congregational singing

Acoustical Design for Congregational Singing

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Congregational singing can be effectively stymied or greatly encouraged by the acoustical properties of the worship space. Recent trends in church architecture have unfortunately led to the use of more acoustically absorbent materials, which is harmful to this important aspect of worship. The following article provides helpful advice to remedy this problem.

Perhaps the greatest challenge in architectural acoustics is the worship environment. The acoustical characteristics within a worship space must cover the gamut from pristine clarity for the spoken word to enveloping reverberance for the pipe organ. The demands for room responsiveness exceed those of traditional concert halls and multipurpose performance facilities.

A closer examination reveals an even greater richness in this range of acoustical qualities. The speech end of the spectrum must accommodate all types of voices, from lay readers to seasoned preachers who will utilize every available nuance of the dynamic range—from a tumultuous shout to an intimate whisper to poignant silence. Through all this, the Word must be understood throughout the entire congregation.

At the opposite extreme is the pipe organ, capable of a dynamic range and frequency spectrum that can exceed that of a full symphony orchestra. And somewhere between the auditory alpha and omega are the choir and solo voice. They too must convey the Word with warmth and clarity, while encouraging and supporting the participation of the congregation.

Many of the difficulties of combining, within one structure, the requirements for speech intelligibility and musical resonance have been solved. Yet, if there is one facet of church acoustics that might be thought of as the neglected stepchild, it is the provision of appropriate acoustics for congregational singing.

Acousticians serving as consultants in church building projects, whether a renovation or new design and construction, are typically presented with a list of priorities during the initial stages. These invariably include a statement calling for “excellent acoustics for congregational singing.” However, as the project develops, this program element is frequently overshadowed or forfeited in compromise to other perceived needs.

Church renovation or construction projects involve an extraordinary variety of needs and priorities among the clergy and congregation. A church building project is, after all, a multifaceted undertaking and will typically involve

1.     An organ. The selection and cost of an organ can be a major issue. Usually, a committee is appointed to study alternatives and make recommendations. They may spend a year or more touring neighboring churches, interviewing organists, and debating the pipe-versus-electronic and tracker-versus-electropneumatic issues. The installation of a significant instrument can easily exceed $500,000 and have major architectural and aesthetic ramifications.

2.     A choir or music program. Here too a committee may be selected to address questions of placement of the choir, provisions for rehearsal space, new robes and robe storage, and so on.

3.     A sound-reinforcement system. Another committee or perhaps one of the other sound-related committees should be responsible for the sound system. The system must amplify speech intelligibly and perhaps include provisions for music reinforcement, recording, playback, and so on. It must also be visually unobtrusive and preferably invisible.

4.     Furnishings and finishes. The visual elements of the project call for many decisions regarding materials and colors, religious and art objects, seating, lighting, etc. This particular facet of the project is a major preoccupation for the architect who is deeply concerned about the impression the space will make, an overwhelmingly visual impression.

Too often the priority of congregational singing is overwhelmed by the high cost and visibility of other elements. When this happens, it is often assumed (or hoped) that if the worship space is designed to provide good acoustics for speech, organ, and choir, then it will naturally provide a welcome environment for congregational song. This is a reasonable-sounding assumption, but it is not necessarily true. To appreciate this, we might ask what is really known about the acoustical requirements for congregational singing and how these relate to those for speech intelligibility, organ, and choir. Before addressing these issues directly, let’s briefly consider a more fundamental question.

What Is Meant by Good Acoustics for Congregational Singing? This is indeed an intriguing question. When it comes to the qualities of the singing voice, research in acoustics has been primarily concerned with trained voices in the performance environment. This is not an appropriate paradigm for the common parishioner who may or may not be able to carry a tune, who may or may not even enjoy signing. Published studies dealing with the ordinary voice are generally geared toward open-plan offices, speech interference, telecommunications, and the like.

Let’s take a less pedantic approach, then, since there is little scholarship regarding the “optimal acoustics for the untrained voice as applied to congregational singing.” Let us consider some reasonable assumptions to motivate the formulation of acoustical requisites for congregational singing.

  1. The environment should provide support and encouragement for the untrained voice. It should sufficiently enrich and enhance the quality of the ordinary voice so that the singer feels encouraged to sing out, to participate in the communal act of lifting the voice in praise.
  2. The acoustic response of the space should impart to each individual in the congregation a sense of being a part of the assembly, an assurance that one is not alone or unduly exposed.
  3. The environment should convey to each parishioner the awareness that, as small as one’s contribution may seem, it is a meaningful part of the whole.

To summarize, the ideal environment ought to enhance the quality and fullness of the voice, provide a sense of envelopment, yet provide a sense that one’s simple gifts are an essential part of the whole and that this whole is profoundly greater than the sum of its parts. We seek, in essence, a sonic analog of unity, echoing the concept of the oneness of the assembly, while acknowledging the sanctity of the individual.

