ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP: A STUDY AND CRITIQUE.

I. INTRODUCTION:

As the theme of the topic says the paper will mainly focus on Electronic Musical instruments as there are a number of musical instruments which are not electronic but are used in Christian Worship. Moreover, there is a wide time gap between the use of non-electronic and electronic musical instruments inside Christian worship. There can also be a great deal of diverse opinion as to how to make a clear cut distinction on making a mark up to which sort of worship is to be regarded as Christian worship. Furthermore, I would like to focus mainly on electronic musical instruments like electronic keyboards, Electronic guitars, use of musical tracts, electronic drums- as there can be another musical instruments used by various contemporary Christian worships.

II. ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN CHRISTAN WORSHIP:

One of the most recent innovations to musical genre occurred in the 60's with the birth of the first electronic keyboard. Electric organs were the first to appear and become widely used, electrically amplified pianos soon followed and, of course, the Mellotron, which was a kind of a pioneer sampling device (we can probably say it as the former form of modern music tracts) came to be used by different beat groups. Soon it developed to use of different forms of music some being electrified from traditional usages and others being newly invented.[1]

By the middle of the 20^th century, the guitar (usually the steel string guitar) began to appear in churches and youth meetings. Its portability was soon recognised as a marked advantage, although it was never completely satisfactory for accompanying the older hymns. Nevertheless, thousands of praise choruses were composed with the guitar in mind, both for Protestant and Catholic churches. Later, electronic instruments like synthesizer[2] and sequencers[3] appeared in many contemporary worship services, delighting the youth while often distracting their parents.[4]

In the fifties the Twentieth Century Light Music Group initiated a significant change. This group of priests, chaplains, musicians and school masters suggested that:

… not only the great and lasting music of the past but also ordinary and transient music of today-which is the background of the lives of so many-has a rightful place in our worship.[5]` Most large churches have solved the “which instrument” riddle simply incorporating all of them. In the more youthful churches, these ensembles are called praise bands, though more sophisticated churches refer to their “orchestra.” The heterogeneous ensembles work very well for a variety of worship styles, especially in those fortunate churches where every musician does not insist on playing every song![6]

The most prevalent uses of Christian music are at worship or other religious services. Most Christian music involves singing, whether by the whole congregation (assembly) or a specialized subgroup—such as a duet, trio, quartet, madrigal[7], choir, or worship band frequently accompanied by instruments—such as an organ, piano, guitar, or other solo instrument, and occasionally by a band or orchestra—but some denominations or congregations still prefer unaccompanied or a cappella[8] singing.

In the West, the majority of Christian denominations use instruments of various types to accompany their worship. But some (such as some Exclusive Brethren, the Churches of Christ, the Primitive Baptists and the Free Church of Scotland) have historically not used instruments, citing their absence from the New Testament.

Some worship music may be unsung, simply instrumental. During the Baroque period in Europe, the chorale prelude (for organ) was widely used. Up to the present time, various composers have written instrumental (often organ) music as acts of worship.

Then, the contemporary worship phenomenon emerged from the Jesus Movement in North America in the 1960’s and the “Charismatic Renewal Movement” in Australia and New Zealand during the 1970’s and 80’s. The function of music in services, the style of songs, their performance, the explicit theology of the lyrics, and the theology implied by these aspects distinguish “contemporary worship” from traditional worship in practice, and theological background.

Most of the new church music follows the popular musical idioms of our time-country, western, folksong, blues, rock and so on. Some of this music, of course, has been more than remotely inspired by every “square” style: baroque and even Gregorian chant. Part of the appeal of the newer music is that it is already familiar. Much of this music, though not all, is a strong rhythm that pulls the body into the act. Older people still remember when this was true of church music until they were taught to be ashamed of it. Much of the new music is also readily singable.[9]

Theologically, contemporary worship music is influenced by Pentecostal and evangelical theologies. However, the phenomenon has influenced all major denominations to some degree. There is a wide variety in practice between churches.

It has been, to some modern worship thinkers, felt necessary to adopt a style that is acceptable to everyone, and in recent years the term 'blended worship' has been created to signify the use of both traditional and contemporary elements. Those elements may include but are not limited to the use of different instrumentation.

Most churches adopting contemporary worship therefore have a worship leader, a musician with good singing ability leads the congregational singing and a worship band or praise band[10] to provide music during their services. Worship bands are most common in evangelical denominations, but can also be found in other Protestant churches as well as in Roman Catholic worship.

III. CRITIQUE:

1) Resistance to Change:

Some disagreements on the use of Electronic Music in Christian worship have primarily been resulted from a resistance to changes to the accustomed style of worship[11].

2) Influence of Pop-Music:

The use of electronic music in Christian worship is influenced by popular music, and the use of modern instruments is commonplace. Objectors feel that this style of music is 'worldly' and associated with an immoral lifestyle.

