WELCOME BACK!!!

Welcome (back) to Setting the Tone…Musical Ideas for Liturgy.  It’s been a year since my last entry and it’s time to get back at it! This time will be a little different.  Aside from now being linked to World Library Publications new contemporary music website, VoicesAsOne.com, each week will consist of three main sections:

1. My thoughts or reflections on some aspect of music during the Mass…LOTS of options!

2. Musical suggestions for Mass (one Sunday added each week)
3. YOUR input and suggestions for Mass (one of the coolest parts!)

So let’s get started. Please feel free to search or peruse the archives of Setting the Tone for lots of postings on many different areas of music ministry.

Covering the ‘BASS’-ics

So, Sunday, as I’m driving in to play 7:15 am Mass (why so EARLY?) I remembered LAST Sunday how our 8:45 bass player told me he wouldn’t be here this week. I then recalled how I responsibly sent out a request for someone to sub for him. I then remembered that no one responded. I THEN thought ...uh oh.
The 8:45 mass has drums, bass, guitars, synth, piano, flute, and 7 singers.  All of that, especially drums, with no bass guitar will sound very empty and noisy. The bass is a critical part of the sound, especially when there are drums.  Drums and bass go hand in hand. If you have drums, you gotta have bass. No way around it.

So I start to tell the sound guy that I will be playing bass on a synth.  I’ll put it on the piano and play with my left hand. I’m dreading it because it leaves the left hand of the piano out of the picture. That’s not great either.  Just then, our synth player says, “Hey Ed, I can play bass.”

I said, “Really?  You mean synth bass?”
“Sure.”
“Have you ever done that before?”
“No, but I have tons of sounds on this thing!”
Our sound guy says, “Let him play bass.”

Well, I was a little nervous.  He is a great synth and piano player, but had he ever played synth bass before?  So we had a little discussion about some do’s and don’t’s.  Some principals to keep in mind if this ever comes up:

1. Find a good middle-of-the-road bass sound. Nothing too ‘slappy’ or too ‘synthy.’ Usually, a General MIDI Fingered Bass will be close to the target. You may have some better sounds, but start there.

2. Plug into the bass guitar channel, NOT the synth channel.  There are several reasons for this:
                - The soundman will know where to look on the board for the instrument playing bass.
                - The monitors will already be set. Everyone knows which knob to turn for bass.
                - The channel will already be EQ’d for bass, not strings or pad or something else.

3. Play like a bass guitar player would, not a piano player. In other words, ONE NOTE AT A TIME!  No chords, no thirds, no octaves. Try to duplicate what a bass guitar would do.

4. Start simple…nothing too fancy. Play the chord changes (focusing, of course, on the letter AFTER the slash, if there is one). Try to match the pattern that the drummer is playing with the kick drum, if possible. That will really tighten things up.

5. Experiment with adding a little space (let go of the note) before the next change if you want to make it sound ‘punchier’ or ‘tighter.’

Our synth player had a blast, and did great!  We now have another alternative if we are out a bass player.  Of course, I really missed the strings and pads…  L

NOVEMBER 4, 2012 – 31st SUNDAY in OT (B)

(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.)

Love the Lord Your God by Al Valverde (OCP) - a very simple melody and easy chords. It’s sort of a bridge between traditional sounding and contemporary. You don’t really need to do much to it, just build it up and do it well. The assembly will sing it.

                Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion

More Love, More Power by Jude DelHiero (CCLI) – a little more contemporary feel than the Valverde. Consider the key, though, because I’ve seen it set too high for assembly singing. Voices As One volume 2 has it in Gm which is as high as you’d want to go. I’ve also heard the verse melody sung with different rhythms and inflections, so figure out your plan before you play it!

                Suggested use: Entrance/Gathering, Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion

I Love You, Lord by Matt Maher (spiritandsong) – very simple refrain…easy for the assembly. It might be nice to have a cantor or soloist sing the verses.  Not too much of the band at first; build it up.

