZART) and"Live into hope" (TRURO). The choir will sing Marty Haugen's, "Gather us in" at the introit, the Purcell "Glory be to God the Father" (WESTMINSTER ABBEY) at the confession and Mike Barker's "The Lord bless you" at the benediction. The anthem at the offering will be Harold Freidell's "Draw us in the Spirit’s tether." Instrumental music will include Claude Debussy's, Prelude from Book 1: X. La Cathédrale engloutie at the prelude and Olivier Messiaen's "Apparition de l’eglise éternelle" at the postlude. With these we are in some very atmospheric, highly impressionistic music, with stunning harmonic language.

Music for worship January 18

Gathering songs at FirstLight: Graham Kendrick's "Knowing you;" "He knows my name;" and "Open the eyes of my heart, Lord." At the confession, Joy Patterson's, "Alleluia, alleluia in Jesus Christ we are forgiven." At the offering a new song, "Jesus Christ is Lord" by Ken Canedo a setting of text from Philippians, with Jimmy Owens "Doxology." The closing song will be "Lord, you have come to the lakeshore" (PESCADOR DES HOMBRES).

Hymns at 11AM will include "Ye servants of God, your master proclaim" (HANOVER); "Today we all are called to be disciples" (KINGSFOLD); and I'm gonna live so God can use me" (I'M GONNA LIVE). The choral introit will be "Jesus calls us o’er the tumult" to the tune PLEADING SAVIOR, at the confession the same Patterson, "Alleluia, alleluia..." as at FirstLight and at the benediction the refrain from "Lord you have come to the lakeshore." The choir will sing two anthems with Charles Perry Sprawls, bass-baritone soloist; the Qui Tollis from Haydn's Second Mass in C, the Paukenmesse, and William Dawson's "Every time I feel the Spirit." The organ prelude will be William Bolcom's setting of "Galilee;" the postlude will be an improvisation on musical themes from the service music.

Charles Perry Sprawls, bass-baritone soloist

The adult choir will be joined by Charles Perry Sprawls next Sunday January 18 for special music during the 11AM service. They will sing a movement from the Haydn Second Mass in C, "Qui Tollis" (Thou who takest away the sins of the world...) and the William Dawson spirtual, Every time I feel the spirit. Charles is the son of our own Charlotte and Perry Sprawls. He is in town next weekend for a concert at Montreat College (read below). We are excitedly looking forward to worship next week because of this special musical addition.



From the Montreat College Friends of Music press release:
The spring concert season opens on Monday, January 19 at 7:30 in the Chapel of the Prodigal with bass-baritone Charles Perry Sprawls. Mr. Sprawls will give a performance of songs, arias, hymns and spirituals, with works by Schubert, Strauss, Verdi and others.

Mr. Sprawls, a native of Atlanta, GA, has been enjoying a busy concert career since moving to New York City in 1997. Recent performances include the Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Raphael in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, the Szymanowski Stabat Mater, and Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle
on the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series at St. Ignatius Loyola, the Mozart Requiem on the Great Performances series at St. Bartholomew’s Church, and Chausson’s Le Roi Arthus with Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra. He has performed regionally as a
soloist with the Berkshire Bach Society and at the Bard Music Festival. He is a previous district winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. While in Atlanta, Mr. Sprawls performed as soloist in a number of performances with the late Robert Shaw, including the annual Christmas with Robert Shaw concerts and as part of the Robert Shaw Festival Singers, including performances of Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and the Faure Requiem. He can be heard on the recording A Robert Shaw Christmas —Angels on High on the Telarc label. In previous seasons Mr. Sprawls has performed on stage as a member of the associate chorus at both the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera. He has appeared as a member of the ensemble of Sweeney Todd in Concert with the New York Philharmonic and the Lincoln Center Festival production of Goldenthal’s Grendel, but his first love is choral, small ensemble, and oratorio performance.

Ensemble credits include concerts with New York Choral Artists, Concert Chorale of New
York, The Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, Voices of Ascension and recording projects with Alice
Parker and Melodious Accord.