June 2005

THE PEOPLES SONG II

Page 6June 2005

THE PEOPLES SONG II

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SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1

MUSIC AT CENTRAL CHURCH

Preamble

Christianity is a singing faith. From the beginning, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs have been an expression of the faith, the hope and the joy of Gods people. The Bible tells us that at the dawn of creation the morning stars sang together... (Job 38:7). From that day forward it has been the custom of Gods people to lift their voices in songs of praise.

Liturgy is the work of the people, indeed, worship is the work of the people. The sound of a congregation lifting its collective voice in praise of God is close to the heart of all worship. In this voice, the Word of God is proclaimed and the faith, the prayers and the aspirations of Gods people are given expression.

Consistent with the Reformed tradition, we believe that the music of the congregation in song is the primary music that expresses our faith and our worship. All other forms of musical expression, instrumental, choral, solo or musical background, are secondary and supplementary to the voice of the congregation.

The congregation of Central Presbyterian Church is not laggard in singing. Many of our members bring good voices to the effort and nearly all are willing to life their voices in the praise of God.

We believe that we should build on the concept of the congregation as the primary maker of music. The music of our worship is the song of Gods people.

Everyone can sing. Christians of all sorts, with and without talent, have a song to sing. All must be given an opportunity and encouragement to offer their song.

The song of the Christian community is

a song of praise

a song of prayer

a song of joy

a song of sorrow

a song of proclamation

a song of Gods story

a song that reaches out

a song of evangelism

a song that binds the community together in its singing

a song of Gods gracious goodness.

The Peoples Song should never be less than the best that is possible. All are encouraged to participate fully

.Believing that the heart of the music program at Central Presbyterian Church is the song of the people, we offer this report in the context of providing for the best possible enhancement of The Peoples Song. It will contain elements that relate directly to the singing of the congregation, some that relate to the service of the congregation at worship and some that are outside the context of worship. Certain aspects are short range and immediate, others that are very long range in nature. But the underlying concept for every part of this proposal is that The Peoples Song may be pleasing to God.

I. A BASIS FOR MUSIC IN THE CHURCH

WE BELIEVE that worship is an expression of our faith in our life, mirroring

our goals of discipleship, service and inclusiveness.

WE BELIEVE that music is an expression of our faith in which we are all

responsible participantscongregation and choir alike

WE BELIEVE that music reflects our commitments to life and our experiences

as a community of faith.

WE BELIEVE, therefore, that music is a tool for drawing people together in

Community and for moving them toward a renewed commitment to justice

and love.

II.THE ROLE OF MUSIC AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

A. Music enhances and aids WORSHIP

Music pours forth from God, filling the creation and the church with the voice of God. As the people of God meet to worship, music becomes a part of our response to the presence of God in prayer, praise, proclamation and thanksgiving.

B. Music enhances and aids COMMUNICATION

From the highest joy to the sorrow that knows no words, music communicates truth, meaning and power. It supports and underscores the words of the pastors.

C. Music enhances and aids CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

From the first note of the Prelude through the last note of the Postlude, the music of Worship is the accompaniment to the peoples preparation for Service. The church cannot keep it music within its walls. As our music memorializes and proclaims Gods Word, the worshiping people go forth to share. The Community responds. We (Central Church) open our doors to that response and the Community becomes one with us.

D. Music enhances and aids COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Music reaches individuals who may come into the congregation. In inviting community music groups to perform at Central in services and special events, and in providing space for community music groups to meet, we support the arts for the benefit of the whole community.

III. COMPONENTS OF MUSIC AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

A. The congregation

The central component of music at Central Presbyterian Church is the congregation itself. This is the worshiping people of God who regularly gather at the corner of Fourth and Kentucky. Music is part of their lives as individuals and as part of the community which is the congregation, and is a part of the life of that body as they sing, hear, perform and invite others to share in this essential element of our life together.

B. The Choir

The choir is the primary adult choral body which serves Central Church through its central responsibility to assist and lead worship. It is expected to be a choral body of skill, commitment and grace as it serves the congregation on a regular basis on Sunday mornings and at special services throughout the year. We see a choir of volunteer and paid choir members.

C. Director of Music

The Director of Music functions as the primary staff person for the overall music program of Central Presbyterian Church and serves as the primary choir director and organist for church services and activities. This person works with the pastors; serves as one of the staff persons to the Worship Committee of the Session; recruits and provides assistance to volunteer choir members; selects and supervises all other paid musicians working at Central Church; proposes and coordinates the musical portions of the community outreach program.

D. Professional Musicians

Professional musicians are hired either on an occasional basis or to serve continuously as needed. The primary purpose of such employment is to augment the capability of the volunteers in the music program at Central Presbyterian Church to provide the highest quality music for church events. These will include section leaders and other participants in the choir, instrumentalists for special services, and other individuals as needed.