                For Psalm, consider using the refrain. Proclaim or chant the verses from the Lectionary.
                Suggested use: Song of Preparation/Offertory, Second Communion

Love the Lord by Lincoln Brewster (CCLI) – very upbeat setting of this text from today’s first reading and gospel. Don’t go too fast or it will be too difficult to sing! Remember: it’s about the singing!  Still, practice the rhythm of the chord changes with the rhythm section to get it tight. Play along with a good recording to make sure the tempo stays put.

                Suggested use: Song of Thanksgiving/Dismissal/Sending Forth

Beautiful One by Tim Hughes (CCLI) – Great ‘love song’ to our Lord. Check the key to make sure the top note isn’t too high. ‘F’ seems to work well, especially with a female voice leading the verses. Full 3-part harmonies on the refrain! Plan your map for this song as there are verses, a refrain, a bridge, and a Coda…all different.  Maybe don’t do them all?  (Last time we left out the Bridge and ended with the Coda.)

                Suggested use: Song of Thanksgiving/Dismissal/Sending Forth

Hold Us Together by Matt Maher and Steve Wilson (CCLI) – Really speaks about loving one another. The Refrain (“Love will hold us…”) and Bridge (“This is the first day…”) are the most assembly-friendly in both text and melody, and a recessional song can be made out of just these two sections if necessary. ‘A’ major seems to be a good key for both the verses and refrain- both easy to play and comfortable to sing.

                Suggested use: Song of Thanksgiving/Dismissal/Sending Forth

Jesus, Messiah by Carson/Tomlin/Cash/Reeves (CCLI) – really speaks to the second reading on Jesus as our high priest forever, without sin, above all.  A beautiful, singable melody for the assembly.  Let the song build. The recording is a great tool for reference, but make it work for the liturgy.

                Suggested Use: Entrance/Gathering, Offertory/Song of Preparation, Communion

I Am the Bread of Life by Tom Kaczmarek (WLP) – many verses…helpful when used for Communion. Different cantors/soloists can switch off singing the verses. The refrain is very memorable and assembly-friendly. When used at Communion, consider starting simply- one or two instruments. At Offertory/Preparation of the Gifts, it could have a little more energy from the outset.  This song works great nice and slow or even a little faster.

                Suggested use: Offertory/Song of Preparation, 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.

Here’s an idea...

At our 6 p.m. Life Teen Mass at St. Ann’s we always try to find a creative way to break open the scriptures during the homily. Some Sundays are easier than others, depending on the readings. Regardless, one thing we strive for is variety so that we’re not always doing the same thing over and over.

The usual routine begins with a meeting on Wednesday morning prior to Sunday’s homily. It’s usually myself, the presider, and the youth minister. We discuss the readings, the main theme (or thrust) that father is using for his homily, and then brainstorm some creative ways to break it open. Sometimes we might plan a simple introduction the the homily; other times the homily might be based upon a certain idea.  Here are three recent examples to give an idea of some the different levels of involvement:

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time/August 21, 2011: In Matthew’s gospel Jesus asks: “Who do you say that I am?”

This one was pretty involved. We chose 4 famous people and looked up some random trivia about each person.  Father said, “I’m going to read 5 different facts about someone. When you know who I’m talking about, raise your hand and keep it raised until I’m finished. Let’s see if you can figure out who this person is.”  We chose a president, a famous singer, a famous athlete, and a famous artist/musician. The facts were so obscure that almost no one could figure out who these people were. Afterward, father said, “Okay, let’s see who this person is...”  The band started playing and singing, “Who Are You” by THE WHO, which everyone knows from CSI. Then, we showed a large image of the person on our screens. Everyone had an ‘aha’ moment when they saw the picture. It was fun and eye-opening at the same time.

The last one was Jesus. The first fact father read was “I was born in Bethlehem, the son of a carpenter.”  Well, everyone cheered and threw their hands up. Each clue made it equally obvious that it was Jesus. When his picture was shown at the end, people cheered all the louder!
The point father made was, it’s really easy to recognize Jesus, to say you believe in him, and to stand up proudly when we are in the safety of our own church. But what happens when we go to work? to school? back home to our families? back to our friends? Will we still cheer for Jesus then? Will we say that Jesus is our Lord? our Savior?