This is, perhaps, a rather grandiose concept; it surely exceeds the aspirations of even the most accomplished acoustician. But the concepts embodied in these lofty ideals suggest some well-understood acoustical principles. An insightful interpretation of these requirements can provide the proper acoustical conditions for congregational singing. Let’s take a brief look at some of the fundamentals involved.

Reverberation. Most people have some familiarity with reverberation time, the quality of sustain that occurs in large, hard-surfaced spaces. One need not be an acoustician to have some sense of the sound enhancement provided by a cathedral with a six-second reverberation time, a space where it takes six seconds for a sound to fade to inaudibility. Some of the more erudite may be aware that concert halls typically provide a reverb time of two seconds or more for symphonic music and that a pipe organ requires more than three seconds. There are many well-established benchmarks for “optimum” reverberation times for all types of environments and all forms of music. There are, however, no comparable reverberation criteria for congregational singing.

Nonetheless, reverberation is unquestionably a major and necessary factor for enhancing the quality of the ordinary voice in worship spaces. It also increases the loudness of a sound. Reverberation is, after all, made up of the myriad returns of acoustic energy from sound-reflective building surfaces. This energy combines with the original sound and increases the apparent loudness of the source. You might think of the analogy of a light source in a room. If the wall surfaces are covered with a dark, non-reflective finish, the overall illumination throughout the space will be less than if the finishes are light and reflective.

Sound-Absorbing Materials within the Worship Space. In most churches designed for good acoustics, there is a minimum of sound-absorbing material. In fact, in most churches, the single greatest sound absorber is the congregation itself. The fully clothed person provides about as much sound absorption as four to six square feet of conventional acoustical ceiling tile. A congregation of one thousand can provide as much sound absorption as an entire suspended acoustical ceiling over the nave!

It is fairly well-known that a certain amount of sound absorption is required to prevent echoes and to control reverberance. But it is not generally known that the performance of sound-absorbing material is strongly dependent on the location of this material relative to the sound source.

If a sound source is located quite far from a sound absorber and if this source is also projecting its sound away from the absorber, then the sound will have an opportunity to develop. It will blossom and begin to fill the room volume before the absorption begins to produce its sound-suppressing effect. In a church, these are generally the conditions that exist for sounds produced by the choir and organ. The major sound absorber (the congregation) is relatively far from the choir and organ, and both are oriented so that their sounds project directly into the full room volume. These conditions allow these sound sources effectively to utilize the available reverberation of the worship space.

If, on the other hand, the sound source is located near a major absorbing surface, the sound is directed (more or less) into the absorber, then the sound will be absorbed before it has a chance to be enhanced by the reverberance of the space. As we shall see later, these conditions fairly well describe those that exist for the voices in the congregation. In fact, it is a common perception, from within a congregation, that the choir and organ sound reverberant, while the congregation sounds rather dry in comparison. This is primarily a result of the proximity of the congregation’s voices to the sound absorption provided by the clothed bodies throughout the congregation’s seating area.

Sound-Reflecting Surfaces. Acoustically reflective surfaces are especially important for the support and distribution of unamplified sounds. A choir, if located near sound-reflective surfaces, can project its sound more fully and uniformly. A properly oriented overhead reflector can have enormous beneficial effects by projecting sound to the assembly and distributing sound among the choir members. A choral shell would be a real asset for a church choir, but such performance-oriented furnishings are considered by many to be inappropriate in the house of the Lord. Acousticians often attempt to introduce architectural elements that will perform the same functions as a choral shell while respecting the aesthetics and sanctity of the worship environment.

In much the same fashion, the voices of the congregation could make beneficial use of nearby reflecting surfaces to help distribute their sound throughout the assembly and provide support. However, only those singers near the perimeter will derive any advantage from sidewalls. There are rarely any usable overhead surfaces for the congregation since the needs for long reverberation require large room volumes and comparably great ceiling heights. The only available reflective surfaces are the pews and surrounding floor area.

Acoustical Requisites for Congregational Singing

We can summarize this review of acoustical factors with a statement of the obvious: Long reverberance and supportive reflections provide the foundation for delightful and awe-inspiring sound qualities of the archetypal church. These same factors greatly enhance the sound of the organ and choir and add a larger-than-life grandeur to speech.

It seems reasonable to assume that these qualities should also lend themselves to the need for congregational singing. They do. But they do not assure it. Nonetheless, large room volumes and long reverberation times are basic and minimum requirements for an environment that will encourage participation in congregational singing. We need to look just a bit further to see why these necessary conditions may not be sufficient.

