At CLC we run the PC’s external monitor output into a 1×2 VGA distribution amplifier so we can preview what we’ll be sending to the projector on a second monitor. We didn’t have that set up at T4G either, which made last-minute edits difficult.

About that projection problems: We’re a small congregation in Zurich, Switzerland. We use Powerpoint to project the songs but that program often overwhelms people (which sometimes are asked just 5 minutes before the service starts. And last sunday we had to sing the last 3 songs without any projection) and doesn’t leave room for spontanous songs.

Do you have suggestions for better suited programs?

There is something about the older hymns we sing. Not too long ago I was in the Sunday lineup to sing in a trio. I could count on one hand the times I’ve sat in the congregation and watched the choir sing - I’m normally in the choir. However, it was logistically better for the three of us to sit on the front row and just come up instead of stepping over everyone in the choir. We sang “Great is Thy Faithfulness” just before we went up. I’ve always been encouraged to see the congregation worship. I can see now why they are often so demonstrative. Watching God glorified in the worship choir was stirring and I found myself rather choked up as I thought of how God has been so faithful in my life. Then, as I stepped up I thought, “how can I sing after that?”

I realized early on that a group of average men will sing better in lower keys. Providing music for Christian retreats, some of which are for men only, prompted me to create folders for the musicians that had lower keys for the men’s weekends. Especially early in the morning, nearly all men can be considered basses. There is a special glory to hearing a packed room full of men growling out “Our God Reigns” at full resonance.

I especially appreciate your mention of keeping a Bible handy. Whenever I have the opportunity to lead, I love to verbally place the music in context, often calling to mind a particular experience in this world and using the meaning of the music to align our thinking scripturally and theologically to God.

As for the learning of more challenging music, I’ve heard people from time to time complain about difficult music used for worship. While we don’t want the prevalence of such to be divisive, some measure of learning music is a discipline that is healthy for congregations to undertake. Worship itself is a discipline and the discipline of music can help a group of people focus on the goal, not of rehearsing merely music, but of rehearsing our praise to God in new and unifying ways.

Thank for sharing your thoughts with us! As always, this was a most informative and helpful post, bringing relevant instruction from your experience in the past and in the moment. I do have one question. You made the statement “Higher notes do make you sing with more passion” - do you really think that it is true that the pitch of the notes MAKE one sing with more passion? We have had more than one debate about key and vocal range on our team. Singing higher notes makes me FEEL like I’m singing more passionately, but is that real or just an illusion? I’d love to hear some further thoughts about this!

I was not familiar with “My Song is Love Unknown” until you linked to it here, and after watching several different performances of the piece on the wonder that is youtube, I have been singing it to myself all day. It’s haunting and beautiful and poignant.

But, as I was singing it and reading through the lyrics this evening, something struck me: one verse speaks of the crowd who “sometimes… strew his way” and sang his praise, but then says of the same people “Then ‘Crucify!’ was all their breath, and for his death they thirst and cry.”

I’m not sure this is biblically correct. I don’t think the people who sang Jesus’ praises when he entered Jerusalem were the same ones who demanded his death a week later. For a good summation of the argument, you can read this guest-blog post at Challies’ place: http://www.challies.com/archives/guest-bloggers/guest-blog-the-crowd-was-not-fickle.php

So I guess my question is this: could such a biblical inaccuracy disqualify this otherwise worthwhile song? Are there ways to subtly re-write these lyrics to avoid speaking of the same group of people in each half of the verse, respectively? Or am I simply mis-reading the text, and Samuel Cross isn’t really talking about the same people at all?

My favorite tune is Fernando Ortega’s version on the 2003 “Night of Your Return” album. That’s the version I’ll teach our congregation soon.

See my response to Sam’s question above. Better yet, just read it here:

First, Mark thought the line “Take my ransomed soul away” could be misunderstood to mean, “Lord, get me out of here as soon as possible because nothing’s happening here.” Reformed Christians have been criticized for being so “other-worldly” that they’re no earthly good.

But I’ve never really liked the last part of the original verse 4: “Send thine angels now to carry me to realms of endless day.” I just don’t think it’s a very strong way to end the hymn. So I tried to bring the focus around to God’s being faithful to his promises rather than introducing thoughts of angels.