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time/September 11, 2011: In Matthew’s gospel we hear of the ungrateful servant who didn’t show the same mercy given him to one of his fellow servants.

We simply began this homily with a short skit performed by 2 teens and an adult. To begin, a parent (the adult) and teen are having a conversation about an ‘over-the-top’ cell phone bill from too much texting. The parent threatens to take the phone away, but the teen begs for another chance. The parent shows mercy and decides to give her one more chance.
As soon as the teen leaves the conversation with her parent, she meets a friend who owes her 7 dollars. The friend begs her for more time, saying that he won’t be able to eat lunch, but she threatens to embarrass him on Facebook if he doesn’t pay up. You can see the similarities between this skit and the passage from Matthew’s gospel. The homily continues...

Feast of Our Lady of La Salette/September 18, 2011: Our parish of St. Ann is run by the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette. Each year we celebrate the feast day on the anniversary when Mary appeared to two children in La Salette, France and asked them to make her message known to her people. (For more information on Our Lady of La Salette please visit here: lasalette)

This was even more simple than the previous example. Father began his homily by asking, “Who here has a cell phone?” Of course he immediately followed that with the somewhat humorous fact that it might be easier to ask who did NOT have a cell phone. He then asked, “If you wanted to get a message out to as many people as possible in the quickest way, what are some ways you can do that?”  Immediately, teens responded with answers like, ‘texting,‘ and ‘email,’ and ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter.’  He then explained that those things did not exist in 1846 when Mary appeared to Melanie and Maximin, an 11 and 14 year old. She trusted them, God trusted them...young people like you...to make the message known. 

These are just some examples of different ways we try to break open the readings.  It doesn't always have to be as involved as the “Who Are You” version.  A simple question at the outset of the homily that refers to something very familiar in all our lives can really help set the tone for a powerful and creative homily.

A music degree does not a great singer make, but rather an inviting voice and spirit

What makes a good liturgical singer a "good liturgical singer?"

A good liturgical singer/cantor sings in a manner that encourages and invites the assembly to sing along with them.
I was out one night last week for a walk and I had my ipod with me. I put it on shuffle and two Chris Tomlin songs came on in a row. They were songs I didn't really know well at all, but as I listened I just wanted to sing along. There is something about Chris Tomlin's singing that is inviting and makes you want to join in the song. It seems so...I don't know...honest and genuine, and approachable.  He sounds like the guy next door picked up a guitar and started singing. I believe that is a huge reason he is so successful. (Not to mention that his songs are always so good.) Is your singing approachable, encouraging, and inviting? Or is it too soloistic and difficult to sing along to?

I think a good liturgical singer/cantor knows their style well and can perform it effectively.
If you are singing more traditional sounding music, sing it in that style. Listen to good, solid recordings and try to imitate them. (Lori True/GIA is a fine example.) Use the right tone with the correct diction. Be sure your voice fits the music you are leading.

In the same way, if you are singing more contemporary music, be sure you are singing it in that style.  Use much less vibrato! (perhaps it's easier to say "less operatic!" )  Don't sing it like you are working on a song for a voice lesson, accenting every "t" and "s" so that you can be heard in the back of the concert hall...no, please.  Again, listen to tried and true recordings of good contemporary liturgical singers.  Guys, listen to Josh Blakesley & Tom Booth/spiritandsong.com. They are both so different yet so effective as song leaders. Ladies, listen to Karen Bolduc (WLP) or Jackie Francois (spiritandsong.com). Great style and great tone for contemporary music. There are many, many others.

A music degree does not a great singer make, but rather an inviting voice and spirit.
Yes, absoultely, a LOT can be learned by studying music and taking singing lessons, but there is so much more to singing than knowing theory and learning to sing Caro Mio Ben. The honest question: is your voice pleasing to the assembly...not incredible...but pleasing, inviting?  When people watch you sing are they inspired or bored? You don't need to be a trained, classical singer to lead hymns and songs. You just need to sound good and know your music. You need to know your music and encourage the assembly to sing...through your voice and your whole being.