Location and Disposition of the Sound Source. There is one feature of congregational singing that distinguishes it from nearly every other musical acoustic setting: The sound sources and receivers are in virtually the same location. Even more important, the sources and receivers are at the same physical height. There are few, if any, equivalent situations in musical acoustics. (There are some parallels in the acoustics of rehearsal rooms and stages, but the context and objectives are quite different.)

It should be evident that the height of a sound source, relative to the listener, is an important acoustical consideration. From an elevated position, sound is projected more efficiently and uniformly. The architectural acknowledgment of this principle is evident in the traditional form of music performance spaces. The principle is equally applicable in worship spaces. For example, the elevation of the chancel and celebrant takes advantage of the sound projection made possible by this simple height differential. The organ pipes and choir are typically elevated for the same purpose and are often located in a loft. Even within the choir, we typically find risers to take advantage of the enhanced projection of sound made possible by being elevated. Loudspeakers for the spoken liturgy are also placed as high as possible. Comparing these examples with the conditions in the congregation, we see that the assembly is at a decided disadvantage.

Another closely related factor is the directivity of the voice. The greatest concentration of sound energy from the untrained voice projects forward and down at a slight angle. Within the congregation, this tends to direct sound into the back of the person immediately in front. Most of the sound will be absorbed by clothing. What little remains to be reflected and scattered will be further absorbed by neighboring worshipers.

Pew Cushions and Carpeting. For the needs of congregational song, the use of any form of sound-absorbing material in and around the congregation is detrimental. It is not that these materials are the only cause of a poor environment for congregational singing. But, if we examine the most commonly occurring conditions in worship spaces, even in highly reverberant spaces, we see that the congregation already has several strikes against it:

  • The congregation is typically on one level (except where there is a balcony) and cannot take advantage of the benefits to sound distribution provided by elevation, raked seating, or tiers.
  • There are few, if any, proximal surfaces to produce supportive sound reflections and to distribute sound throughout the seating area.
  • The congregation is engulfed in a sea of highly effective sound absorption. The ordinary clothing worn to services is absorptive enough, and in cold climates heavy outer clothing can increase the amount of effective absorption by 50 percent or more.
  • To make matters worse, the normal directivity of the voice projects the sound energy from each member directly into this body of absorption.

The introduction of further absorption in the congregation in the form of pew cushions and carpeting is truly the final blow. It should be clear from the presentation above that this is a matter of physical fact, not simply the knee-jerk reaction of most acousticians who, as everyone knows, are always lobbying against the introduction of sound-absorbing material of any sort.

In fact, pew cushions and carpet produce, simultaneously, two effects that are directly contrary to the acoustical requirements for congregational song:

  • They absorb sound and do so in a highly efficient fashion because of their proximity to the sound source.
  • They occlude the floor and pew surfaces. These sound-reflective surfaces would otherwise be available to provide supportive reflections and to scatter sound among the assembly.

Pew cushions are generally considered to be a comfort issue as well as cosmetic concern. In truth, sitting on a contoured wooden pew for an hour is not a great discomfort. People of all ages are quite willing to sit in far less comfortable seating for even longer periods. Ballpark bleachers and park benches are two examples that immediately come to mind. This is really a matter of perception and priorities.

If pew cushions simply cannot be avoided, there are some alternatives that can minimize sound absorption. Cushions made with vinyl covering or fabrics with latex or vinyl backing will provide less sound absorption than the more common fabric upholstery. There are also closed-cell foams and alternative padding materials that offer adequate comfort without absorbing as much sound.

Carpeting is generally an aesthetic matter. There are many attractive hard-surfaced alternatives (for example, quarry tile, wood parquet, etc.) that would not introduce further absorption in and around the congregational seating area. If carpet is required for safety or to minimize the sound of footfalls, use the thinnest material possible and cover only the minimum area necessary.

Other Factors. Mechanical-system noise is of great concern in worship spaces. A noisy ventilation system can ruin speech intelligibility and cause distractions at the most inopportune moments. This same noise can have detrimental effects on congregational singing.

Consider the fact that background-noise generators are used in some open-plan offices to provide speech privacy and to reduce distraction from conversations and activities in neighboring areas. In such environments, an electronically produced “white noise” is used to drown out sounds from adjacent areas. The artificial noise effectively isolates areas by blocking or masking normally audible sounds. It is much like the effect of running water drowning out conversation in your home.

However, for congregational singing, we need to maximize communication within and throughout the entire sanctuary. A noisy background can greatly reduce the sense of support you would perceive from those singing around you.

Priorities and Compromises. Much of the foregoing has been a restatement of the oft-heard indictment against carpeting and pew cushions in the worship space. Hopefully, it has shown that if acoustics for congregational singing is a priority, then there are few options available, few concessions that can be made. There are no conventional methods that can offset the negative effects of sound-absorbing materials in and around the congregation.

