Is the music being played in Sydney Anglican churches out of tune with our mission strategy?
"I think we are being driven by Hillsong," says Jodie McNeill, host and co-producer of the TWIST conference. "But we can not match their level of competence in normal circumstances."
Two years ago SC conducted a survey which showed that only a third of our congregations had a band. At the other end of the spectrum around 60 per cent of congregations are cobbling together music resources, with the vast majority using either keyboard or guitar accompanied by some other instrument.
Our latest investigation has found that the trend since the 1990s towards a rock, guitar-focused genre is virtually impossible for embryonic congregations to reproduce.
Ironically, it is a concern with mission that has pushed the trend towards Hillsong-style music. The National Church Life Survey (NCLS) has consistently shown that churches that have contemporary music are more likely to see newcomers in their pews.
However, the link between growth and contemporary music can be overblown. There is no great shift away from traditional church music in people's tastes.
This is clearly shown in the preliminary data released to SC from the latest NCLS. Sam Sterland from the NCLS explains that Sydney Anglicans keep picking one of the three traditional options, such as traditional hymns, and one of the three contemporary options on the list. In 2001 54 per cent of Sydney Anglicans chose one of the traditional church music options and 79 per cent chose a contemporary option. In the latest survey the figures had barely moved with 52 per cent picking a traditional option and 78 per cent a contemporary option.
"This suggests it is not an "either/or' choice pastors need to make but a balance as many people like a bit of both," he said.
The point is that church leaders can be more open to styles of music other than the dominant soft rock genre, if it means we are going to deliver a more effective music program in our new church plants.
In the context of church planting, Jodie McNeill says a lack of music resources should actually be seen as a blessing.
"It can encourage members who otherwise would have sat on their musical hands to now participate."
Yet, as SC talked to people with experience in leading church music groups and orchestras it became clearer that even aiming to grow a music program towards the rock band model is vexed.
Wendy Toulmin is well-known for her work leading music programs at the Katoomba Christian Convention over many years. She also organised the performance of Opera Orchestra and a 600-member choir for the two BBC Songs of Praise filmed at the Sydney Opera House during the Sydney Olympics.
"To build up a music program and develop different musicians so they can work together takes a lot of time. You have to work at it," she says.
"Yes, we can grow the music group as we get more newcomers, but this needs coordination. Unless churches have committed music leadership it's just not going to happen."
Of course, God willing, it is possible that churches can find a skilled volunteer. However, it is very unlikely that small church plants will find the financial resources to employ a music director.
Jodie McNeill sees the solution in providing a new, simpler genre of music.
"Our line of missional attack means that we must be prepared to farewell the regular congregational mega-band," he says. "If we are going to make smaller congregations, then the music will be smaller. In a way we need to be saying, "grab some bongos and just sing'."
A simpler tune?
The DOMINANCE of guitar-based music is reducing the number of music volunteers. This can be seen by looking at the wider Christian scene. Sydney Anglicans are not alone in seeing a decline in accompanying musicians. SC understands that music leaders in some Pentecostal churches have also
seen a drop in the number of musicians who play accompanying instruments such as brass, woodwind, and strings.
But the issue is more acute for Sydney Anglicans because the shape of our mission strategy requires our musical resources to be spread more thinly and this means we need all hands on deck.
At heart this isn't a battle over musical tastes.
Wendy Toulmin explains it's actually a complex, technical issue. In simple terms, music written in the keys that suit guitarists can be nearly impossible for inexperienced brass and woodwind to play because of the number of sharps (see chart) and for strings because of the number of flats. This problem is compounded because the music has to be "transposed' because there are no parts available for these instruments.
In the past, many hymns were written in C or keys with minimum sharps and flats, making them relatively easy for all instruments. Scripture in Song in the seventies also had reasonably easy keys. But since the nineties songs have been getting more and more guitar-oriented.
That means many beginner musicians drop out of church music because it's just too hard - a far cry from what's envisioned by the Diocesan Mission.