A fresh look at a classic

I Am the Bread of Life by Suzanne Toolan (GIA Publications) is probably one of the most well–known songs sung today in the catholic church. It’s been played on organ, piano, guitar...you name it. It’s also one of those songs that seems to break the rules with regard to assembly range (an octave and a fifth) yet that never seems to scare anyone away from it, whether they are leading it or singing it from the pews. Naturally, it remains in our usual repertoire at St. Ann’s, and we use it from time to time.

Much like Gather Us In which I talked about last week, I Am the Bread of Life doesn't need help to be a good liturgical song, but sometimes it can be effective to rearrange things a bit to occasionally offer a different presentation. What follows below is essentially the same music (and text), just packaged a little differently.

Last week I mentioned that when I change things up (arrangement–wise) I often take things away, simplifying things a bit. Let's look at a typical arrangement you might find of the opening bars of this song:

Played in a traditional hymn-like fashion these chords are wonderful. When arranging it for a contemporary ensemble, or 'praise band' (drums, bass, elec/acoustic gtrs, piano, synth, etc.), it is more stylistic to simplify the progression like this:

These fewer chord changes are more typical of modern contemporary praise music, especially in slower songs. It allows time for the chords to sustain, leaving room for perhaps an interesting rhythmic pattern that drives the song. Look at this example of how a praise band might play this same, simpler arrangement:

In the above example, the bass guitar is driving the rhythm...but take note of the tempo marking! This is not a fast tempo.  In the next example, the acoustic guitar is driving the song...same tempo.

This is much like what Matt Maher does on his song I Love You, Lord (spiritandsong.com)  It's important to note, like in the Matt Maher example, the acoustic is being played almost constantly in a downward strum pattern, not up and down–which would sound more folksy. (here's a sample: I Love You, Lord (Maher) YouTube video)

What about the drums? The simpler chord progression leaves room for some more interesting rhythms.  For the verse, we tried it with low toms happening on the second half of beat 2, and on beat 4, like this:

For the refrain we simply swapped out the toms for a snare, lighter on the first refrain or two, stronger on the later ones.

Speaking of the refrain, we made a couple of chord simplifications there as well. Keeping with the same style we did the following:

We added an alternate bass note in the 3rd and 4th measures. Notice also the slight changes in the 1st and 3rd measures of the piano–subtle changes that add a lot. Look also at the subtle change in the acoustic guitar in measure 3.

Again, these are just some simple ways to rearrange a classic, solid, tried-and-true piece of music. I Am the Bread of Life by Suzanne Toolan doesn't need any help to make it work, but sometimes a fresh approach is just what you need to help set the tone for a more contemporary style liturgy.

Pedal to the floor...

I think Marty Haugen’s Gather Us In (GIA Publications) is a pretty cool piece of music. While it was written “back in the ‘82” it has endured over time. I chose it this week as a gathering song, but wanted to give it a fresh approach for an even more contemporary sound. If you recall, there are a lot of chord changes...not difficult ones, just a lot of them. The first phrase alone has 4, the next another 4, and so on. I’ve often found when I change something up I usually take things away or simplify the music. Maybe that’s a more modern approach. (?)  So, for the verses of the song I asked the bass player to stay on D, the root of the chord. The bass pattern along with the chords we played looks like this:

We just kept that D pedal the whole time throughout the verse until the 3/8 bar, where the C occurs (“light of this”).  There, we just played a C2, but hit it big and let it ring for a dotted quarter note.

You’ll also notice that I asked the guitars to play a D5 (and A5, C5, etc.) chord instead of a regular D. That just leaves out the 3rd, giving it a more open sound. Then it’s easier to mute it to add more rhythm and not sound so folksy.