It has also acknowledged the fact that church-building projects evoke conflicting priorities that call for compromise. There will surely be incompatibilities among the major areas of the project, for example, liturgy, architecture, and acoustics. There will even be disparities within these areas such as the conflicting acoustical requirements for speech and music. However, the acoustical characteristics required for choir, organ, and congregational singing are wholly compatible. These same characteristics (with a properly designed speech-reinforcement system) will provide the responsiveness necessary for the full range of liturgical oratory and actually enhance the richness and uniformity of speech distribution among the assembly.

It can be as compelling and uplifting as that which exists in any collective experience. While we might all wish for better singing voices, we must acknowledge that in some endeavors our God-given gifts are limited, but that we can be more than we are individually by being part of the whole. This is, perhaps, an idealized concept of the power of congregational singing, but proper acoustics within the sanctuary can help bring this concept to fruition.

The Art of Organ Leadership of Congregational Song

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Accompanying congregational singing is an extraordinary challenge, requiring careful practice and disciplined creativity. The following article outlines many of the musical matters that every organist must consider, along with suggestions for the creative interpretation of the texts that are sung.

The organist can be a catalyst, an energizer, for congregational song. Where one finds a good organ and sensitive leadership, things can and do happen. The organ works well as a medium for inspiring congregational songs, surrounding the assembly with sound. This sound need not be overbearing or excessively loud, rather, it should be rich, full, and warm, assisting the singer to feel encouraged to participate. The organ supports and undergirds the singer with its sound, thus diminishing their feeling of being alone. Of course, other instruments can work well too, but the organ is unique in that one player can produce enough quality, range, and variety of sound to lead a large congregation. To be a good leader of songs at the organ, three qualities are essential: the organist must be trustworthy and predictable, the organist must be sensitive to interact with other leaders of the assembly, and the organist must lead in creative ways. Let us take a look at each of these considerations.

Musical Trustworthiness

First, the congregation must trust the organist. As Robert Batastini writes, “The last thing the average congregant wants to do is sing a solo.” If the organist is unstable rhythmically, if the organist is timid, or if the organist is unpredictable, members of the congregation will withdraw; they will be subconsciously afraid to participate fully for fear they will be left alone, singing a solo. Thus the major considerations for the organist become (1) rhythmical and metrical stability, (2) control and accuracy of notes, and (3) sensitivity to the needs of the singers in such areas as tempo and key.

The organist must strive to achieve rhythmical and metrical stability. Each musical selection for a given service needs to be examined to determine the appropriate metrical feel and tempo. This decision is made by singing, not playing, the selection since we are concerned with song. Often a selection notated with a meter signature of 4/4 really moves and feels as if it were 2/2. In other words, the half note is the real energizer of the music. If the piece is played feeling the half note, the music has a better flow and feel of forward momentum. If the piece is played feeling the quarter note, the music often seems to drag. Many times, pieces in 3/4 should be felt in one beat per measure. An example of a 3/4 tune that works in one is “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” to the tune Grosser Gott. Examples in 4/4 that move in two include “O God, Our Help” (St. Anne) or “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You” (hymn to joy). This feeling of a larger unit of measure as energizing pulse does not imply that a piece should go faster. Rather, it means that the music will take on greater energy and vitality; it will have forward momentum. This momentum will draw the congregant into more vigorous participation.

Once this concept of the energizing pulse as a larger value is established, one must then work on rhythmical and metrical control and stability. Notes must be given correct value, tempo must be stable, pitches of a given vertical sonority must sound together. All of these things seem so obvious, yet will not happen without careful, meticulous practice. At workshops in hymn playing, I often play a hymn for us to sing, shortening the last notes of a phrase, rushing or delaying the start of a next phrase, missing a few pedal notes, playing vertical sonorities a bit out of line, or not maintaining a stable tempo. We all agree (after a good laugh) that our first and intuitive reaction as singers was withdrawal. My inconsistent playing did not lend confidence, and as a result, we didn’t want to sing. After all, who wants to follow a leader who communicates a confusing lack of direction?

The matter of breathing, both within stanzas and between stanzas of a hymn, is of great importance. Organs can go on and on; people need to breathe. As much as possible, breathing should be within the metrical structure of the song. For example, in a phrase ending with a half note, this note is shortened to allow time to breathe, the next phrase beginning on the beat and in time. Usually, this shortening should be done rhythmically. In other words, a half note would become a quarter note with a quarter rest to breathe.

In the case of strophic compositions—including most hymns—think of each stanza as a related but independent musical entity. Play to the end of the stanza, perhaps broadening just a little bit, hold the last chord full written value, stop, breathe in the tempo of the tune, and begin the next stanza. It is dangerous to generalize about these things, but this is the basic strategy I pursue. While I believe in maintaining a stable tempo, there are some tunes that demand the addition of a bit of time at certain spots to give room for a breath. Other tunes demand a subtle bit of rubato to make them sing well. Yet, these are exceptions to the basic principle that stability of tempo is essential. Perhaps the single greatest reason that these ideas work for me is that I try to be consistent in applying them. When the organist is predictable, the congregant begins to trust the organist, relaxes, and enters into the singing. Consistency is the most important single consideration.

