Mark Lawson, president of MorningStar Music, reflects on the importance of congregational song to Richard Proulx and Richard Hillert in the March edition of their e-newsletter.  Special thanks to MorningStar Music for granting permission to post this article.

The recent passing of Richard Proulx and Richard Hillert has caused me to reflect on the extraordinary gifts that these two great men have given to us. Even though both wrote widely in many genres, I firmly believe that their greatest inspiration came in providing wonderful settings of liturgical materials for the congregation. Both of these men believed strongly that average, everyday people should sing the liturgy and that it shouldn’t just be left to the professionals. It makes me think of the way Paul Manz used to talk about inspiring the congregation to sing and how thrilling it is to sing with full voiced gusto on the great hymns of faith.

In many churches, I think we have shortchanged the congregation and have given more of our attention to the choirs. Educating the congregation and teaching them how to sing is no easy matter, but is certainly worth every minute we can give to helping them fully engage in the church’s song.

Some helpful suggestions include:

· Print brief histories of hymns and tunes used in the service on an insert in the worship folder.

· Look for concertatos and descants that engage both the choir and the congregation.

· Vary the accompaniments from full organ to a cappella singing, and incorporate various instruments for introductions or descants.

· Use readings such as those in From Glory Into Glory to set up the hymn and give added thought.

These are just a few suggestions. There are obviously many more, but the important thing is to give congregational singing added attention and priority. If we follow the model of those who have recently gone before us, it is worth our very best gifts.

Mark W. Lawson,

President

Thanks for reading Helping Your Congregation Sing.

Wanted: One Outstanding Church Organist.
Music adds much to our worship, but musicians can be hard to find. Well, look no further.

The reality is that many churches have a difficult time finding an organist or even someone who can play the piano for worship services. Enter CPH. They have created Concordia Organist, a 31-CD set of all the hymns in LSB which can be used to accompany hymn singing. CPH is having an “essay” contest (though the Official Rules say it will be a random drawing) to give away a free copy of the Concordia Organist (retail value: $699 with an introductory price of $499) to a LCMS or LCC congregation.

On the plus side, the hymns are played by the very capable Paul Grime, Kevin Hildebrand, and Richard Resch of Concordia Theological Seminary on the wonderful Schlicker organ in Kramer Chapel. Any congregation would be blessed to have either of these organists and/or the Kramer Chapel pipe organ. (As an aside: I have to remind myself to not covet my neighbor’s pipe organ.)

However, I’m a little unsettled on the use of a CD as a hymn accompaniment in congregational worship. I understand that for some churches the Concordia Organist may be the only way that they can have a “church musician” for worship. Singing to a recording, though, lacks the vibrancy of the relationship between the musician and the congregation. On some Sundays, my own hymn playing will take on a new dimension as a result of the energy of the hymn singing. And conversely, the congregation’s hymn singing can be energized by skillful hymn playing. I would hope that these CDs are a last resort and not a substitute for a “live” church musician if one is available.

And we need not forget the possibility of a capella singing. You never know when the organ might “blow up” just before the service begins and “Let my prayer rise before You as incense” takes on an entirely new meaning as electrical parts are burning. Singing without accompaniment can add a new dimension to worship that is often hidden when there is always background music.

I suppose, though, that the moral of the story is to encourage our young people to pursue church music – either as a profession or avocation. Our churches are always in need of faithful musicians with a passion for the church’s song. If we had sufficient numbers of church musicians, a product like Concordia Organist wouldn’t have much of a market.

Thanks for reading The Concordia Organist.

And after reading this chapter, what do I remember? This practical bit of advice from Luther regarding the starting pitch of a song: “No one should try to sing such a song in a higher key, for he will surely become hoarse and make a botch of it before he reaches five notes.” Thus saith Luther.

Thanks for reading Singing Advice from Luther.

It is a high responsibility to choose the music we place into the mouth of God’s people – whether children or adult. These songs should not be trite or cute, nor filler or fluff. The church’s song should be a faithful proclamation and preaching of the Word. No less should be tolerated.

I remember as a child singing Page 15 and Vespers from The Lutheran Hymnal and liked singing it although I didn’t understand everything. As a teenager, youth (that meant me) were supposed to be “in to” Contemporary Christian Music. I shortly gave that up and turned more and more to TLH because the hymnody had more content and was more relevant to me.

While I don’t have any children of my own, it is a joy to hear the voices of children sing the hymns of the faith and the liturgy, and belt out the Creed and Lord’s Prayer. Whether or not they know it, the children are learning what they need to know and who they are. It is the privilege of pastors, parish musicians, and the congregation to nurture this growth through hymnody and liturgy. In reality, though, it is really God doing all the work.

A great resource for teaching children hymns and personal enjoyment is the four CD set by the Children’s Choir of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ft Wayne, IN. The choir sings hymns and liturgy — no fancy choral settings. This is the Children’s Choir you hear occasionally on The Lutheran Hour. The CD’s can be purchased through St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Concordia Theological Seminary at CPHBookstore@ctsfw.edu, or at Concordia Publishing House.

In short, let God’s children sing. Let them sing the hymns of our Lutheran heritage. Let them sing the liturgy that has nourished the church for hundreds of years. Let them grow through these hymns and liturgy.

Thanks for reading Let God’s Children Sing.