Excellence is not a negotiable quality for church music: our worship of God demands our very best. This premise extends to the complex art of composing music for use in worship. This article outlines liturgical, textual, and musical guidelines for composers who seek excellence in composing music for the church.
Musical leadership is a great challenge, with musical and pastoral demands. It is also a great privilege, with opportunities to celebrate the gospel and work among God’s people. This article describes the practical life of the church musician in terms of these challenges and privileges.
A hymn festival is a worship service devoted especially to congregational singing. It is a type of service especially well suited to the celebration of important events in the Christian year and in the life of the congregation. This article provides information on how to plan a hymn festival for your congregation.
Building on centuries of tradition, churches in almost every worshiping tradition are rediscovering the value of singing the Psalms in worship. The following article describes several possibilities for the inclusion of the Psalms in worship. The article is especially concerned with planning worship in the Reformed tradition, which has always placed a high value on singing the Psalms, but the ideas it presents can be easily applied to worship in any tradition.
Music is one of the arts that God has given for man’s expression and joy. Scripture records the origin of instrumental music; in Genesis 4:21, we read that Jubal was “the father of all who play the harp and lute.” The use and appreciation of instrumental music should be encouraged among the people of God.
The way you use a drum machine in a service will depend upon the coordination of the main keyboard player. The drum machine is going to have to be controlled by that person, whether that person is the worship leader or not. Since the lead keyboard player must start and maintain the proper tempos and styles of the songs, it is his or her responsibility to program the drum machine and know where the appropriate patterns are. The main keyboard player will have to have some idea of how drums should be played or how they should sound in order to program the drum machine. With this basic knowledge, the rest can be learned somewhat simply. If all else fails, ask a real drummer to help you create all of the different drum patterns that can accompany the different song styles that you sing.
Handbell ringing is an English art that has made a phenomenal appearance in American worship in this century. This article explains the various kinds of handbells, how to organize a handbell group, and how and where to use handbells in worship.
Bells have long been employed in worship. In contemporary use, one can find large bells used for calling to worship, carillons or chimes, small Sanctus bells used during the liturgy, and handbells, which are covered in this next article.