Another thing to consider is the treatment of repeated notes. Vocal music with many repeated pitches is a challenge to play well at the organ. Many hymns were written in four-part vocal style, especially nineteenth-century tunes like a hymn to joy (“Joyful, Joyful”) or aurelia (“The Church’s One Foundation,” or “O Christ the Great Foundation”) have many repeated chords. Of course, the melody must be played exactly as written. The other voices, especially the bass, benefit from selective repeating of the pitches, lifting before strong beats. For example, if one considers a 4/4 melody as moving in units of half notes, then repeated notes in the lower voices would be tied together and played as half notes.

My great emphasis on stability and control does not mean to imply that I advocate inflexibility in leading congregational songs. Predictability and consistency should be tempered by a sensitivity to the needs of the congregation as well as the character of the music to be sung. Choice of tempo is influenced by text and melodic structure of tune as well as by the size of the congregation. The text plays a large role in determining appropriate tempo; singers need time to encounter the text, not just mouth words. The melodic contours of a tune may suggest that a slower or faster tempo would work better. While it is true that large congregations cannot move as rapidly as a chamber choir, they do not need to drag through music that begs for vitality. “Joy to the World” (Antioch) can be sung briskly by an assembly of 4,000 (I’ve experienced it), but the rapid tempo cannot be as fast as 16 professional singers could use. More time will be needed by the larger assembly for breathing.

Sensitivity to the needs of the congregation also includes the choice of key. Some tunes have a very wide range and must not be played in a key too high. Some tunes have a smaller range but the tessitura is high or low and could influence the choice of key. People can sing higher with great ease later in the day, so I might play the same tune lower at 8:00 a.m., higher at 11:00 a.m. In general, I do not advocate transposing melodies radically lower (down a third) and in some more recent hymnals would transpose them back up, closer to the keys in which they were originally written. A few hymnal editors have transposed some tunes too low and some new tunes have been notated too low. The best part of our voice, the most vibrant part, is not at the bottom of our tessitura. We must encourage our congregants to relax and discover their entire vocal range by selecting keys that encourage using the most resonant part of their voice.

Teamwork

Even after we have learned how to play hymns well, how to lead well, there is more to do. We must consider our relationship to the other leaders of worship. Organists need to understand their leadership role and dialogue with other leaders in worship to be sure that all comprehend their differing responsibilities. Then we will be much less likely to send confusing signals to the congregation. When the singing of a song leader or cantor of the hymn competes with the organ sound or dominates the sound of congregation and organ, the congregants become confused and withdraw from participation. Things don’t go well when it is unclear who is leading. The congregation needs to sense and see a logical sharing of leadership depending upon what is happening in the liturgy. The cantor, song leader, or minister must move away from the microphone during the congregational song. If this is not possible, the cantor must mouth the words without singing the congregant’s part so the confusion of the two leadership sources is removed.

Another dimension of shared leadership is advanced planning and practice so that each leader has sufficient time to prepare and is comfortable in shared situations. The organist needs to practice each week with cantors and even with presiders. As we become comfortable and secure in what we do, we communicate that poise for the assembly. When we feel secure, they will feel secure and become more willing to participate.

As we feel comfortable technically and evolve good relationships with others leading worship, we are ready for the best part of our role as catalysts for congregational song. We are ready to provide encouragement and leadership in such a way that the level of involvement for all begins to grow. Good leadership of congregational song is more than encouraging enthusiastic participation. The congregational song should involve the head and heart as well as the body of each participant.

Creativity in Accompanying Congregational Singing

Creative use of the organ, careful choice of registrants, and use of alternative harmonizations all lead to better singing. For me, leading a congregation in the song is a challenging responsibility. It is also fun! It is a joy to read the text and ask myself how my musical skills can be employed to assist us all to proclaim the text through intelligent, vital songs. Which stanzas should be loud, which more gentle, which reharmonized, which a cappella, which without pedals? Variety based upon creative encounter with the text is even better, as it increases understanding and never bores.

So then, how do we lead a congregation with musical and theological creativity? First, we must consider again that a hymn is words—poetry set to music. A hymn (or any liturgical music) must be considered as text first. In some ways, a hymn is like a program for a tone poem. The text gives us some sense of how the music is to be perceived.

Nevertheless, the music selected as a companion for the text plays an immense role in communicating the spirit, the essence of that text. Consider how our perception of the text “Amazing Grace” changes if it is sung to the tune Antioch (“Joy to the World”). The different spirit of Antioch changes our response to the text of “Amazing Grace.” Try this switch some time with your choir and note the reactions. Music has enormous communicative power of its own and will influence, sometimes radically, sometimes subtly, the intrinsic, inherent message of a text. Music is not neutral. Music is exegetical; that is, it interprets and amplifies the meaning of any text it accompanies.

