Posts filed under ‘music’
March 3rd, 2010 |
I am continually amazed at how rich a tradition we have in the hymns of past song writers. Brian T Murphy over at Red Mountain Church in Birmingham pretty much exactly expresses my thoughts on the value of hymns in worship. Since becoming the music director at my church almost 6 years ago, I’ve been a big fan of hymns and re-introducing hymn texts through new music. And yes, I have been guilty on more than one occasion of grumbling about the lameness of more contemporary worship songwriters.
That being said, I really enjoyed Steve Holmes resetting my perspective by pointing out some really, really horrendous (and hilarious) hymns from some of my favorite hymn writers. Fact: The great Charles Wesley wrote over 6000 hymns, only about 20 of which we use today. Conclusion: 5960 of his songs suuuhhuck. Bravo, Steve. Bravo.
Oh, and by the way, “hymns are the dead wood of the service.” Who said that? C.S. Freaking Lewis, that’s who. Ouch.
As a bonus I include this link to the most awesomest worst hymn ever written.
Entry Filed under: Blog Tags: art, culture, music
February 17th, 2010 |
I think leaders for music worship have two roles that can often be in tension with one another. I’m calling the roles “worship leader” and “lead worshiper”, and I’ve written down some half-baked ideas about them. I’m sure others have already thought this through with much more wisdom and clarity.
My pastor Dick Kaufmann was the first person I heard use the term “lead worshiper”. I like the concept. The “lead worshiper” leads by example, showing people what worship looks like by actually worshiping. It brings to mind images of David going all Soul Train in his loin cloth before the Lord and not giving a rip about what anyone thought—his personal commitment to worshiping God an implicit invitation for others to join in. David was a great example of a lead worshiper in other ways, too—from ecstatic freak-outs, to brutally honest confession and repentance, to bold and reasoned proclamations of faith, to quavering pleas to a seemingly distant God. David led by example, and I think we should too. I also think we should lead by creating new expressions of worship. David’s Psalm 40 testimony that the Lord “put a new song in my mouth” suggests that God’s continuing work in our lives calls for our continuing response. We don’t thank a kind person once-and-for-all; we continue to thank him each time we receive his kindness. God’s new goodnesses engender new creative overflows in us. Since God’s mercies are inexhaustible, our source material for new expressions of worship is equally inexhaustible.
In this sense, new is good. Familiarity can breed contempt. Or at least when something becomes rote and expected it fails to captivate our hearts in the way it did when it was new. A true statement becomes cliché through repetition, and the truth gets obscured by the cliché. To me, this is reason enough to be cliché-o-clast, a cliché smasher. As worshipers, we should be on the lookout for the ways familiarity has dulled us to the incisive truths of the gospel. Where we discover dullness, we should set about finding fresh ways to rediscover the truth and craft new heartfelt responses to it. New songs should be written (or learned). New forms explored. Old songs should be reworked so their wonders shine bright again. I am not at all saying that old things should be done away with, but that the canon of God’s praise should be forever expanding. Not just on a cosmic level but on a local level, too. The congregation should be challenged to learn new songs, different songs. A lead worshiper leads by continually proclaiming God’s glory in new ways because he/she is continually experiencing God’s goodness in new ways. One of the awesomenesses of Pentecost was that God reversed the curse of Babel not by reinstating a single language, but by redeeming the variety. We have a God who pushes out into the frontiers. A lead worshiper gets to be part of that Pentecostal un-Babeling, leading the congregation to proclaim the gospel in new tongues. Because of this, I think a lead worshiper is right to lead in ways that are new, exploratory and challenging to the prevailing culture.
On the other hand, a worship leader (not a lead worshiper) has the responsibility to lead people in ways they can follow, in ways that enable them to participate. In this sense, the old—the familiar, the known—is good. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit moved the disciples to speak not in incomprehensible syllables, but in the languages intimately familiar to the people present. In the Psalms, Israel’s hymnbook, we find evidence that corporate worship should be orderly and the participants should know their parts. In contrast, if each week the worship leader strips to his underwear to sweatily dance unto the Lord, leaving me baffled and uncomfortable in the pew, I won’t attend that church for very long. No matter how earnest the leader, I need to be led somewhere I can follow.
This makes me think that old worn paths are sometimes the best. They are the way of measured, practiced, expected steps which if earnestly followed will lead us into a dance of worship. In a dance we learn all the steps in order to forget them. Once familiar, these steps free us to dance as David danced—sweeping us up into all the variety of his earnest worship. Order, liturgy, familiarity are means of grace, used by a wonderfully kind God who is willing to gently woo a bunch of shy wallflowers. He incorporates our hesitating need for familiar steps into His unexpected and graceful movements.
I strongly suspect my work as a worship leader is nothing mystical. I’m just a musician providing melody and tempo so the real work of worship can be conducted by the Dance Master. I see evidence of it every week. For example, at any given moment there is a very good chance that I am not the “lead worshiper” in the room. I am likely to be totally distracted by a cataract of unworshippy thoughts—”Am I going to hit this next chord?” “I’m irritated that half the band was late today” “Should we get an EQ and compressor for the monitors?” Or even, “Gosh my voice sounds really good today!” Or, “Cool! I wrote this song and now everyone is singing it!” Ugh. In those moments I am a terrible lead worshiper. But here’s the thing. In those moments I can look out at the congregation and see people worshiping. In spite of me, they have met God and He has swept them up into His dance. This constantly blows my mind, how God takes my moldy loaf and rotten little fish and turns them into a banquet.
