[rodgersorgan] Re: Contemporary vs Traditional Worship Music
- From: Ralph Cullen <rcullen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: rodgersorgan@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 09:03:50 -0700
I think at some point, someone needs to define "contemporary", because a
Gospel song from 1920, may well be contemporary to some people, but totally
traditional to others. Are we not talking about a major shift in INTENT
when we describe "Contemporary" IE the desire to sound like "the world" and
thus make the church a "familiar environment" for the "unchurched"
The issue then becomes less to do with instrumentation and more to do with
style and content.
In Thomas Day's extremely provocative and insightful book "Why Catholics
cant sing" (which I have just finished reading, and which is totally
relevant to any denomination) (get it at Amazon.com) he points out that
Rock Music now stands apart as being considered by todays society as
"Regular Music" all other forms of music are considered to be peculiar.
This is the heart of the issue.
How many places do you go, (garages, supermarkets, malls etc, where they
have as "wallpaper music" anything other than the local rock station?)
The real issue is one of defining the nature of worship and the nature of
the church.
Current trends are to "build a house for the congregation" We make the pews
comfortable. We put carpet on the floor. Central heating (not a bad idea
for pipe organs) Sound systems to blast loud music and make the preacher
heard above screaming babies....etc.
But the church was intended to be, by the One who birthed it, a house for God.
Here is the bottom line, and surely this must determine what we do with
music as well as every other aspect of worship in the church.
Ralph
Rodgers Organs New Zealand.
At 11:10 AM 4/25/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>Kirk wrote "As the organist in an African American congregation the issue =
>of "contemporary" vs "traditional" worship music is a moot point. Black =
>churches have always had a "blended" service with gospels, spirituals, =
>hymns and anthems."
>
>I always considered all these musical forms as traditional worship music.
>
>Charlie
>
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