{"id":994,"date":"2012-10-23T14:01:09","date_gmt":"2012-10-23T20:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/philfoxrose\/?p=994"},"modified":"2012-10-23T14:51:20","modified_gmt":"2012-10-23T20:51:20","slug":"leading-song-without-written-lyrics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/philfoxrose\/2012\/10\/leading-song-without-written-lyrics\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading song without written lyrics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>Both the pastor, Emily Scott, and community coordinator, Rachel Pollack, of my church, St. Lydia\u2019s<\/a>, are part of Music That Makes Community<\/a>, a workshop series that teaches congregational song leaders how to work without hymnals, printed music or projected lyrics. (The next workshop is this weekend in New York<\/a>.) So I know firsthand from weekly experience what it\u2019s like to be in a congregation that uses this approach. There are no props at all; the leader runs through the song once or twice first, then leads everyone. You listen and mimic. If the song\u2019s a bit complicated, the listen and repeat process is broken into chunks. <\/p>\n

When you\u2019re not staring down at paper, or over a band\u2019s heads at a screen, you\u2019re more able to be fully present, to look around you at the other congregants; singing becomes even more communal. It also has the benefit of being cheaper and easier, since you need no printed materials or projectors or bands \u2014 just a song leader and optionally a drone or drum or something to keep the rhythm.<\/p>\n

And of course, it\u2019s rooted in ancient practice. Until the Middle Ages and beyond, most people didn\u2019t know how to read, musical notation was rare and printing didn\u2019t exist. So all communal singing was done with some form of call and response or simple memorization.<\/p>\n