God works in spite of me. From this I can glean two things. First, although it is very possible (and lamentable) that I am a poor lead worshiper, by the grace of God I’m doing okay as a worship leader. Simply by providing quality music for the dance that is going on, I am helping God’s people participate in worship. Praise God for that. Second, if the main point is to help the congregation dance, it’s okay to play the music that the congregation dances to best. A worship leader does everyone a disservice (including God) if in his eagerness to smash clichés he has no awareness of what will actually help the congregation worship. All evils of “church consumerism” aside, a congregation’s expectations, their culture, even their preference for certain songs and instrumentation, are the dance steps with which they respond to God’s call to worship. A worship leader should respect that.
So where does this leave me? I feel like I’m triangulating between two stars. As a leader in worship music, I think I should be continually creative, challenging myself and others to craft, seek out and embrace new ways to reflect and respond to God’s goodness. This is scary. I also think I should be humble and content to play the same old song for the millionth time if it helps one clumsy soul (maybe my own) get on the dance floor. In its own way this is also scary. Knowing how much to do one and how much to do the other is difficult. I need wisdom and discernment to be both a lead worshiper and a worship leader.
Thoughts?
Entry Filed under: Blog Tags: jesus, music, write
January 19th, 2010 |
Joining a Sacred Harp singing is now on my short list of highly recommended, along with New Zealand and guacamole. The physical power of this strange, haunting, apocalyptic music is not captured at all by this video (sorry Richard). Mellie and I stumbled across Sacred Harp a few years ago through this great documentary. We’ve been waiting for the west coast convention to arrive in San Diego ever since. Very nice folks took us in and even let us lead a song or two.
Entry Filed under: Blog Tags: adventure, community, culture, mellie, music, sacred harp
October 23rd, 2009 |
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Bruce shared this link to a collection of Advent and Nativity hymns by John Wesley. I loved the first one I saw, so I wrote a tune to go with it and made a quick recording (version 1). After posting it here and getting some feedback, I came up with an alternate tune and made another quick recording (version 2). Now my idea is to turn this into a music-writing exercise, attempting to approach Wesley’s text from a variety of melodic and stylistic angles. Unfortunately, I don’t have that many ideas, so this might be a short exercise. If you’ve got an idea for this text, record it and send it to me and I’ll post it here. I’d be really interested to see what people come up with.
Is it Christmas already?
Ye Simple Men of Heart Sincere
Words by John Wesley, 1810. Music by Cameron Gray, 2009
©2009 Rough Harbor Music
Original text:
Ye simple men of heart sincere,
Shepherds, who watch your flocks by night,
Start not to feel an Angel near,
Nor tremble at his glorious light.
A herald from the heavenly King,
I come your every fear to chase;
Good tidings of great joy I bring,
Great joy to all the fallen race.
To you is born on this glad day,
A Savior, by our host adored;
Our God in Bethlehem survey,
Make haste to worship Christ the Lord.
By this the Savior of mankind,
Th’ incarnate God shall be displayed,
The Babe, ye wrapped in swathes shall find,
And humbly in a manger laid.
Entry Filed under: music Tags: cameron gray, hymn revision, music, rough harbor music, worship music, xmas
October 9th, 2009 |
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Isaiah 12
Words & Music
Words and Music: Cameron Gray, 2009.
©2009 Rough Harbor Music
Lyrics
Sing to the LORD, come lift up and sing,
God is one, and for all he’s done lift up and sing,
Make his name known to all of the world,
For his banner of love has been unfurled
Surely God, surely God is my salvation,
I will trust, I will trust and not be afraid
Surely God, surely God is my salvation.
And my God, you are worthy to be praised,
Worthy to be praised
Come give thanks, come call on his name,
Come take part, open up your heart to proclaim,
And with joy we will draw from that spring,
Oh, and satisfied lift up and sing
Surely God, surely God is my salvation,
I will trust, I will trust and not be afraid,
Surely God, surely God is my salvation,
And my God, you are worthy to be praised,
Worthy, worthy, worthy—
You are my strength and my song,
Make straight my way and right my wrong
Scripture
Isaiah 12:1-6
In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
In that day you will say:
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Entry Filed under: Rough Harbor, harbor music team Tags: cameron gray, music, rough harbor music, worship music
September 16th, 2009 |
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Awake, Awake
Words & Music
Words and Music: Cameron Gray, 2006.
©2006 Rough Harbor Music
Lyrics
Awake, awake my soul and sing,
Did not thy Lord thy salvation bring?
Did He not make His favor known,
And bear for thee the curse that was thine own?
Does not His sacred Word proclaim
Thy salvation sure in Jesus’ name?
Awake, Awake! Awake, Awake!
Awake, Awake, Awake, Awake!