Wendy Toulmin's husband Graham is a trumpeter and has seen the impact on the ground.
"After nearly 40 years involved in Christian music," says Graham. "I have watched over the past decade or so, as more and more young players of transposing instruments - that is trumpets, saxes, clarinets - have stopped taking part in church services. I believe there are many musos out there, but they won't play because its too hard to transpose music, plus work out your own arrangements."
Leading Sydney Anglican songwriter Rob Smith seems genuinely surprised by the idea that guitar-based songs are too difficult for other instruments.
"The comment about the inappropriateness of guitar-based songs is a surprising one," he says.
Reduced rehearsal time
At SPRINGWOOD Anglican, they have not only been planting new congregations off-site but also multiplying congregations within their existing buildings. On this front-line of the Mission, SC wonders if music practice is the thing that gets squeezed out between new services?
Graham admits it does. And the consequence? "When these young musicians play in the school band or local amateur orchestra, they are given charts to play. If they practice they can improve and the band sounds better. In Christian music it is often "make it up on the spot as we only have piano parts'. And when you have several musicians, good or bad, doing their own thing what you have is "soup'."
Jodie McNeill agrees lack of rehearsal time is an issue churches need to address.
"If we want our church to be a place for outsiders, then we need to give music attention," he says. "Indeed, as the Pentecostals have shown, music is a powerful drawcard, not something to be shy about. But it needs energy. Our preachers give 5 to 50 hours a week preparing 20 minutes, but our band often gives 5 minutes practice for 20 minutes in the service. We need to recognise that music is a word ministry and give it the attention it deserves."
However, Graham Toulmin says the major problem is that there is hardly any user-friendly Christian music available for instruments other than pianos and guitars.
"If people who composed the songs thought of the whole body and produced simple charts for instruments other than piano or guitar it would make the whole thing a lot simpler and helpful for younger players," he says. "For experienced players who are used to improvising… it is easier to make things sound better."
Wendy, who works with the world mission-focused Langham Partnership, adds that it is important to keep these problems in perspective.
"Music is not the be all and end all. Ministry is much bigger than music."
Developing beginners
IN THE last year Graham Toulmin and Chris Sheerman have been instrumental in organising the Springwood-Winmalee Anglican Combined Christian Orchestra as a way of developing young musicians and mobilising older ones who weren't playing in any services.
"The second time we had 22 musicians drawn from the various services in the parish and it was really appreciated by the musicians themselves and by the whole congregation," says Graham. "But it took a lot of work."
Writing the arrangements is a big barrier for such church initiatives. At Springwood many of the charts for the Australian-composed songs were those previously sent by the Toulmins to well-known conducter Noel Tredinnick in London, costing several hundreds of dollars. Chris Sheerman did the rest.
"It was good that Chris was able to come on board and use his arranging gifts as it opened up a whole new ministry for a lot of people and enabled people to praise God in a fresh way," says Graham.
Songwriter Rob Smith agrees churches do need to provide opportunities to develop young musicians.
"There is a need for church music groups to consciously seek to grow and develop, and also to be intentional about training up the next generation, making use of things like the TWIST conference."
Jodie McNeill explains TWIST can especially help new and small congregations. "What do you do in a small church-plant with next to no music at all? One option is to get one member to play guitar. With a library of five chords, and someone to help rewrite the music, anyone can play most songs.
"The organisers of TWIST are acutely aware of the needs of congregations that have limited resources and we are providing a music workshop for the small and under-resourced church," he says, adding that it is possible that they could also provide simple charts.
Rob Smith says church members also need to reduce their expectations.
"It's highly unlikely that most church music groups " however good they are " are going to be able to replicate the sound and excitement of a CD… But that is not the goal. The goal is enable God's people to praise Him and to edify each other."
"A certain level of musical proficiency is necessary for this to happen, and practice and prayer indispensable, but I'm often delighted at how well God enables his people to get on with the real business of glorifying him and encouraging each other."
