I've been given the opportunity to lead the music at our 6:00 pm teen mass again at my parish. It's been several years since my wife, Karen, and I led the music at that mass, so were feeling a bit of nervous excitement as we head into it. Sunday was the first night we were back and, I have to say, it was really wonderful. There was a good energy, and some powerful worship...it was a great celebration of the Feast of Epiphany. We're both excited about continuing on!
One of the biggest (and first) decisions I had to make was: what will the band consist of, and who will be in it? I knew that I wanted drums, bass, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and 2-3 vocals to start. With these instruments we could cover a lot of ground.
I also knew that I wanted some experienced musicians...and not just experienced playing their instrument...but experienced in playing for liturgy. For example, there's a big difference in being a good drummer and being a good liturgical drummer: knowing how to orchestrate a drum part versus simply laying down a groove. Same for guitar and piano: knowing when to play out and when to lay back; knowing when to strum a guitar, play a piano melody, or comp chords in rhythm. Or when not to play. We are fortunate to have a great drummer and bassist as permanent members. I've actually played with both of them for quite awhile in contemporary liturgy music groups. They're fantastic.
And then there are the vocals: good, strong singers who know when to sing and when not to sing, how to blend and how to lead a verse, how to use a mic and not just always sing as close to it as possible. I am very fortunate that Karen is probably one of the best liturgical singers I've ever met: beautiful voice and a strong sense of what needs to happen at liturgy. Her sound, demeanor, posture...everything...is what we look for in a strong liturgical singer. She's not concerned about solos- just adding to the liturgy in any way she can.
So...it's a good start. We are still missing some pieces. We need a permanent guitar player...2 actually. We'll use subs for now. And eventually we'll add another singer. But for now, as long as we have the basics: drums, bass, piano (or guitar), and at least two singers (male and female), we can cover a lot of ground.
Wish us luck! We're looking forward to it!
Ed, it would be great if you could unpack this a bit further and give some discussion points on how to coach an experienced instrumentalist/vocalist and translate their talent into the flow and feel of the liturgy. Building into songs, etc. It's a challenging concept to teach. Best to you, Greg
ReplyDeleteBack where you belong! Congrats again, and blessings as you continue to carry on the tradition of great liturgical music at St. Ann's!
ReplyDeleteEd, you make a great point about the difference between being an experienced player vs. a liturgical player. I run into this a lot and find it hard to explain what needs to be done. I explained it to one bass player that he needed to play with the passion and emotion of the mass rather than his head and what the music sheet was telling him. It wasn't perfect but it helped him establish the focus he needed.
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