Some organists believe that when leading hymn singing it is wise to be neutral. One plays the notes on the page, well and with rhythmical discipline, but does little more. Registrational changes, harmonic changes, or whatever is not in order for fear they will get in the way of and distract from the text. There is much to be said for such an approach, for it is preferable to flamboyance for flamboyance’s sake. But I believe that such an approach, while acceptable, is not adequate. Such neutrality can communicate in ways unintended.

It is as if a computer were programmed to read out loud. The pronunciation is perfect, the accent superb, but the computer does not understand the language. It communicates no Geist, no spirit, just perfectly formed sounds. A hymn tune is not absolute music; it is the vehicle for the proclamation of text. Consequently, one must encounter, respond to, and be influenced by the meaning of the text.

As one examines the text in relation to a given tune, one moves past just playing the notes to considering how variety in the playing of introduction and subsequent stanzas can enhance the meaning and support the spirit of text and tune. To encounter a text and tune is to begin a creative process exploring options for playing the hymn so that the congregation is inspired to sing with greater understanding and spirit. The practical outcome of such a process is that any two adjacent stanzas are rarely played the same way or with the same registration.

I use the term alternation for this variety between stanzas. Part of my preparation of any hymn for congregational singing is to devise an alternation scheme for the hymn. Creative alternation can encourage a congregation to remain more engaged, more involved in singing. The alternation between subgroups of the congregation (men and women, congregation and choir, etc.) provides vocal rest as well. Members of the congregation do not have a vocal warm-up before plunging into the typical multi stanza opening hymn of praise and after a few stanzas may become vocally fatigued and cease singing. A planned stanza of rest (always reading the text while others sing it) allows individual singers to re-enter, renewed, and inspired (we hope) by hearing the singing of others. An alternation approach to hymn singing could be structured as follows: each hymn is examined and a scheme prepared (for example, stanza 1—all; stanza 2—women; stanza 3—harmony; stanza 4—men; stanza 5—all). Such a scheme is printed in the worship folder so that all are aware of the performance plan for the hymn.

After vocal alternation is considered, musical color can be factored into the mix. A registration scheme for each hymn should be prepared (for example, stanza 1—principals and reeds; stanza 2—remove reeds; stanza 3—flues 8 & 4; etc.), written down on a piece of scratch paper and placed beside the music for quick reference when playing. The vocal alternation scheme may also result in changes of color. The sound of men’s voices or women’s voices alone is very distinctive. Organ registrations could complement these sounds.

Many times specific ideas for alternation and registration come through the study of the text. Some hymns (for example, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”) lend themselves to a gradual crescendo, first stanza to last. Others can be envisioned as a gradual diminuendo, beginning forte, decreasing during the middle stanzas with the organ vanishing during the last, allowing the people to finish unaccompanied. (“Love Divine” can work this way as well.) Adopting such approaches would be determined by the place and function of the hymn in a specific service as well as the text itself.

Of course, most hymns do not lend themselves to dramatic changes. Even so, the contrast between accompanied and unaccompanied singing, the absence or presence of reed stops, gives a flavor to a stanza, impacts our response to it. Over time and with gentle encouragement, a congregation learns to respond to aural signals from the organ and will crescendo or diminuendo with it. Thus, congregational dynamic changes become an addition to our palette of color possibilities.

Another alternation technique is to vary the musical setting of a tune. Melodies soloed out (in soprano, tenor, or even bass voice) provide interesting variety. Filling in leaps of thirds and fourths in alto, tenor or bass is another. Judicious use of pedal point or other musical, rhetorical devices can provide a fresh flavor for a stanza. Complete reharmonizations (improvised, written in advance, or played from the many published sources) are the ultimate examples of modified musical settings.

A choral or vocal solo stanza is an especially useful alternation possibility. Choral stanzas could be as simple as a careful rendering in the harmony of a stanza from the hymnal to the excerpting of a unique setting of a stanza from one of the many hymn anthems or concertatos in print. An organ stanza is another alternation device when the organ “sings” while all listen and read the text. Short settings of the tune from published, hymn-based repertoire are possible sources for such organ stanzas if one is not ready to improvise them.

Another variant is alternation between two hymns. The congregation sings one hymn (with help from choir and organ) and the choir (or soloist) sings stanzas of a second interspersed between those of the first. Both musical and theological relationships need to be considered in selecting two hymns for such alternation.