3) Lyrics from some particular groups:

Use of modern electronic music inside the church bring into the church lyrics which differ from traditional hymnody and often reflects a charismatic theology. The increasing influence of this music is seen as introducing charismatic teachings by the back door.

4) The simple wording of many contemporary worship songs sound banal and lack depth from theological or doctrinal point of view:

Songs, especially which are sung inside the church have to bear theological or doctrinal message so as to lead the people to reaffirm their faith through the song they sing.

5) It can lead the worship service to mere 'entertainment':

The increased amounts of music (often played by a band) create the atmosphere of a concert or performance. This can be an act of sacrilege because one of the most important duties of the members of the church is to keep up the sanctity of the church. Even if electronic music is employed inside the church care should be taken not to hamper the sanctity of the church which can bring about a very bad influence to the present and the coming generations.

6) It destroys creativity:

Electronic Music of today’s world is so sophisticated. Instruments like- Electronic Keyboards and other synthesizers carry along the so called workstation with them. Using these means a musician can synchronize sounds of different musical instruments in a single instrument and has became called a Muusic Track. This really ruins the creativity of our musicians[12].

IV. CONCLUSION:

To conclude my essay, let me sum up my paper with what James F. White has said,

“In An age where everything else seems to be undergoing rapid change, church music may need to be in flux even more than it is at present. Just because some tunes and texts have been preserved so well in hardbound hymnals does not make them honest, sincere, and relevant today. Hymnody is not something to be preserved throughout time like the gospel, but a form through which the gospel is conveyed. The gospel fits into many containers but never can be confused with any of them. Of the new church music some bits may well endure. But most of the rest can and ought to slip away, unnoticed and unmourned except by those who collect royalties.”[13]

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Cusic, Don The development of gospel music in The Cambridge Companion to Blues and Gospel Music edited by Allan Moore, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Kavanaugh, Patrick The Music of Angel: A Listener’s Guide to Sacred Music from Chant to Christian Rock, Chicago: Loyola Press, 1999.

Schalk, Carl Key Words in Church Music: Definition, Essays on Concepts, Practices and Movements of Thought in Church Music, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1978.

White, James F. New Forms of Worship, New York: Abingdon Press, 1971.

Wilson-Dickson, Andrew The Story of Christian Music: From Gregorian chant to Black Gospel an Authoritative Illustrated Guide to all the Major Traditions of Music for Worship, Oxford: Lion Publishing plc, 1992.

WEBLIOGRAPHY:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiphon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_%28music%29

http://www.essortment.com/all/churchmusich_rksc.htm

http://www.calvin.edu/worship/luce/2002/bios.php#kroeker

Kevin L Keele, Developing Criteria for Choosing Music in Worship: A Consideration of Theology and Music (Cf. http://www.eskimo.com/~keele/developing_criteria.html#6)

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[1] Patrick Kavanaugh, The Music of Angel: A Listener’s Guide to Sacred Music from Chant to Christian Rock, (Chicago: Loyola Press, 1999) p. 200.

[2] Synthesizer- Electronic musical instrument- a device that generates and modifies sounds electronically, especially a musical instrument. Encarta Dictionary, “Synthesizer”

[3] Sequencer- Electronic device for storing music-music an electronic device or piece of software that digitally stores sequences of musical notes, chords, or rhythms that can be transmitted to an electronic musical instrument. Encarta Dictionary, “ Sequencer”

[4] Patrick Kavanaugh, op cit., p.198.

[5] As quoted in Andrew Wilson-Dickson, The Story of Christian Music: From Gregorian chant to Black Gospel an Authoritative Illustrated Guide to all the Major Traditions of Music for Worship, (Oxford: Lion Publishing plc, 1992) p.240.

[6] Patrick Kavanaugh, op cit. p. 200.

[7] Madrigal- a song with parts for several usually unaccompanied voices that was popular in England in the 16th and 17th centuries

[8] A capella- a song presented without instrumental music accompaniment.

[9] Andrew Wilson-Dickson, op cit.

[10] Other terms such as worship team, worship group, praise team, or music group are also used.

[11] But I don’t think that to resist anything just because of accustomed to the ongoing process is the best idea at all. This can lead to stagnation of the Church. Care should be taken not let the church lag behind the fast growing cyber world. Meanwhile I do not mean to say that everything the world has offer has to be assimilated.

[12] It is good to hear and consumes a much lesser time and also saves a lot of money instead of buying all the musical instruments which are required. But, it also destroys the creativity of the youth and let them look for an easy way which is ethically, biblically and theologically unsound.

[13] James F. White, New Forms of Worship, (New York: Abingdon Press, 1971) p.131.