Guidelines for choosing congregational music
Assumption: The choice of congregational music sets the tone for worship, forms and shapes the
sense of community, creates an unconscious reservoir of theology. The choice of language will
always be significant - good tunes or well-loved melodies also need words with integrity.
When choosing new music ask yourself:
Does this contribute anything fresh to the congregation's repertoire, or does it simply recycle
linguistic or musical clichés?
What do the words say about God? About the nature of God? About where God is located? [Note:
"above" is frequently chosen in hymns because it rhymes with 'love", and there aren't many hymnic
uses for "shove" and 'glove]
Are the words primarily focussed on “Me and my relationship with God” or “Us and our
relationship with God/the world/each other”. Both are appropriate, but we favour an emphasis on
the corporate, since the Eucharist also reflects this emphasis.
What do the words say about ways of being? Evaluate language in terms of its assumptions. Some
key ideas include: Subsuming female under male nouns/pronouns; aggressive/militaristic language;
triumphalism; emotionally manipulative or prescriptive language (words which assume we feel a
certain way or should feel a certain way).
Is it poetry? Words of songs and hymns should be able to stand alone when spoken aloud, as a rule
of thumb. Some meditative music may require different evaluation criteria.
Is the music accessible to the congregation? What is the range of notes they will be required to
sing? (Eb seems to be today's upper limit for many people). Is any syncopation that might be
included manageable/teachable? Note that some contemporary music is written idiosyncratically
and in a soloist style. Unless you have a band with a lead singer (cantor) this style of music may
fail in a congregation.
Is the music arranged to the satisfaction of the musicians? A good tune is not enough to satisfy
most keyboard players.
Strategy:
Suggestions for new music to be learned can be presented to an interest group for
their evaluation. The key question is not "Do you like this?" but “Will this enhance our
congregational worship and augment our repertoire?”
What to choose:
Assumption: Since our Liturgies have moved to contemporary language, and our Bible readings
likewise, the words of our songs and hymns need to be largely consistent with this so as to create an
appropriate "register' for our worship.
Assumption: The person(s) choosing the music will have read the readings for the day carefully
and (preferably) checked for the preaching emphasis.
Opportunities for Song (not exhaustive)
Opening or Processional Hymns:
Always choose music with a corporate emphasis. Themes of gathering, praise, exultation,
anticipation, celebration are appropriate.
At the Penitential Rite:
An individual emphasis can be appropriate here, as well as the corporate. Short reflective song
works well. The kyries can be sung.
Between the readings:
Songs or hymns based on Psalms work well. Material which specifically addresses themes in the
readings is useful. Avoid long hymns here. (in fact, the flow of liturgy today seems to demand
shorter hymns. More than five verses of any hymn often feels laboured nowadays. Judicious
editing is useful).
Before the Gospel: (Commonly and inaccurately called the Gradual Hymn)
Hymns or songs in praise of Christ and the work of Christ are most apt.
Material which calls us to a response to the Gospel is good here. Kingdom of God and God's
presence with us is useful. The tone should usually be celebratory, or at least not penitent or
miserable unless the context suggests it.
Instead of a spoken creed:
There are plenty of "I/we believe" hymns and songs around, some which summarise traditional
creeds. "Hymns for Today's Church" has a selection.
After the sermon/before the prayers:
Material which suggests individual or corporate response/openness/change/action/growth works
well. A chant, round, or reflective song can be helpful, especially if there is a smooth transition to
the prayers.
At the peace:
Short songs (or a verse of a song/hymn) emphasising what it means to be at peace in the Body of
Christ can be sung
At the Offertory:
A good place for more substantial or traditional material. Eucharistic material is helpful, but should
not become predictable. "Our response to the theme of the day" is a useful guideline. Praise, selfoffering, worship, unity are useful approaches.
While the ministers of communion receive:
A short song or hymn to vary of the predictable "Agnus Dei" can be helpful. Many have been
written in recent years which reflect the words of institution, or which establish the sense in which
we are approaching the altar today. Two or three verses will usually be enough.
During communion:
One or two items can be chosen in this slot. It is a good place for a group or choir to sing material
which will be introduced to the congregation later. The congregation should have the opportunity
to sing songs of commitment. Those who enjoy material with stronger appeal to the emotions may
find this a good opportunity to sing. Although the Eucharist is corporate, this seems the best time
for individual response ("I" bless you, love you... etc.)
After communion:
Instead of or as well as a post-communion prayer. Must be corporate to reflect the stance of that
point in the liturgy. Should be celebratory, affirming, forward-looking, tranformative, thankful.
