Worship Weblog
Monday, July 24, 2006
‘Worship Composition’ in Perspectives
Perspectives’ current issue on worship includes this essay by CICW’s Greg Scheer.
Worship Composition: Looking Back, Looking Forward
by Greg ScheerToday’s worship is riddled with polarities. “Traditional” is set against “contemporary.“1 Hymn is set against praise song. The wisdom of professional musicians is juxtaposed with the will of the untrained people in the pews. Some champion aesthetic quality of worship music, while others promote utility.2 Does this “either/or” mentality discourage us from exploring creative new forms of congregational song? Perhaps we have become like the barmaid in the Blues Brothers movie: “We have both kinds of music here: Country and Western!”
In the midst of these tensions, is there a way to build (or rebuild) bridges between conservatory-trained composers and the church?3 The answer calls for rigorous collaboration among composers, theologians, and church musicians.
The first step in charting new territory in church music is to understand the past. Looking back at the history of church music, we find an array of compositional possibilities that can be applied to future worship compositions. The following sections analyze various aspects of these historical worship musics to provide insight for fresh application to modern church compositions.
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