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Using Hymns Effectively
Much of this material is taken from Hymns & Their
Uses by Jams Sydnor; Carol Stream, IL: Agape, 1982.
Unfortunately, this book has been out of print for some time but it
will probably be available in many college libraries and on Amazon.
I. Great congregational singing: What is it?
1. The whole congregation sings.
2. The congregation sings a wide variety of hymns.
3. The congregation sings with spiritual perception. (See I Cor. 14:15).
“I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the mind (understanding)
also.”
4. The congregation sings musically. (See Wesley’s advice.)
Who develops congregational singing? EVERY individual
in the congregation.
[from Hymns & Their Uses
by Jams Sydnor; Carol Stream, IL: Agape, 1982. pp. 12-15]
Congregational singing is an ACTIVITY and not a passive
entertainment.
The CONGREGATION is the most important "choir"
in the church and should be treated as such:
1. There should be regular congregational rehearsals.
2. There should be a repertory of hymns.
3. The congregation should be led to understand that their singing
is IMPORTANT.
4. Everyone should sing or make some kind of "joyful noise"
during the hymn. Standing with your mouth closed is unacceptable.
For those who feel they cannot sing (or won't), reading the hymn
OUTLOUD along with everyone else IS A WORTHY OFFERING. Worship is
participatory, not observational.
II. Five values of hymn singing
1. Through hymn singing, Christians express their feelings and
ideas.
2. Through hymn singing, Christians can tell others what they believe.
3. Through hymn singing, Christians are bound in closer fellowship.
4. Through hymn singing, Christians are instructed in the fundamentals
of their faith.
5. Through hymn singing, Christians are sustained in daily life.
[from Hymns & Their Uses
by Jams Sydnor; Carol Stream, IL: Agape, 1982. pp. 16-22]
See What
is a Hymn and Why to Christians Sing Them?
III. The Pastor (minister, or priest) and the Church
Musician
1. Serve as a resource for your pastor, minister or
priest.
2. Take the initiative in setting up weekly consultation to discuss
the service music.
3. Do not turn the total responsibility of hymn selection over to
the organist or pastor. However, philosophically, the person who should
claim the responsibility of choosing hymns for effective use is the
pastor.
[from Hymns & Their Uses
by Jams Sydnor; Carol Stream, IL: Agape, 1982. pp. 84-92]
4. Suggest a hymn reference book for your pastor. See
10 Books...
5. The pastor should set the example for the congregation with
enthusiastic singing.
6. The pastor should be in full view during congregational singing.
7. Encourage your pastor to try writing hymns.
8. If there is a PA system and the pastor or song leader is standing
in front of a microphone, the volume should be turned off during the
hymn singing.
IV. . Personal responsibilities of the Church Musician
(minister of music, music leader)
1. Keep a log (record; database, etc.) of hymns sung.
Try to use a variety of hymns -- not the same hymns repeatedly. Choose
and sing hymns in worship services to the end of establishing a balance
of hymns contained in your hymnal.
2. Regularly read hymn texts.
3. Regularly memorize hymn texts.
4. Do not lead a hymn in a worship service without first reading the
entire hymn.
5. Understand the structure and contents of your hymnal.
6. Acquire the hand book which accompanies your hymnal and establish
a routine of regularly reading the stories of the hymns.
7. Broaden your wider understanding of church music by acquiring and
reading standard reference books of church music, hymnody and liturgy.
See 10 Books...
8. Be critical concerning your choice of hymns.
9. Give your people the best hymns in your hymnbook.
10. If your pastor selects a topic or theme for the service, choose
hymns which focus on this (duh!).
11. Be very selective when omitting stanzas of a hymn. It is generally
good advice to sing all stanzas of every hymn in a worship service.
However, often single stanzas of individual hymns can be used effectively,
particularly as responses (offertories, prayers, etc.).
V. Developing good congregational singing
1. Hymn of the month.
2. A hymn playing class.
3. Give the congregation hymn information.
4. Have a hymn festival.
5. Put hymn textbooks in the church library.
6. Get a hymnal in every home.
7. Dramatize hymns.
8. Minister to the aging and shut-ins with hymns.
9. Establish a lending library of hymn recordings.
10. If your church has a WEB site, create resource page on hymns and
hymn singing.
11. Integrate hymns into the Sunday school curriculum.
12. Have a hymn writing project.
13. Schedule regular congregational rehearsals.
14. Include hymn anthems in the choir repertory.
15. Record the congregational singing and then listen to it critically
toward the goal of improvement.
16. Make a CD of the best (or favorite) hymns sung by your congregation.
(If you distribute it be sure to check for copyright licensing.)
17. Encourage the memorization of hymns.
18. Conduct a FAVORITE HYMN survey and then provide for an opportunity
to sing the "top 10 list."
19. Introduce variety in hymn singing:
-- sing a stanza a cappella.
-- assign stanzas to specific groups (men, women, children &
young people, the choir).
-- sing 1st and last stanzas in unison; middle stanzas in parts.