Still another area that begs for careful consideration is the introduction for each hymn. Here the organist can be quite creative since the congregation is not yet singing. The hymn introduction provides starting pitch and tonality, gives time to find the page in the hymnal, communicates the spirit of text and tune, and if necessary, reminds the singers of the melodic structure of the tune or introduces a less-familiar tune. Again, it is important to let textual as well as musical considerations inform one’s creativity. A gentle, whispering introduction, no matter how well it sounds from a musical perspective, will not prepare a congregation for the singing of a favorite, powerful hymn of praise. There are many interesting introductions (or intonations as I like to call them) in print, but ideally, the organist should learn to improvise these. This is a good place to begin as an improviser. No one is singing yet, so there is no need to worry about leading the congregation astray when an improvisation takes an unexpected turn. Intonations can be brief, which minimizes the single greatest challenge to the improviser, the maintenance of formal coherence over time.

Any attempt to deal comprehensively with the many possibilities for creativity in hymn playing is beyond the scope of any single article. All that can be accomplished here is to offer a few basic concepts and encourage their implementation. As these ideas are put into use, it is essential to be in dialogue with clergy colleagues and worship boards, encouraging them to help by making sure that congregational music for worship is selected early enough to provide for adequate preparation. Also, it is important to solicit their support and cooperation in informing the congregation about the role of congregational songs in worship. Articles in the parish newsletter and brief paragraphs in the weekly service folder will contribute to the growth of a congregation’s understanding of their song. Supportive comments from clergy colleagues and worship boards will do much to encourage greater participation in congregational songs and affirm the leadership role of the organist in nurturing that song.

And, of course, as in any artistic endeavor, a little bit goes a long way. It is possible to do too much in any one service (normally a worship service is not a hymn festival) or try to do more than we are ready to do well. But as we grow as leaders of congregational song, we discover a rich and challenging way to utilize our musical abilities, a rewarding way to serve as church musicians.

Planning Traditional Worship

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Long-range and short-range planning are essential to worship services characterized by strength, order, and beauty. Pastors and church musicians are responsible for planning, but participation in music during worship should include adult and children’s choirs and the congregation singing hymns, psalms, and anthems together.

In Into His Presence: Perspectives on Reformed Worship (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Christian Reformed Church Publications, 1985), James De Jong describes worship as a dialogue in which God’s people receive God’s greeting, pardon, instruction, and blessing, as well as respond in confession, thanksgiving, and praise. Many times the music in our services has blurred this view of Reformed worship. Howard Hageman tells of a worship service he attended in which the congregation had as much music to listen to as it did to sing, and the music had little or no relationship to actions of receiving and responding. Hageman then goes on to talk about “liturgical integrity” (Liturgy and Music in Reformed Worship [Fall/Winter 1983-84]: 4).

One way to avoid the kind of service Hageman describes is through careful planning. Long- and short-term planning helps worship leaders to integrate the ministry of Word and music and find ways of involving the congregation meaningfully in the service.

Responsibility for Planning

Who is responsible for planning worship services?

Since worship is the lifeblood of the church, pastors should realize that time devoted to worship planning is a necessary and vital part of their ministry. To give choirs, instrumentalists, and soloists adequate time to prepare, pastors must plan their preaching schedules well ahead of time.

Involved in planning with the pastors are the church musicians—those in charge of proclaiming the gospel through music. Pastors and musicians, recognizing their roles as servants working for the glory of God and the edification of the congregation, together can make worship planning an enriching experience that results in God-pleasing, meaningful worship.

Pastors will use such planning sessions as opportunities to highlight the principles of Reformed worship. They will insist that contributions made by choirs and soloists should not be a source of poor theology, that “neither sentimentalism nor bombast are replacements for the nourishing word which builds and sustains faith” (Carl Schalk, The Pastor and the Church Musicians: Thoughts on Aspects of a Common Ministry [St. Louis, Mo.: Concordia Publishing House, 1984], 5).

In turn, the musicians will highlight the contribution of music. “The pastor needs the poetic aid of hymns as well as the exaltation of music to make the message come alive with splendor. The hallelujahs sound best when they are set to music and have an added dimension which the pastor himself could never give in any words. This understanding of the power of music to add a new dimension to the proclamation of the Word ought to draw pastor and church musician together in dialogue as nothing else can” (A. R. Kretzmann, “The Pastor and the Church Musician,” Church Music, 2 [1970]: 8).

Since pastors and music directors usually have more flexible schedules during the summer, this is an ideal time to plan music for the year. Summer planning allows for more leisurely examination and purchase of music and gives accompanists and instrumentalists adequate preparation time. Such yearly summer planning also provides the groundwork for later seasonal and weekly planning sessions.

Planning Congregational Singing

Because hymns and psalms form an important part of the Christian life and faith, congregational singing is a vital part of worship. The goal of good singing is to involve the entire congregation in singing a sizable number of hymns and psalms with spiritual perception and musical artistry.

