Church music issues

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This page is a start at church music issues.

To the extent that music helps one do what Jesus wants, music is good.
To the extent that music does not help one do what Jesus wants, music is not good.
Ask yourself the following. Are the following met when hearing church music?

Semantics: Is the meaning of the music clear and understandable? Words help. Do the words mention Jesus?
Technique: Is it more than just loud and fast?
Range: Does the range take men (and other groups) out of their singing range?

Traditional hymns were written to fit the average vocal range of both men and women. Modern church music requires men to either have an effeminate voice or a very large vocal range. Look around when this modern church music is being played. How many men are not singing?

Most modern church music songs require a payment to use them and do not include words such as "Jesus", "Christ", "blood", etc.

Years ago, the popular church music artist Michael W. Smith was criticized for having written and/or sang many songs but not mentioning "Jesus" or "Christ". That might limit the revenue from other groups wanting to use his songs.

In graduate school in computer science, I sat in on more than 30 credit hours of music courses, including taking a few as allowed by my graduate assistantship (e.g., jazz improvisation, guitar and voice classes, private classical guitar lessons from Bill Carter, a world expert in the bass lute, etc.).
I wrote and used ear training software (Prolog logic programming language) using a PS/2 Model 30 and IBM MIDI sound board that kept learning statistics. The minor third was the hardest interval for me to distinguish.

More: Musical analogies to programming

In graduate school in computer science, I took guitar classes and private classical guitar lessons from Bill Carter - a world expert in the bass lute.

William Carter is a founding member of the acclaimed Palladians and a virtuoso player of the baroque guitar, lute and theorbo.

William Carter is also an enthusiastic teacher, and is Professor of Baroque Studies and Lute at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Carter-William.htm (as of 2022-12-10) (1st quote)
https://www.linnrecords.com/artist-william-carter (as of 2022-12-10) (2nd quote)

More: Musical analogies to programming

My high school jazz (stage) band director, Roy Folmer, explained many times (paraphrased here), "If you are not good at music, play loud and fast. It is much harder to play slow and soft". Needless to say, we had to learn to play slow and soft, at which point, we could then easily play loud and fast, and vary the volume and pace as needed.

I heard it from him first, but later heard it from many others.

More: Music background

John 6:48 I am that bread of life. [kjv]

εγω ειμι ο αρτος της ζωης [gnt]

Later in the same chapter, Jesus explains what he is all about.

6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. [kjv]

ειπεν ουν αυτοις ο ιησους αμην αμην λεγω υμιν εαν μη φαγητε την σαρκα του υιου του ανθρωπου και πιητε αυτου το αιμα ουκ εχετε ζωην εν εαυτοις [gnt]

Today, many churches do not like the idea or metaphor of eating the flesh and drinking his blood. Might what Jesus says be a code word approach?

Many have noted that the modern music in many churches has been used to get Jesus and the blood out of the church service and, in some cases, the church itself.

More: Parables and secret codes used and explained by Jesus

More: Luke 10:1-4 Follow the leader

Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. [kjv]

προσευχομενοι δε μη βατταλογησητε ωσπερ οι εθνικοι δοκουσιν γαρ οτι εν τη πολυλογια αυτων εισακουσθησονται [gnt]

6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. [kjv]

μη ουν ομοιωθητε αυτοις οιδεν γαρ ο θεος ο πατηρ υμων ων χρειαν εχετε προ του υμας αιτησαι αυτον [gnt]

The next verse starts the "Lord's Prayer". How many people, pastors, churches repeat the same thing again and again? There has been a trend in music in general and church music in specific ways for worship songs to use "vain repetition" of "much speaking" or "many words" repetition.

More: Matthew 6:7-8 Vain repetitions of vain repetitions

Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. [kjv]

The 1975 #1 disco hit song, part of which goes "Oh that's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, I like it. uh-huh uh-huh." (repeat with variations without end) by KC and the Sunshine Band, contains what is, to many, empty words, repeated ad-nauseam
Some modern church music takes the cross, blood, even Jesus out of the lyrics. Some pastors try to reduce the blood to one drop.

More: John 6:53-61 Misinterpretation and the disappearing blood

More: The one drop of blood salvation fallacy

More: Matthew 6:7-8 Vain repetitions of vain repetitions

More: Empty words

George Harrison (British singer-songwriter and performer) wrote (and performed) the song "What is Life?" in 1971. It was part of the album "All things must pass".

The album included the number-one hit single "My sweet Lord".
Some churches actually sang or played this song which had to do with Eastern Mysticism. The song was involved in a legal battle over copyright infringement from the 1963 Chiffons hit song "He's so fine". Harrison lost the case. The judge ruled he had copied "subconsciously".

More: George Harrison

Amos 5:23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. [kjv]

μεταστησον απ εμου ηχον ωδων σου και ψαλμον οργανων σου ουκ ακουσομαι [lxx]

Remove from me the sound of your songs, and I will not hear the music of your instruments. [bs3]

The Greek for "songs" is the source of the English word "ode".

The Greek for "melody" , from the Hebrew, is the source of the English word "psalms".

The Greek for "viols", as in "violins", is the source of the English word "organ".

Discuss: Is this verse support against loud music with little meaningful content?

Which creates less anxiety, playing a violin or playing a guitar?

With a violin, there is nothing to fret about!

Why do people not get tired of listening to cello suites?

There is always room for cello!

More: Amos 5: The yoke of compulsion

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