Blessing:
A sung corporate blessing instead of the priest’s pronouncement can be used.
Closing/Recessional:
Should gather up the theme of the day with a sense of commitment to God's world, the faith
community, one's discipleship. Many worshippers seem to enjoy upbeat material in this slot.
Strengthening the repertoire
We need contemporary writing in order to bring before God a sense of faith and life today,
including today's world and our place in it. The hymns of yesterday have their place but cannot do
this for us. Yesterday's hymns were often triumphalist/expansionist. Today's (mainline) hymns
reflect concern for a fragile world with wounded people needing to know God's love.
Faith communities grow their repertoire by having a trusted leader teach them well, and offer them
encouragement as they learn. Ownership of new music only comes when the community feels it is
secure with the new material. That may take a few weeks of repetition. Remember Every hymn
was a new hymn once.
Our Liturgical year offers us a superb opportunity to broaden our repertoire. We currently
associated many carols with Christmas, and hymns with Easter, but every season has a wealth of
new material just waiting for a congregation to make it its own. With this we develop a sense of
pattern as the weeks when we sing particular material come round once again. For example, a new
hymn such as "Comfort, comfort all my people" could be learned and sung right through Advent
Or, for more traditional congregations, no learning is required if a tune such as TEMPUS ADEST
FLORIDUM (Good King Wenceslas) is sung to Christopher ldle's excellent words from Isaiah 35:
“When the king shall come again”. Many traditional tunes have been rescued for use with more
helpful words in all the books from Jubilate Hymns Ltd.
Contemporary problems
When almost every church was equipped with A&M Revised there was no issue over what would
be sung, except in the selection. The advent of material from the folk tradition and then the
charismatic tradition saw the arrival of the overhead projector and the tatty little homemade book.
Today most parishes would not be able to afford a new hymnal even if it was a good idea to buy
one. It probably isn't, but if insisted upon "Hymns for Today's Church" (2nd edition) was until
recently the de facto standard in this area, owing to its modem and inclusive language. It is
available in paper- and hardback editions. "Together in Song" (Australian Hymn Book 11) now
joins it as a large collection which also includes some contemporary material. The language is
inclusive and mostly modernized. Proving very popular now is "Sing Glory, the contemporary/
traditional and very large collection from Jubilate Hymns which comes with a useful words edition.
A better solution is to purchase a licence from MediaCom's new LicenSing programme (available
through the Wellington Anglican Resource Centre) - deliberately aimed at the repertoire of mainline
churches.
Having done so, record keeping is simple, and presenting material for the congregation to sing can
be done via overhead projection or a specially produced hymn sheet each week. Computer storage
of the words obviates the need for tedious retyping. In this way, invisible editing of the text, such
as leaving out unwanted verses can be accomplished. This is infinitely preferable to announcing
“We will sing verses 1, 3, and 5”.
Where a licensing scheme does not cover all the artists whose material you want to use, the scheme
can be asked to include that artist, or an individual license can be sought. Some writers will grant
permission to use their work free of charge. (Selections can be reprinted from Alleluia Aotearoa on
a one-off" or throwaway” basis only).
Some useful resources.
Jubilate Hymns Ltd.
Sing Glory
Hymns for Today's Church
Hymns for the People (more modern material and pianistic arrangements)
Carols for Today (excellent)
World Praise (an international/ethnic selection)
Psalms for Today (more trad)
Songs from the Psalms (more contemporary)
Church Family Worship (more all-age material)
Aotearoa New Zealand:
Alleluia Aotearoa & Faith Forever Singing (for mainline churches)
NZ Praise & supplements (a broad selection)
With One Voice NZ Supplement
Scripture in Song (various and variable - handle with care!)
New Journeys (JBCE) - looking pretty tired by now
Servant Songs (recently re-issued)
Carol our Christmas (NZ Advent/Christmas writing- excellent selection)
Additional:
Hymns for Today (original supplement to A&M Revised). Some useful material but much that is
already very dated.
Worship Songs Ancient & Modem (some fine material here)
As one voice (Very large collection of mainly contemporary songs)
Together in Song (Australian Hymn Book 11 published 1999)
Many books from Wild Goose Publications (Iona Community, Scotland). Good inclusive material
with challenging themes, lots of folk tunes)
Mission Praise (conservative/revivalist emphasis, some useful material)
This is a personal list of main sourcebooks. Others will want to draw material from Taize and a
number of the contemporary charismatic sources.
Ian Render 2003