austinbrown2
Puritan Board Freshman
Starting Point: Let's assume the truth of the Psalms only no instrument position.
What should regulate how the Psalms are sung? I'm a lover of music. In fact, there is hardly a form of music that I don't appreciate and enjoy in some respect. As such, when I think about our modern Psalters and Psalm singing in general, I often wonder why there isn’t more variety of style to how they are put together. A good number adopt the tunes from popular hymns, and almost all of them have a certain ethno centered, well, a kind of straight laced Anglo styled form to them. Some will split and create two voiced textures, but for the most part they are cyclical and fairly hymn like.
Questions for my EP no instrument brothers:
1. Would you object to singing the Psalms in all kinds of musical styles? Why not flare up certain Psalms by utilizing different musical techniques- contra-pontel, echo, linear structure to the song, pauses, gradual introduction of more people singing, volume envelopes, etc., to create specific styles of music? I am often disappointed at how poor certain tunes match up with certain Psalms. We will be singing about warfare or whatever and the tune is almost a kind of waltz. Huh???
2. Would you object to creating a distinct Afro-beat, or even a rap like movement, by combining the time signature with a certain syncopation and vocal emphasis?
3. Would it be wrong to use our voices to create sound effects for the song?
4. Does the Psalms only no instrument position rule out the use of clapping?
5. What about the command in Scripture to sing the Psalms to a certain tune? For example, Psalm 9 says “To the tune of Death of a Son.” Does this make the RPW EP guy nervous? How can we fulfill this command?
6. What is an acceptable amount of “Psalmic alteration?” We will change the Psalms around so that they will fit a certain meter or rhyme. How much of this is acceptable?
7. In light of question (1), do missionaries seek to construct the Psalms or allow the natives to construct the Psalms in such a musical fashion that the sound of the Psalm reflects their particular cultural milieu?
Thanks,
Austin
What should regulate how the Psalms are sung? I'm a lover of music. In fact, there is hardly a form of music that I don't appreciate and enjoy in some respect. As such, when I think about our modern Psalters and Psalm singing in general, I often wonder why there isn’t more variety of style to how they are put together. A good number adopt the tunes from popular hymns, and almost all of them have a certain ethno centered, well, a kind of straight laced Anglo styled form to them. Some will split and create two voiced textures, but for the most part they are cyclical and fairly hymn like.
Questions for my EP no instrument brothers:
1. Would you object to singing the Psalms in all kinds of musical styles? Why not flare up certain Psalms by utilizing different musical techniques- contra-pontel, echo, linear structure to the song, pauses, gradual introduction of more people singing, volume envelopes, etc., to create specific styles of music? I am often disappointed at how poor certain tunes match up with certain Psalms. We will be singing about warfare or whatever and the tune is almost a kind of waltz. Huh???
2. Would you object to creating a distinct Afro-beat, or even a rap like movement, by combining the time signature with a certain syncopation and vocal emphasis?
3. Would it be wrong to use our voices to create sound effects for the song?
4. Does the Psalms only no instrument position rule out the use of clapping?
5. What about the command in Scripture to sing the Psalms to a certain tune? For example, Psalm 9 says “To the tune of Death of a Son.” Does this make the RPW EP guy nervous? How can we fulfill this command?
6. What is an acceptable amount of “Psalmic alteration?” We will change the Psalms around so that they will fit a certain meter or rhyme. How much of this is acceptable?
7. In light of question (1), do missionaries seek to construct the Psalms or allow the natives to construct the Psalms in such a musical fashion that the sound of the Psalm reflects their particular cultural milieu?
Thanks,
Austin