How Can I Keep From Singing: Episode 11

Episode XI: Contemporary Worship Music

The music of the church and culture have always had an interesting relationship, sometimes intentionally divergent and sometimes quite convergent. While the medieval church centered on the “otherness” of chant, Martin Luther eventually incorporated the popular style of the musical minstrels of his day with a more rhythmic and syncopated style of church singing. Mozart’s church masses sound much like his operas - the popular music of his day, though somewhat more reserved. Not surprising in our own era, there arose a more “contemporary” style of music, first emerging in youth campfire and retreat songs and later in full fledged services in the church, sometimes called “seeker services.” Over time, this movement forged its own path and particular character in the form of “praise and worship” songs, assisted in popularity through the rise of Christian radio stations. 

To some degree, its identity resonates in its rhythmic character, pop-like melodies, and instrumentation (guitars, drums, keys, etc.). However, the lyrics have evolved from more ambiguous texts (Draw Me Close to You) to updating of traditional hymns, to songs emphasizing evangelical theology (2nd birth, conversion), and are often richly centered on Christ’s story and salvation acts. In many ways, both the musical and theological content of this style of music echo the revival hymn era of the 19th century: catchy melodies, a more informal musical style, and a straightforward textual theology centered on Jesus’s gift of salvation and our personal response and transformation. Additionally, the lyrics are often written in second person language, sometimes similar to the Psalms in this manner, creating a sense of direct communication between sinner and savior. 

We’ll cover some of the more recent hits of the genre: “King of Kings”, “Our Father”, and the “Reckless Love of God”. And though the nature of Christian radio (and all radio) often makes for an emphasis on the latest and new songs, already many of the older praise and worship songs and choruses are making their way into modern hymnals. The best example of these contemporary hymns is perhaps “In Christ Alone.”

Many thanks to our special guest for today’s episode - FUMC Faithlink Worship leader, Samuel Zepeda!

How Can I Keep from Singing: Episode 10

Perhaps not surprisingly, the modern era is more pluralistic in its styles of hymns and other congregational songs, as Christianity has further expanded in terms of denominational and non-denominational movements, as well as cultural developments from other countries where Christianity has flourished.

In this episode, we’ll highlight the Oxford Movement of the 19th century, which generated a recapturing of ancient Greek and Latin hymns, and Reformation hymns. Many iconic poetic translations of hymns were accomplished during this movement, as well as the offering the first hymnal that interlined the music and words in the fashion that most modern hymns do (Hymns Ancient and Modern). Another impactful moment came with the publishing of the 1906 English hymnal, which marked one of the few times an accomplished composer (Ralph Vaughan Williams) took part in such an endeavor. The result was a wealth of new tunes and fresh part-writing and harmonization that set a new standard in the music of hymns. We’ll look briefly tunes such “For All the Saints” (UMH 711) and “At the Name of Jesus” (UMH 168). Vaughan Williams also contributed a number of folk songs and incorporated many Welsh tunes into mainstream hymnody (FOREST GREEN, KINGSFOLD, CWM RHONDA, HYFRYDOL for examples).

Lastly, modern hymn writers sought to bridge the evangelical flavor of 19th century hymns with social concerns of the 20th century. One prime example is Fred Pratt Green, who upon his retirement as a British Methodist pastor, took up hymn writing. Among many of his excellent contributions are “When the Church of Jesus” (UMH 592), "Rejoice in God’s Saints" (UMH 708), and “When in our Music God is Glorified” (UMH 68).

How Can I Keep From Singing: Episode 9

 

How Can I Keep from Singing?

Episode IX: Camp Meeting and Revival Gospel Hymns

 

Christian Revival movements in the 19^th century, sometimes associated as the Second and Third Great Awakenings, cultivated a significant repertory of congregation song, fitted to the character of the movement.  Often referred to as Camp Meeting or Tent Meeting hymns, these Revival hymns were constructed to appeal to the immediacy of the moment, and thus were often testimonial in nature around the saving power of Jesus and the cross.   Images of baptism also abound as well as an encouragement to make spontaneous declarations (“Only Trust Him, Only Trust Him, Only Trust Him Now”).   The musical qualities of such an initiative therefore reflected a simpler and more direct language and theology, catchy melodies and refrains that could be learned at first hearing, with simpler harmonies most frontier and rural musicians could easily learn and play.  

 

The result was a particularly popular body of song that persevered well into the 20^th century, and is preserved in many denominational hymnals to more or lesser degree pending their emphasis and worship styles.  In the Methodist tradition, the Cokesbury hymnal became a popular and enduring hymnal used not only in Revivals but on Sunday evening “hymn sings.”    For many, these songs are a core part of their “sacred memory” and are often associated with their own personal conversions or early childhood memories of the Church, family, or people that influenced them to Christ. 

 

We’ll examine the following as representations during this episode:

 

UMH 156 “I Love to Tell the Story”

UMH 337 “Only Trust Him”

UMH 362 “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus”

 

Perhaps the finest of all this style of hymn writers is Fanny Crosby.  Blind nearly since birth, Fanny never-the-less went on to compose over 8,000 hymns!   We’ll discuss briefly “To God be the Glory” (UMH 98), “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” (UMH 351), and end with her most famous and beloved, “Blessed Assurance” (369).

How Can I Keep From Singing: Episode 8

Episode VIII - African-American Spirituals and Slave Songs

Though it might have seemed unlikely at the time, slave songs and spirituals would achieve a lasting mark in the development of not only Christian music, but the evolution of some of the most uniquely and quintessentially American musical art forms. Slaves from Africa brought with them a musical tradition and style which included: call and response, repetitive melodic and harmonic structures, significant improvisation and spontaneity within those same structures, intricately weaved and stacked rhythmic patterns along with syncopation, and a soulful singing style, mixed with shouts and other vocalizations.
Fused with Christianity, thus was born the spiritual. The slaves immediately gravitated toward the stories in the bible, particularly Old Testament stories from the Exodus, inspired by God’s freeing of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. Overtime, the spirituals came to work on different planes of experience: 

1) an authentic expression of faith and hope any Christian might recognize; 

2) the specific hope and longing for freedom from slavery; 

3) embedded code language that often sent immediate messages for a planned escape. 

We’ll explore a few representatives of the genre that are in the United Methodist hymnal such as Go Down Moses (UMH 448), Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (UMH 703), and Steal Away to Jesus (704).

In generations after the Civil War, Black preachers and other musicians further cultivated Gospel hymns and songs from the spiritual, such as Charles Albert Tindley’s Stand By Me (UMH 512) and Beams of Heaven as I Go (UMH 524). More generally, the influence of slave songs and spirituals would inspire entire new and uniquely American movements such as Ragtime, Blues, and Jazz, which in turn helped influence many of the popular music enjoyed today. Unlikely at the time, and unfortunate in the context of slavery, but this music undeniably altered the American musical landscape and profoundly continues to inspire people of faith even today.