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effective, especially if we have many unskilled persons in our group. Four-part harmony is not essential. The musical setting should be such that the message is en hanced, not only strengthening the meaning of the text, but giv ing it emotional power which heightens its appeal to the singer. HARMONY A M I RH YTHM Earlier reference was made to current use o f unison. If, how ever, harmony parts are used, these should be singable, and have some melodic interest. Rhythm should be appropriate for the message o f the song, strengthen ing the message rather than over powering it or detracting from it. THE OCCASION FOR USE With the basic elements of text, melody, harm ony , and rhythm in mind, we then need to consider the occasion for use. Obviously, a selection suitable for a worship service would be out of place at a party when the mood is one of fun and fellowship. A simple song o f trust which is meaningful for primary children would be in a p p r o p r ia te for adults. So .the leader chooses carefully, making certain that the content and the style of each song is appropriate for the partici pants and the specific occasion. When such careful choice is made, it is possible to observe Paul’s admonition that we “ sing with the spirit, and . . . with the understanding also” (I Cor. 14: 15b). Emotion and intellect must be in balance. The meaning of the song is crucial, but a song also must be appealing to the singer. It should stir the heart, creating a deep sense o f personal identifi cation with the message. When we select such songs and then use them wisely, the full potential of music can be real ized in the transformation and upbuilding of our pupils, w Dr. Robert Posegate is Chairman of the Department of Religious Education at Talbot Theological Seminary.
FEATURE
Irmwafiofi IN LEARNING What shall we sing? by Robert Posegate
Regularly featured in this column is Mr. H. Norman Wright, area representative fo r Gospel Light Publications and Assistant Prof, of Religious Education at Talbot Theological Seminary. W HAT WOULD YOU lik e to sing?” How many times this phrase is used in youth persons in the group, taking into account their age and Christian experience?
groups, Sunday school depart ments, even in some church serv ices! The reasoning behind the question appears to be that peo ple should sing what they please. But, in reality, the question fre quently signifies lack o f careful planning and song selection by the person who is leading the meeting. Far too often the re sult is the use of songs which are trivial, meaningless, even anti- Christian, even within an evan gelical church. The importance o f music can not be overestimated. Revolu tionary movements in our day are exploiting its potential for their purposes. Nor is this awareness a new one. Fletcher o f Saltoun, who lived in an earlier century, said, “ Let me write a nation’s ballads, and I care not who writes the nation’s laws.” If music has such power, we should be wise in our choice o f every musical re source for our Christian educa tion program. But how shall we choose? How can we analyze a song for possible use? THE TEXT We look first at the text o f the song. Is it true to the Scripture in its portrayal o f God, o f man, o f the Lord Jesus Christ, o f sal vation, o f Christian experience? Do the words have s p ir itu a l value? Are the ideas which are expressed uplifting? Are the emo tions stirred by the words to strong Christian response? Is the expression meaningful for the
Thus the context is measured for content, style, and word us age. We have a wealth o f excel lent resources available to us, rep resenting great variety of worthy expression. Through careful se lection, we can secure positive de velopment in the lives of our pupils. Consider the contrasts which too often prevail. Christ is por trayed in w eak ly sentimental terms. His blood is made the occa sion for a trivial motion song in a performance which approaches blasphemy. Human experience is given priority over C h r i s t ’ s mighty redemptive work. Man occupies the center of interest, not God. We must take a careful look at what we lead our pupils to sing. The message and its ver bal expression must be worthy of our Christ. THE TUNE How shall we judge the mu sic? First o f all, the musical set ting exists to enhance the text. This means that the mood of the music is in harmony with the message of the words. The musi cal accent should coincide with the word accent, giving emphasis to the important words and sylla bles o f the text. The melody line should be in a comfortable range for members o f the particular group. One characteristic o f con temporary music is the use of unison, rather than harmonized parts. Such singing can be very
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TH E KING'S BUSINESS
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