E. Cantor (animatur)

The cantor provides leadership in preparing the congregation for the service, including introduction to new or altered music or to particular forms of liturgy with which the congregation may be unfamiliar. During the service the cantor can assist in such ways as the singing of psalms, leading the congregation in sung responses, etc.

Our Report

The words of the Preamble are taken, unchanged, from the 1993 report The Peoples Song prepared by a special committee of Central Presbyterian Church. We took this report as the beginning point for our work. First, we looked closely at it, the assumptions it carried, the proposals it offered, and the conclusions it reached. Then we listened to the congregation. And then we looked again at the report.

Our conclusion is that the report is still valid for us in 2005. What then do we have to offer as our vision for the next 10-15 years?

Our contribution to Central Presbyterian Church and its session and congregation comes in the form of enrichment, enhancement or deepening of the patterns and conclusion of the earlier paper.

First of all, we report that the congregation as a whole is supportive of the music program and activities of Central Church. We had a variety of responses from dont change a thing to lets have a lot more ___________, but we did not hear from anyone that they did not like the music at Central and that it should change. We heard advocates of more traditional music, gospel music and more contemporary up-beat music, but never did we hear that they wanted it instead of or to replace what we have now. Generally, the comments were lets keep what we have and add ___________.

What are some of the things they/you want to add?1.

Youth Education in Worship and Leadership

a.Begin program with present children and expand it as needed;

b.A graded or feeder choir series of age-specific choirs, i.e. preschool, lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, high school choirs;

c.These choirs would prepare children for the next choir and begin their leadership in worship at an early age;

d.The music and activities would be specific to the age group and enhance both their Christian education and their knowledge of and participation in worship;

e.Would need to have qualified leaders for directors and accompanists, but also individuals who would provide support services. Ideally, we would see a paid director for each choir, an accompanist who could serve more than one choir, and a parent and teen support person for each choir;

f.Participation in worship could be periodic and could provide growth experiences for both youth and adults;

g.Possible venue for formal music training for individuals on a volunteer basis.

2. Instrumentalists

a. Continue the use of instrumentalists to enhance special services and to accompany the choir for special events;

b. Encourage the congregation to include giving to the special fund for musicians (now called the James G. Ritchey Fund for Musicians in Worship);

c. Use such instruments as guitar, woodwinds, percussion instruments on a more frequent basis;

d. Continue use of both organ and piano. There were those who wanted to hear more of the piano, and others who thought the same about the organ;

e. Incorporation of members of the congregation who have instrumental skills but who do not wish to sing in the choir into the worship leadership of the congregation;

f. Creation of small instrumental ensembles (brass choir, guitar group, etc.) made up of members of the congregation;

g. Use of such organizations as the Voices of Kentuckiana and the River City Drum Corps to provide music leadership for some of our services and events;

h. Development of hand bell choirs for various age groups.

3. Hymns

Perhaps because we asked questions about hymns, we had a lot of responses in listening sessions, notes from bulletin inserts and elsewhere about the hymns. This congregation is clearly interested in what, why and how we sing together.

a.Continue the careful integration of music and word that now characterizes our worship experiences;

b.Continue the cultural and ethnic diversity among the hymns that we sing while each time taking measures to educate the congregation as to their content and how they fit within the context of theology at Central Presbyterian Church;

c.Provide for continued experiences that lead us through a variety of different types and historical periods of hymnody.

4. Special Services and Musical Events

a.Add to the annual calendar hymn sings where the music would be chosen on the basis of familiarity and style, rather than necessarily on basis of content. This would be a way that we could sing hymns that are familiar to our childhood, but have a theology that we as a congregation no longer embrace, e.g. Old Rugged Cross, In the Garden etc.;

b.Hosting community musical events and recitals;

c.Continuing such events as the Jazz Service;

d.Initiating a Taize service on a periodic basis, perhaps in the chapel and on a multi-congregational basis;

e.Consideration of events from various musical traditions, e.g. Gospel Service, Evening of Chant, Music from Around the World, Music from the Early Church;

f.Congregational or community talent shows;

g.Hosting or developing musical dramas.

5. Adult Choir

a.Continue to build volunteer membership;

b.Continue to use paid singers as part of the ensemble;

c.Schedule special musically unique events every 4-6 weeks;

d.Schedule multiple (3) major choral presentations annually;

e.Incorporate soloists, duets, trios, etc. more frequently;

f.Increase variety in selection of music, perhaps with emphasis on more contemporary and/or upbeat music;

g.Widen variety of culturally diverse music;

h.Sanctuary choir loft enlargement to accommodate 40-50 singers;

Specific responses from listening groups, bulletin comments and all other sources are detailed on the attached appendix.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Key ConclusionsAs we did our work, it was clear that some concerns carried greater weight than others. As a result, we present the following as our key conclusions for your consideration.

