Author: John Schultz

That’s an interesting question… The

That’s an interesting question…
The Accidental Choir Director has an interesting question on his blog:
why can’t we sing chant as energetically as praise and worship music? Isn’t chant joyful?
Well – no. Chant is not particularly joyful. Chant expressed with very subdued emotion the sacred from within us. In that respect it’s counter-cultural, non-Romantic, utterly different from the mundane music that has made it’s way into the liturgy. The energy of a chant is prayer expressed in a very different way than, for example, Evangelicals at a worship service. It’s not as much a theological difference, simply a cultural difference in the type of expression.
Where people fail in the execution of chant is often around the tempo and style. Chant sung too slowly or not smoothly ceases to be an effective prayer just as hymns that are too slow or too fast do. Slow chant is a “dirge” or “no fun” or even worse “boring.” Fast chant doesn’t happen tool much since it’s human nature to sing somewhat slower if you’re not following an accompanist. The cantor becomes the leader in a chant and shouldn’t be afraid to keep it moving.
Of course there’s the crowd that thinks anything written before 1960 is boring. To address that point: Amy Welborn has a post today that states it very simply. It’s not about boring, it’s about prayer and encouraging prayer.
And that means there are times where one needs to get over their tastes and just pray.

Anyone ever heard of St.

Anyone ever heard of St. Eve?
Is Eve (of Adam and Eve fame) a canonized saint? I was taken aback to hear that in the litany of the saints at a parish. Baptisms were happening and one of the kids getting baptised was named Eva. If you have any info – please share.

More on Jazz in church

More on Jazz in church
Lots of discussion on Sing of the Lord’s Goodness below.
I don’t think the piece is so hard to sing. The rhythm is catchy. It is a little high for your average person.
The catch is: the sound of it and its connotation. Close your eyes and sing the song – are you in church, or some smokey club, working on your 2nd G&T and smoking menthol cigarettes? Are you wearing a stupid hat and sunglasses even though it’s 11pm? Do you have a bag of weed under the passenger seat?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, you understand the cultural baggage of jazz and why it’s non-liturgical, even anti-liturgical music.
Or it could just be extra-liturgical music. Maybe this town needs a group of Jazz musicians who are dedicated Christians.
Jazz for Jesus.