For the 2nd half (where it goes back to “Gather us in” on A) we didn't really change anything until the last C again (“sound of our name”) where we again hit it and let it ring, but stretched that measure out to a full 6/8, singing “sound of our name” over the C2 chord.  Then we played the turn-around, really strong, to head back to the next verse.

The song doesn't need any of these changes. It works so well as Marty Haugen composed it.  These are just some ideas to change things up a bit, and maybe raise some eyebrows!

Next week I’d like to share some ideas I have for changing up I Am the Bread of Life (Toolan/GIA).

John Williams is a genius.

Everytime I hear one of his scores in a movie I am reminded of how well he can craft a theme that fits the scene and keep bringing it back throughout the movie at just the right times, at just the right level, for just the right duration.

...like in Star Wars, when Luke Skywalker turns to Obi-Wan and says, "The Force?" and you hear that theme come in, played by a French horn. Later, he brings it back at just the right moments when the subject comes up again, and we are reminded of the first time we heard it and what it meant.

Movies, by their very nature, are filled with dialogue, music, and vibrant images. Everything works together to create a greater whole. The same goes for Broadway shows: dialogue, music, movement, vibrant images, lighting, etc. They, too, have recurring musical themes.

How similar are our liturgies?  We use lighting, movement, dialogue (sort of), music, vibrant images, etc. Similarly, one of the ways we can enhance our liturgies is through that same use of recurring themes.

Most of the time we sing a song...and never hear of it again for the rest of the mass. If, for example, your gathering song was "Rain Down" (Cortez), it might be effective to bring the refrain melody back, instrumentally, at some other point in the liturgy.  Perhaps it could be played softly on the piano underneath the Prayers of the Faithful?  Or on a flute after communion as a meditation?  Or you could even invite the assembly to sing just the refrain again after communion.

Another theme could be the responsorial psalm. Let's say you sang "If Today You Hear the Voice of God," for the psalm. It could be powerful to bring back that melody subtly, instrumentally, underneath a spoken prayer, as an interlude in between communion songs, or even sung again as a communion meditation.

The important thing to remember, though, is not to overdo it. Just like recurring themes in movies are brought back tastefully, at the right volume, and for the right duration, so should we be sensitive of the moment we are trying to create, or enhance. We never want to be distracting...only enhancing.

Music Ministry has it's own goal...

Choosing music is, obviously, one of our main responsibilities as music ministers.

When I first started choosing music for our (Life Teen) 6:00 contemporary mass back in 1992 the established contemporary catholic music of the time was in the Glory and Praise hymnal. (the blue one, for those of us that remember it well!) Much of my time was spent rearranging these songs, from the folk-mass versions we'd gotten used to hearing, to a more modern, contemporary sound. Songs like "And the Father Will Dance," and "Lift Up Your Hearts to the Lord" were among some of the early song choices for that mass. On the radio we heard Wayne Watson, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patti, etc.  Tom Booth in Mesa, AZ was writing (and continues to do so) some great new contemporary music, which also proved very effective. There were other sources, but, needless to say, there was not the abundance of modern church music we have today. Voices As One, Spirit and Song, and Cross Generation were not around, nor was the music of Chris Tomlin or Paul Baloche being played on the radio. The pool of music was smaller then.
Today, the church is blessed with so much new music every single week. Websites feature new songs, videos, podcasts, downloads, etc. We don't have to wait for a songbook to be printed. We just download what we need immediately and make our copies (legally, of course, with paid permission.)  We could do 5 new songs each week and probably never run out of repertoire.

But that's the challenge.

We have to always remember what we are doing and why we are doing it.

Radio stations and websites have a goal: stay current; always have the latest and greatest readily available.

Music ministry has its own goal: engage the assembly in sung worship.

If we simply tried to stay with the latest and greatest all of the time, we would be missing the boat.  Our goal is not to show how current we are for fear of being called stale.  Our goal is to choose music that serves the liturgy. Let's choose music our assembly knows well and can sing. 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. Find a balance of the well-used and the fresh. People like to sing songs they know. They like to be challenged with something new...yes...but not every week!