Musical Mayhem???
Our Church has a new band.
The musical variety, I mean. Complete with guitars (acoustic and electrical), drums, keyboard and a group of vocalists with angelic voices. All made up from our youth.
I got to hear them play (or ‘jam’, as they preferred to call it) last Sunday, and I was stunned. Not only did the songs sound great (they did Shout to the Lord and another one I haven’t heard before), but the teamwork and cooperation involved and the practice and effort they had clearly put in were quite impressive. “This,” I thought to myself, “is a beautiful icon of what it means to be in harmony with one’s brothers and sisters.”
The style of music they play is of course, quite western. Rather ‘rock’ in fact. I wonder how the rest of our parish community will relate to this new development? No doubt there are those with more conservative tastes in music who will find this style a bit too loud and too energetic to strike a spiritual chord with them, and that is fine. Our youth have often expressed the fact that they find middle eastern hymns too slow and too quiet to move their impatient young souls! It is nice that we can offer a varied menu in Church so that everyone can find something to suit their spiritual palate.
But I wonder if anyone will be downright offended by this new musical style. Here are some of the responses I fully expect to hear in coming weeks and months:
A. “Rock music is satanic. Any music with a beat, or worse, with a drum beat, is evil.”
B. “This is not our tradition.”
C. “This is Protestant music.”
D. “We don’t want to become Hillsong.”
E. “This will make the youth think Church is giving them permission to listen to horrible worldly music on the radio.”
F. “What is our Church coming to???”
Hmmmm. I’d better contemplate these questions, which I have no doubt will flow from some very sincere and genuine hearts, so I can be sure they don’t have a point. Mind if I share my machinations with you? Perhaps you can also give me some feedback.
A. “Rock music is satanic. Any music with a beat, or worse, with a drum beat, is evil.”
This objection is based, I suppose, on the fairly valid physiological finding that our bodies do enjoy synchronising with an external rhythm. You experience this when you hear a snazzy tune and your foot starts to tap in time with it. Or perhaps when you watch a troop marching and feel like getting up and joining in their apparently perfect regularity. Of course, dancing, modern and ancient, also depend a lot on this rhythm.
But I cannot see that rhythm is in and of itself in any way evil. In fact, music that does not possess rhythm is usually quite unacceptable to our ears. Classical music has rhythm. Middle Eastern Church hymns have rhythm. Liturgical responses have rhythm (often set by the triangle and cymbals). Tasbeha Praises are boiling over with rhythm. One of them, in fact, the First Hoas, uses rhythm to powerfully evoke a sense of marching along with the children of Israel as Moses led them through the Red Sea and out of Egypt. It is a true ‘marching song’. Does this therefore make them evil, because they have the power to draw attention to themselves and engross us, perhaps even hypnotise us with their beat? I don’t know anyone who would say that.
Surely then, it is the lyrics of the song, the intent of the composer and the intent of the singer that makes a song of good or evil effect? There are love songs on the pop charts that become the most beautiful prayers of love for God if you just replace the guy/girl the composer intended with God, and direct the words to Him. Of course there are others that a lost cause however hard you try to ‘baptise’ them.
In our African Coptic Churches every Sunday, there are drums being played along with the traditional cymbals and triangles. That is their culture, and they do not feel that a song is complete if it does not have a drum accompaniment. The worshippers sway from side to side gently as they sing the liturgical responses; try and stop them! It’s part of the expression of their joy in praising God. Like David the Prophet, they are ‘dancing to the Lord’. And why would you want to stop them? It’s quite moving to watch and inspiring to take part in.
Now we are not talking here about introducing our band into the liturgy - God forbid! Our beautiful ancient rites are of a totally different nature and serve a totally different purpose. Where there is joy in the liturgy, it is of the more solemn type, suitable for being in the direct physical presence of the Creator of worlds whose real Body and Blood rest upon the altar. But when we are outside the solemnities of the liturgy (or any other traditional Coptic rite for that matter), surely there is a degree of freedom to use whatever musical style speaks most effectively to our hearts? The one does not cancel out the other, but the same person can enjoy both, deeply and fully, in the different situations and environments.
Perhaps that’s enough deep thought for one day. I might leave the other points for future blogs. But please, do let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts, either by leaving a comment below, or if you prefer, by personal email to frantonios@ optusnet.com.au.
Fr Ant
August 12th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Our local English Church” Mt Druit ” has got well organized and cooperative group of deacons who work in a team spirit all the time during the mass as well as during the hymns which put the whole congregation with them in attentive way and in a big group enjoying the presence of Jesus with us and praising the name of God …..so with such good foundation and great right ritual attitude i beeeelieve the introduction of some modern musical instruments specially such organ , piano , violin during the hymns will maximize our heavenly enjoyment presence …our great David the prophet not only used to use musical instruments and singing but he used to dance for God from his great joy in his holy presence ….i believe it will be great positive experience for our church as one of the revolution organizational aspects to get our church in the next decades to come …..may God make the doors of the church open all the time and attract more believers till thy kingdom come , amen ….
August 14th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Another issue of interest about those musical instruments and its importance to some Christian believers i came across it recently in WYD and it might be of interest to some and that when bishop Zubier of the Catholic church of Sudan visited Sydney and a lot of of Catholic Christian believers from Sudan “mainly southern of Sudan ” gathered in the Mass to enjoy his visit and i was around to enjoy the blessing of this great spiritual man of God and they raised the issue that the old congregation missed the way of church life ” church culture ” used to enjoy their church and praise God over there through their DRUMS during the hymns and mass however they felt happy with the Australian way of life in the churches for their children , i believe it is happening the opposite with us as coptes in this part of the world , however the Bishop decided to send them two priests to fulfill their spiritual needs , what a great Democratic way and trust between a true spiritual shepherd and his flock to look after them , anyhow i thought to bring the issue as relevant to our current issue , we might benefit from it and learn about others as at the end of the day all of us Christians …praise the name of God by your life , amen ……
August 17th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
“To the pure all things are pure” - Titus 1:15, If this helps the growth any persons spiritual life, and it is truly down out of purity and love, allowing them to draw closer to God, who are we to interfere.
September 21st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Agreed. I think whatever makes you feel closer to God is good. Now a day, in a speedy world, an upbeat song is nice to listen to. And definitely, the words to the song make all the difference. But to what extent does the singer of the song go to, in order for it to be considered inappropriate? (ie. their movements and their style of dressing)