Many Voices, One Family
At Christ Church, we are many different people with many different likes and dislikes, many different needs, and many different backgrounds. To truly address as many of these as possible, I incorporate many types of music in our worship services. I speak often about the power of music in worship, whether helping us to reach a more meditative state for prayer or by singing praises to God. In fact, a “hymn” is by definition a song of praise.
During the service, we sing many traditional hymns. Some hymns are very traditionally Episcopal, while others come from Catholic or Lutheran traditions, but most are sung across Christian denominations. Have you ever recognized the title of a hymn, but once the music started, you were unfamiliar with it? Or perhaps you heard the introduction, but expected different lyrics? This is because our traditional Christian hymns were mostly written independently from the lyrics. The words we sing are poems rather than lyrics written with a tune in mind. The tunes were written metrically and can fit many different poems. These tunes were given names, usually written in all caps or italics, and the meter was identified with numbers. If you look through our Hymnal 1982, you can see these at the bottom of each hymn. For example, the hymns “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” and “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” are both set to the same hymn tune, Hyfrydol, which has a meter of 87.87. D (the poems that fit it will have 8 syllables, 7 syllables, 8 syllables, 7 syllables, and the D means the pattern is doubled, so it repeats). There are quite a few hymn tunes that appear three times in our hymnal with three different texts. These tunes are usually the more familiar tunes across denominations.
Of course, not all hymns were written this way. We sing many traditional folk songs from different cultures, including many African-American spirituals, such as “Let Us Break Bread Together.” Many of the more contemporary Christian songs and some of our most beloved hymns were written more like popular songs, with lyrics and music written together, such as “I Am the Bread of Life” by Sr. Suzanne Toolan or “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” by Rick Founds. The chants from the Taizé tradition, such as “Jesus, Remember Me” by James Berthier, incorporate repetition and multiple languages, making songs easy to learn and promoting a meditative state for prayer. Contemporary Christian songs, such as “Beautiful Things” by Gungor, often address overcoming emotional distress through Jesus’ intervention.
In addition to hymns, we sing many prayers of the service, including the Gloria and Holy, Holy. The settings we use for the service music change with the seasons of the church year, most notably using Rite I language and a more somber setting during Lent, changing to a joyful and celebratory setting for the Easter season. During the program year, when the choir leads the singing, we also sing the psalms. There are many different settings of the Psalms, David’s songs to the Lord. Some are chanted, singing most of the words on the same musical pitch. Other settings use a refrain or antiphon sung by the congregation between the choir’s chanted verses. Many psalm settings are written to be more song-like, with verses and refrains sung by all.
The choir serves an important purpose on Sunday mornings - to lead the congregation in song. The choir’s strong presence helps to teach unfamiliar songs and reinforces the melodies, giving confidence to timid or unsure singers. It is always easier to sing along when you hear someone else singing, too! As a music director and teacher, I have so often heard people comment that they cannot sing or that a hymn is too high. With a little guidance and practice, I truly believe that everyone can sing. While it is possible to sing using your voice in the same way you do when speaking, it limits the range of how high and low we can sing. Sometimes we even get excited, especially when singing a favorite song, and shout rather than sing. If you make your voice a little higher and lighter (we all do this naturally when we see a cute baby!), you will find it easier to sing higher pitches. This also puts less strain on the vocal cords, making it possible to sing longer and without injury. Our singing voices are a beautiful, human way to express emotions, so let us all join together as one congregation, one family, and lift our voices in hymns of praise to God.
If you want more guidance or practice, please consider joining the choir this Fall. You do not need to know how to read music or have any prior music experience. We rehearse every Thursday evening from 7:30-9 p.m. beginning August 29 and we sing on Sundays at the 10:30 a.m. service. If you have any questions, please see me after the service, or email me any time at the address below.
Larissa Sanders
Director of Music at Christ Church