Awake, awake my tears and flow,
Have you not heard—O, do you not know?
How thy sweet Savior bled and died,
How He upon that cross was crucified?
And by the merit of His blood
Thou art forever reconciled to God!
Awake, Awake! Awake, Awake!
Awake, Awake, Awake, Awake!
Awake, awake my tongue to tell,
When in thy sin thou stood condemned to hell,
Did thou not call His judgment just?
Did thou not in His mercy put thy trust?
And is thy faith not satisfied?
In Christ thy sin has all been crucified!
Awake, Awake! Awake, Awake!
Awake, Awake, Awake, Awake!
Entry Filed under: Rough Harbor, harbor music team Tags: cameron gray, music, rough harbor music, worship music
September 10th, 2009 |
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O In the Grace That Calls Me Home
Words & Music
Based on words from the Gadsby Hymnal: Watts (752), Swain (738), Hart (740), c. 1838; Chorus & arr. by Cameron Gray, 2006; Music: Cameron Gray, 2006.
Lyrics
O, in the grace that calls me home
See how my Lord’s bright glory shines.
There on the cross ’tis fairest drawn
In precious blood and crimson lines,
In precious blood and crimson lines.
O, the sweet wonders of that cross,
Where God my Savior loved and died;
Her noblest life my spirit draws
From His dear wounds and bleeding side,
From His dear wounds and bleeding side.
O, the vast mystery of that love;
How high, how deep, how wide it rolls.
It’s fountain springs in heav’n above,
It’s streams revive my sorrowing soul,
It’s streams revive my sorrowing soul.
CHORUS:
My treasure is Thy precious blood;
Fix there my heart, fix there my heart;
Thy righteousness my own, my God;
Fix there my heart, fix there my heart.
I shall forever speak His name
In sounds to mortal ears unknown.
With angels join to praise the Lamb
And worship at my Father’s throne,
And worship at my Father’s throne.
Entry Filed under: Rough Harbor, harbor music team Tags: cameron gray, hymn revision, music, rough harbor music, worship music
September 9th, 2009 |
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Hosannas On My Tongue
Words & Music
Words: Isaac Watts, 1748, from the Gadsby Hymnal #409, altered by Cameron Gray. Music: Cameron Gray, 2008.
©2008 Rough Harbor Music.
Lyrics
To Him who loved me first
While I was in my sin
To Him who bore that curse
Just to make me safe in Him
To Him who formed my heart anew
Is endless praise and glory due
Is endless glory due
CHORUS:
The Father’s love shall ever run
Through my immortal song
I bring to God the Saving Son
Hosannas on my tongue
Hosannas on my tongue
Let every saint above
And angel around the throne
Forever bless and love
The holy Three-in-One
For mercy wrought by Spirit’s grace
I join my heart in grateful praise
I join my heart in praise
Scripture References
1 John 4:19, Ephesians 2:4-5, Galatians 3:13, Ezekiel 36:26, Matthew 21:15, Psalm 118:25-26, Revelation 7:9-12
Hosanna: From the Hebrew “Hoshana”, meaning please save or save now.
Behind the Song
Found these Isaac Watts lyrics in Gadsby’s and put them to music. I tweaked the words a bit, but not too much. I like how Watts always manages to fit in all three members of the Trinity.
Related Material
It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. – C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Entry Filed under: Rough Harbor, harbor music team Tags: cameron gray, hymn revision, music, rough harbor music, worship music
September 9th, 2009 |
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Heart Like Mine
Words & Music
Based on hymn by John Newton (Gadsby, 999), c. 1779; altered & arr. by Cameron Gray. Music: Cameron Gray, 2007.
Lyrics
O Lord, with a heart like mine,
‘Less you hold me fast
I feel that I must and shall decline,
And leave my Lord at last
And leave my Lord at last.
You alone have power, I know,
To save a wretch like me,
Where or to whom shall I go
If I should turn from Thee?
If I should turn from Thee
No voice but Thine can give me rest,
No strength my fears depart,
No love but Thine can make me blessed,
Or satisfy my heart
Or satisfy my heart
O Lord, with a heart like mine
Entry Filed under: Rough Harbor, harbor music team Tags: cameron gray, hymn revision, music, rough harbor music, worship music
September 9th, 2009 |
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Go On, Thou Mighty God
Words & Music
©2006 Rough Harbor Music
Words: William Gadsby,1838; Music: Cameron Gray, 2006.
Lyrics
Go on, Thou mighty God
Thy wonders to make known,
Til every sinner bought with blood
Shall trust in Thee alone.
May grace triumphant reign
And Christ exalted be
May sinners calling on Thy Name
Thy great salvation see.
May mercy, truth and peace
Fill each believer’s soul,
And by the Spirit of Thy grace
Our wand’ring hearts control.
Thus let Thy kingdom come
And free salvation reign,
Till all Thy saints arrive at home
To never part again.
Gloria, Gloria!
Ad maiorem dei gloriam*
Gloria!
*To the greater glory of God
Entry Filed under: Rough Harbor, harbor music team Tags: cameron gray, hymn revision, music, rough harbor music, worship music
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