Select Opening and Closing Hymns. Use the topical index of the hymnal to select appropriate hymns to open and close the service. These will usually be hymns of praise and dedication that can be sung for several Sundays, but they need to be varied, preferably to reflect the seasons of the church year.

Select New (Unfamiliar) Hymns. The congregation’s repertoire of hymns should be expanded. Every hymnbook includes some wonderful unknown hymns that should be introduced and sung regularly.

Plan New “Service Music.” Service music includes doxologies, responses to prayers, or musical settings of the creeds. Again, the congregation may need to learn this music, and the selections should be varied during the course of the year. Instead of using the traditional doxologies, consider singing doxological stanzas of hymns, such as the last stanza of “All Creatures of Our God and King.”

Organize Hymn Sings. Hymn sings can be either designated sections of a worship service or full-fledged hymn festivals. Careful planning can make such hymn sings both educational and inspiring. The choice of hymns may be topical or seasonal or may consist of “rehearsal” hymns to be sung in later worship services.

Planning Congregational Singing with Choir Participation

One way to escape the exclusive pattern of the choir performing while the congregation listens is to plan for joint singing. Such joint singing will clearly identify the choir as part of the congregation and may also encourage better congregational participation.

Hymn Concertatos. A hymn concertato is a hymn arranged for congregation, choir, organ, and various instruments. In many concertatos, choir and congregation sing alternate stanzas, or the choir sings a descant while the congregation sings the melody. Be sure to include an explanation in the bulletin, outlining the singing procedure for all participants.

Alternate-Stanza Singing. The singing of alternate stanzas is based on the ancient practice of antiphonal singing. Alternation can occur between choir and congregation or between segments of the congregation (e.g., men, women, and children).

Planning Adult Choir Music

The most important function of the choir is to provide strong and solid musical support for congregational singing, especially when new hymns are sung. The choir can also sing anthems and other more elaborate music.

Another important function of the choir is to lead the congregation in performing certain liturgical acts, such as a call to worship, a song of confession, or a musical meditation after the sermon. Through such “service music,” people are encouraged to pray, confess, or meditate while the choir formulates the congregation’s intention. Service music should not call undue attention to itself and must be clearly understood. (The words should probably be printed in the order of worship.) Some service music can be repeated in several services; other selections will be chosen for a particular service.

Summer is a good time to develop a schedule of choral music, balancing hymns or psalm settings that involve the congregation with anthems that will be sung by the choir alone. Music also should be ordered then to permit adequate rehearsal time later. The choir director and the pastor would do well to work together on the worship schedule.

Planning the Children’s Choir Participation

The summer planning suggestions for the adult choir also pertain to the children’s choir. Like the adult groups, the children’s choir should be viewed not as a novelty but as an integral part of worship. John Calvin used children’s choirs to teach the congregation the new settings for psalms, and such teaching continues to be legitimate today. A hymn such as “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly,” for example, which may be new to the congregation, is easy for children to learn. Consider having the children sing such a song for the congregation, then inviting the congregation to join in. You’ll find this “teaching method” is an excellent way of helping everyone, both children and adults, become familiar with a new hymn.

A beautiful contrast in sound can also be achieved by combining the children’s and adult choirs. One example of an anthem arranged for such combining is “Like as a Father” (Cherubini, arr. by Austin Lovelace for children and adult choir, three-part canon, Choristers Guild, A156). Other anthems may be adapted for such use by assigning certain stanzas to each choir or to the combined choirs. This method works well for John Rutter’s “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (one-part; Hinshaw Music, HMC-663).

Soloists

The same liturgical considerations that apply to choirs apply to soloists. Soloists should not convert the sanctuary into a recital hall; instead, their singing should remain an expression of the congregation’s worship. Again, early planning, including careful communication with the soloist, is the key.

Periodic Planning

Yearly summer planning will greatly simplify the coordination of specific services, but periodic planning meetings are also necessary. The planning team (either a church staff or, in a smaller church, the pastor and the organist/choir director) should meet monthly to coordinate the services for the next several Sundays. They should discuss ways of introducing hymns (perhaps through a hymn-of-the-month program) and select hymns (including stanzas) for each service. If the choir is to sing, their selections should also be integrated meaningfully into the order of worship.

Using a preprinted weekly planning form is a good method of consolidating the necessary information. Such a form provides space for listing the hymns, anthems, call to worship, organist’s service music, titles of instrumental music, soloists’ selections, and participants’ names and also leaves room for evaluating the music.

Since the best-laid plans may go awry, it is well for the pastor and the musicians to pray and consult briefly before each service. Only through such careful and prayerful planning will services evolve that reflect the strength, order, and beauty that should characterize our worship.

Does all this sound like too much work? First, remember that early, comprehensive planning is very efficient and will save time when planning for specific services. Second, as the poster on our choir room wall reminds us, keep in mind that “genuine praise is worthy sacrifice that truly honors God.”