I've blogged about this before, but this subject has come up more and more recently in talking with other music directors and musicians. The question is: deciding when and where to introduce new music, how often, and how much of it, whether in the course of one liturgy or over a period of time.
Every time I open up SongSelect on CCLI, or visit spiritandsong.com, voicesasone.com, or worshiptogether.com there are announcements about new songs, new albums, new artists, free music downloads...etc. It's wonderful, but somewhat overwhelming at times. I find I'm asking myself, "How can I keep up with all of this? And am I doing a disservice to my parish by not using more of this new music?"
Obviously, if we didn't have NEW music, we would never have OLD music! 'Old' music was once 'new' music, right? And think about some of the powerful...absolutely powerful... worship songs that have been written in the last few years. They are such a treasure to our musical repertoire and a gift to the praying church.
Still, there is so much of it being written and recorded everyday! How do we sort through it all and how much of it can we use in our parishes and in our liturgies and still be effective at engaging the assembly, not overwhelming them with unfamiliar songs?
We have to always remember what we are doing and why we are doing it.
I don't think it is our goal to present our assembly with the latest, newest worship songs every week, as if we are trying to 'keep up' with something. We would be missing the boat. Our goal is not to show how current we are for fear of being called stale.
That being said, I think there is a balance of old and new that can keep the music 'fresh.' A new song that has 'staying power' can really breathe some fresh air into the existing repertoire.
But our goal is to choose music that serves the liturgy...old or new. Find a balance of music your assembly knows well, and new music that will touch their hearts and become a new part of your repertoire.
Put yourself in the pew. Would you, as a non-musician-average-parishioner feel like there is too much new music? Or would you long for something new? Would you rather see a better balance of both? These are the questions you need to ask yourself.
By all means, don't be afraid to use some new music. There's a lot of good music out there. But, at the same time, don't be afraid to regularly sing songs people know and love!
(Remember, most people come once a week. A song that was introduced last Sunday is still going to be considered "new" for quite some time!)
Put yourself in the pew. Would you, as a non-musician-average-parishioner feel like there is too much new music? Or would you long for something new? Would you rather see a better balance of both? These are the questions you need to ask yourself.
By all means, don't be afraid to use some new music. There's a lot of good music out there. But, at the same time, don't be afraid to regularly sing songs people know and love!
(Remember, most people come once a week. A song that was introduced last Sunday is still going to be considered "new" for quite some time!)
DECEMBER 23, 2012 – FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (C)
(These songs are off of my planning notes for this particular Sunday, which means I am strongly considering using them on these days. After each title I’ve added some thoughts to consider.)
(Click on titles for links to their respective pages.)
Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Dismissal
Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Dismissal
Blessed One by Aaron Thompson (WLP) – One of my favorite Marian songs...thank you Aaron. Written in a hymn style with a very, very singable, memorable, simple refrain. The assembly can learn this refrain the moment you start singing it. (From the CD 10,000 Angels.)
Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Suggested use: Song of Gathering/Entrance, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Dismissal
Suggested use: Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Traditional)
Suggested use: Song of Gathering/Entrance, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Suggested use: Psalm
My Soul Rejoices by Jackie Francois (spiritandsong) - A nice contemporary setting of the Magnificat. A female soloist can lead the verses, and the assembly can join in on the refrain.
Suggested use: Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Prepare the Way by Tom Booth (OCP)
Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Prepare the Way by Charlie Hall (worshiptogether.com)
Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Suggested use: Song of Gathering/Entrance, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Suggested use: Song of Gathering/Entrance, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion
Please share your song ideas with me and I will post as many as I can so we can all share our knowledge of resources. Remember, what works for one parish might not work for another. We should be open-minded to all styles and preferences of music. As long as the music serves the liturgy, it may be listed here.
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