-- have variety in hymn accompaniments (see below)
20. Preach sermons based on hymns.
21. Provide opportunities for informal hymn singing.
22. Teach a hymnology class.
23. Involve other people in hymn selection.
24. Sing familiar hymns FROM MEMORY during the communion service (Eucharist).
25. Don't miss an opportunity to encourage (prod) the congregation
to into paying more attention to the words of the hymns they sing.
26. List appropriate hymn information in the bulletin (worship folder):
-- hymn number
-- title (1st line)
-- tune name
26. Standing during hymn singing is generally preferred.
27. Teach HYMN
MECHANICS.
28. Hymns make great counseling tools. Specific hymns and hymn stanzas
can give great comfort during periods of anxiety or bereavement.
VI . Playing (accompanying) hymns (for churches using
traditional hymn accompaniments such as an organ or piano)
1. Use firm leadership. The congregation needs and appreciates
this.
2. Do not "barge" through the hymn with no regard for where
the people are.
3. Accompanying a congregation is not like accompanying a soloist.
The organist/pianist must LEAD but be sensitive to how the congregation
is following. LISTEN. If there is a song leader, the accompanist
should WATCH and follow the tempo set by the leader.
4. Play accurately: sustain long notes.
5. Keep a steady tempo. Don't hurry eighth notes.
6. Frequently practice with a metronome.
7. Don't play too fast or too slow. A general rule of thumb:
-- quarter note gets the beat, qn = 112 - 120
-- compound time (6/8; 9/8), dotted qn = 60 - 80
-- half note gets the beat, hn = 60 - 80
-- no meter indicated (see MH 68), determine the underlying subdivision
and keep it steady throughout
-- the character or mood of the hymn determines the tempo.
8. Extend the last chord of a stanza somewhat to give
the congregation time to breathe. Then have a rhythmical break in
the accompaniment to cue the congregation for the next stanza.
9. Appropriate instrumental introductions include:
-- play the whole hymn.
-- play just the last phrase or two.
-- play the first phrase and then creatively "modulate"
to the final phrase.
10. Use free accompaniments occasionally. Generally,
these should only be used on the final stanza and probably work best
on FESTIVE occasions or on the final hymn of the service.
11. If the organist or pianist is proficient at improvisation, substitute
a keyboard improvisation for the actual singing of one of the stanzas.
The congregation can read the stanza silently while they listen to
("experience") the improvisation. The organist as "evangelist"
-- a tradition probably common in Bach's day.
[from Hymns & Their Uses
by Jams Sydnor; Carol Stream, IL: Agape, 1982. pp. 93-101]
VII. The Choir and congregational singing.
1. The CONGREGATION is the most important choir in the church. The
role of the CHOIR is to support and lead the congregation, not to
be an entertainment.
2. The choir should sing the 1st and last stanzas in unison, the middle
stanzas in parts. Since the purpose of the choir in is to SUPPORT/LEAD
the congregation, it is appropriate for the choir to sing ALL stanzas
in union all the time.
3. Some hymn stanzas can occasionally be sung "a cappella"
(unaccompanied). However, when this is done the choir must lead with
a steady tempo.
VIII. Conducting hymns (for churches where this tradition
is appropriate)
1. Do not conduct the congregation like you are conducting
a choir. Overly expressive gestures are inappropriate for congregational
singing.
2. The congregation simply needs strong cues for entrance and tempo.
3. Do not draw too much attention to your conducting technique. BUT,
command authority and dignity.
4. Use strong, simple movements with the whole arm.
5. Keep the hand closed in a loose fist or open with a firm hand.
6. Conduct with ONE hand -- not with both hands.
7. Don't let the wrist or elbow wave about.
8. Give clear cutoffs at the end of stanzas.
9. Dramatic pauses at the end of some stanza can be very effective.
10. It is not necessary to conduct the entire hymn. In a "long"
hymn (4 phrases and a chorus), it is appropriate to conduct the 1st
phrase (in order to get the congregation started together) and then
stop conducting until the final phrase of the stanza.
11. If there is a PA system and the pastor or song leader is standing
in front of a microphone, the volume should be turned off during the
hymn singing.
IX. Characteristics of an effective church music leader
1. Be available
2. Be prepared
3. Develop a broad base of knowledge and experience
4. Communicate well and often
5. Involve as many people as possible
6. Be innovative yet mindful of traditions
7. Become the best musician it is possible to be -- constantly hone
those skills
8. Set priorities
9. Set goals
10. Impeccable morals and ethics -- give the best; demand the best
11. Nurture those in your ministry (feed, protect, support, encourage,
teach, train, educate)
12. Visit the sick
13. Enter into the social life of the church
14. In a volunteer situation is often easier to do things yourself,
but don't -- delegate.
15. Stay current with materials. 90% of a director's time should be
spent discovering new materials (choral octavos, etc). The other 90%
is spent cultivating new choral members to sing in the choir.
16. If there is no written job description for your position, develop
one.
17. If there are no regular staff meetings at your church, demand
them.
Internet links [unexplored, not reviewed, good
luck!]
1. Do hymns well
2. Reach out with hymns
3. Ten Tactics for the Strategic Use of Hymns in Contemporary
Worship
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