Music Matters

May 2013
Singing in Parts?

This month’s column addresses a question submitted to Music Matters from a reader:  We don't sing in parts anymore. How can I encourage my congregation to do more than sing the melody line?

We have just completed two major events at Community of Christ Headquarters:  World Conference and U.S. Conference.  (For those not familiar with Community of Christ:  World Conference, a multi-day gathering which occurs once every three years, is attended by delegates, church members, and friends from all of the countries in which Community of Christ has a presence.  For some worship services and legislative sessions during this event, nearly every one of the 5,800 seats in Community of Christ’s Auditorium is filled.  The U.S. Conference, held this year for the very first time, was a separate three-day event in which about 2,000 delegates worshiped and considered legislation affecting only the U.S. part of the church.)

These were wonderful events in which much important business of the church was conducted.  The worship services were each moving and memorable.  But here’s the best thing from a musician’s perspective:  the congregational singing was FABULOUS!  I’ve lost count of the number of times people told me that they were moved to tears by the experience of singing in parts, a cappella, with thousands of others, in legislative sessions or worship services.

This doesn’t happen by accident. 

Therefore, I’m so glad that you are concerned about your congregation’s part-singing.  It’s in congregations where these skills must be nurtured, ensuring that musical moments of awe and wonder and Divine encounter, as described above, can occur in any setting, large or small.

Here are some concrete ideas for encouraging and training part-singing skills in your congregation.  Seven of the 10 ideas don’t require that your congregation be able to read music to sing in parts, and can be done with or without accompaniment.  All of them are designed to remind your congregation that part-singing is fun! 

And always:  by your actions and your words, compliment and encourage your congregation when they sing well, and gently encourage them to try new things to help them grow musically, as well as theologically, through the songs they sing!

—Jan Kraybill

If you have a question you’d like a Music Matters author to address, send it to Jan Kraybill at jkraybill@CofChrist.org.  First, see www.cofchrist.org/musicmatters/faq.asp to see if your question is already waiting to be answered.   If you have additional ideas for solutions for this month’s question, or any of the questions you find there, please do contribute your voice by e-mailing Jan those as well.

Jan Kraybill
Principal Organist
Community of Christ Headquarters
Independence, MO, USA

or

Pam Robison
Worship and Music Support Specialist
Community of Christ Headquarters
Independence, MO, USA