1.Youth in Worship

One of the elements that rose clearly to the top of our responses was that of youth participation n worship. The committee met with the leader of the childrens choir programs from Highland Presbyterian Church. It is our thought that the exact form of this endeavor may take any of several shapes, but is critical to the life of the congregation.

2Personnel

Adding to the music program will have limited success without increasing the personnel capacity. Any new efforts will need volunteer leadership, direction and coordination or an increase in paid hours for the churchs Director of Music.

3.Facilities

The primary concerns that rose to our attention include:

a.The need for a larger choir loft. If our choir is to grow, it is imperative that the choir loft be expanded to hold at least 40 singers;

b.We clearly must have an expanded sound system that not only accommodates input from more locations as the worship is lead from more areas and needs to provide service to more participants;

c.A more comprehensive sound system;

d.Upgraded rehearsal space.

4Use of Paid Singers

The congregation overwhelmingly responded that they like what is currently happening with the music program at Central and want more of it. It is this task forces assessment that maintenance of current programming levels and quality along with implementation of new activities would be impossible without the paid section leaders in the choir. To that end, it is our recommendation (see below) that the paid positions be maintained.

ImplementationAs a group, the committee would like to make the following recommendations for consideration by the Session.

A. Undertake a congregation-wide worship education endeavor

1.Introduce youth to the elements, meaning and leadership of congregational worship;

2.Develop a conscious program of childrens participation in and leadership of worship;

3.Assist the congregation to understand the elements of this report and their necessary budgetary impact;

4.Encourage individual giving to the Musicians in Worship fund.

B.Find a means for church members to take an active role in planning the worship life of the congregation.

1. Increase lay participation in worship leadership;

2. Increase lay participation in the detailed worship planning on a seasonal/periodic basis;

3. Take the lead in selecting and inviting preachers including those who use media other than simply the spoken word;

4. Increase participation of the congregation in supporting the special music fund to provide for additional selected artists to contribute to worship services.

C.Carry our experience beyond our walls into the community.

1.Consider the weekly streaming of our worship service both live and in archival form on our website.

a.Available for the home-bound to participate on a timely or chosen basis in our worship;

b.Example to other congregations of worship in a More Light Church.

2.Develop small ensembles (vocal and instrumental) to visit other churches and provide leadership for other events;

3.Development of a CD by our choir.

D.Maintain at high quality level we now have.

1.Maintain the piano and organ for optimum performance;

2.Consider addition of harpsichord to musical instruments of the church;

3.Consider addition of a small tracker pipe organ in the Chapel which could be used, if desired, for teaching organ;

4.Purchase handbell set to allow development of handbell choirs;

5.Extend the Skinner organ umbilical cord to permit the console to be moved to any place on the chancel;

6.Consider addition of selected ranks to the Skinner organ;

7.Improve the quality of the space for rehearsal;

8.Increase the size of the choir loft to accommodate at least 40 persons.

E. Incorporate into planning of the congregation, additional music staff as budget and need provides.

1.Full-time Director of Music;

2.Addition of childrens choir directors and/or accompanists;

3.Addition of administrative assistance for music program.

F.Install expanded sound system in the sanctuary

1. Provide a better and more comprehensive sound system than we now have, that will provide better coverage of elements of the service as they take place in various places in the sanctuary with more participants;

2. Provide control from within the sanctuary itself by active operator during services;

3. Support the streaming of our worship services on the internet.

G.Maintain paid singers as members of Adult Choir

Provide skill to support continuing the present high level of musical quality and repertoire.

A Note from the CommitteeThese hopes and dreams for the future of the music program at Central will need to be considered in the context of the hopes and dreams for other aspects of Centrals future. The comments and recommendations we have made do not take into account any particular expectations for congregational growth at Central. We are very aware that as downtown Louisville grows and expands and as the Old Louisville area continues its rebirth and accommodation to the expanding University of Louisville campus, the presently visible growth patterns may change dramatically. We may have more, or (God forbid) even fewer children. The adult (households with few or no children) downtown population may expand dramatically with higher levels of income and greater involvement in the arts. We believe that what we have said here will be a basis for adaptation to whatever the future brings, but in every case will increase the mission of the church to provide a vital and dynamic voice in our area celebrating our differences and reaching out to others with God's peace and love. As members and friends of the congregation we are committed to an expression of our faith that includes, as full parts of the faith community, old, young, female, male, persons with disabilities, and persons of all cultures, races, nations and sexual orientations.

Molly Atkinson, DiAne Boese, Ann Downs, Robb Gwaltney, Eileene MacFalls, Jeff Sodowsky, David Wheeler; Guy Younce, Mark Baridon, Ann Deibert, ex officio