Sing it Sister–But Not That

Posted by Carina | July 27, 2009 | 82 Comments

When I was growing up Sacrament meeting usually meant a host of things: great talks from brilliant people, gum if we behaved ourselves during the sacrament, trying to convince your parents to let you sit with your best friend’s family, and elaborate musical numbers which ranged from fantastic to awful. The tales of the judge who gave his talks to the congregation by walking the stand without a microphone will have to wait for another day, because we need to reminisce a little.

If you didn’t come of age in the church in the 80s and early 90s, then you may have missed the zenith (or was it nadir?) of the popular song church performance. Most often seen at missionary farewells, a performance was often a group of girls (hair perfectly permed and teased, lace collars absolutely straight,) who would bustle up to the stand and gather round a mic. All around the chapel last minute bets would be placed on which song would be played: In the Hollow of Thy Hand, El Shaddai, or Via Dolorosa? It was always the same songs with only the singers and instruments varying. Maybe a quartet of a soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Perhaps a violin, flute, and soprano. At least two of you can remember an alto and didgerido combo that is still the talk of the 7th ward a mere eighteen years later.

(I should stipulate that my parents did not allow that type of church music in our home. Maybe it wasn’t that outright, maybe it was just a curl of disdain at the plastic tape filled with saccharine Christian pop that they refused to purchase with their hard earned money. I even recall outright scoffing. Music began with Mozart and ended with Mahler as far as my father was concerned. I distinctly remember my mom teaching us how to dance to the strains of Jobim and Gilberto’s Girl From Ipanema. You can imagine that the same household that sanctioned the Bossa Nova and all things Viennese would be a little skeptical of Mormon pop music.)

One more performance of a Lost Carol, yet another strain of the latest Janice Kapp Perry, those were heady times for enthusiastic singer. It felt wildly democratic–any of us could get up and sing, and we often did. The friends of the missionary would have arranged several performances during one Sunday, hitting all the farewells on the West side. There were even the “voluntary” appearances by what looked suspiciously like your high school choir.

So it was that we, as a people, were gently reminded, persuaded, and then outright told that musical numbers should come from hymns and appropriate pieces*. Why? Because the brethren had had enough of the pop in the chapel, and the spectacles that ensued.

I can’t say I blame them, in fact, I would hazard to say that I was relieved and still am relieved that I no longer have to listen to the Christian pop song of the year during my hour of worship. I like knowing that if I’m going to hear music it’s going to be appropriate, and at least reaching for lovely, in its choice of Come, Come Ye Saints.

Of course maybe, just maybe, something like this wedding might change my mind.

What are your favorite musical performance memories, serious or giggle-inducing? Do you miss the good ol’ days?

*Edited for correction, see comments for more details

Category: Slice of Life

Comments

82 Responses to “Sing it Sister–But Not That”

Jane
July 27th, 2009 @ 11:37 am

So, I keep seeing that video on the interwebs — isn’t Chris Brown the one who beat up Rhianna? (Or is that someone else?)

On the music — I heard Breath of Heaven for the first time this past Christmas. Sung by our very own former-Disney singer. Very expressive. (And then TAMN wrote about singing it impromptu w/ her MiaMaids, and I about died).
April
July 27th, 2009 @ 11:59 am

I have to say living in the North East and being a convert to the church, I miss the occational Missionary farwell that included musical preformances and stories of their childhood! I can see where it would get uncomfortable in Utah when soo many are leaving on missions. Here we can only hope for two or three a year. It was these Farewells and activities that first endeared me to this church. It was through these farewells I realized I wanted to go on a mission and imagined my children singing these songs for their brothers as they left to go on theirs. I can imagine that to a family who has grown up in the church with good musical influence may find these to be silly or make some feel left out. These are magical for someone who has grown up outside of the church who longs for the truth in their lives.
Carina
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:03 pm

April,
Beautiful perspective. I asked my husband if he remembered these performances from his years in Florida. He looked at me as if I’d grown a foot from my head. Apparently, he never witnessed such things. I suspect that these popular music performances were somewhat regional.

And yes, Jane, Chris Brown.
Brenda
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:09 pm

I’m a major critic when it comes to the ward choir or any musical number. I have to remind myself that I am not Simon Cowell and that it takes guts to get up there and do anything at all.

I also have to confess to actually missing some of those JKP (among other artists) songs in Sacrament meeting. There are a lot of beautiful songs that are very appropriate. I think the brethren came out with the policy of only singing hymns because some of the songs crossed a line. For example, some Steven Kapp Perry or Kenneth Cope songs are beautiful and spiritually uplifting while others are too rock-n-roll sounding. Some people just couldn’t decipher between the two and it because a problem in Sacrament meeting.
Brenda
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

BECAME a problem. (I didn’t edit before posting!)
Annette
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:13 pm

First off, that wedding video is hysterical. Second, I think when I was little we attended the same chapel, I was picturing those painful songs in the same building.

I’m sure those songs were touching and helpful for some people, but they were so prevalent in Utah that I’m glad they’re pretty much in the past–with the big poofy bangs and lace collars. There are seriously several JKP songs that I can start and end up accidentally finish with a different one because they all sound so similar.
b.
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:23 pm

Music is so personal.
What brings me great comfort or strengthens my testimony or makes me feel the spirit may not do the same for you.
What sings to the youth may not sing to the adults.
I think there is wisdom in bringing it back to basics.
El Shaddai, really?

I recently had the opportunity to attend Christian church services on base at a military boot camp. The troops came in dragging tail and tired. The soulful preacher sang his entire sermon, there was a live band, and the words to the “hymns” in Power Point on a big screen behind the preacher. By the second song…the troops were up on their feet, arms swaying back and forth, eyes closed, and some serious worship was taking place. People were feeling the spirit.
I loved it.
I don’t know that I’d want to do that every week, but for that one time…I loved it!
Katie
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:29 pm

While I agree there ought be some standard of reverence and quality in the work performed in the chapel, I don’t think we need to be music snobs and bash others for not living up to our standards. I think we should appreciate the efforts made by those girls with poofy bangs and lace collars to try to invite the spirit through music, even if they did not always hit the mark. I am not musically talented myself so I appreciate the courage it takes others put themselves out there and perform in church.
Latter-day Guy
July 27th, 2009 @ 12:47 pm

This post is scarily accurate! One day, I want to get revenge by performing something by Messiaen during sacrament meeting, just to watch the Bishopric blanch.
jenny
July 27th, 2009 @ 1:21 pm

This is the honest truth.

In a ward in Colorado, I witnessed a rendition of “His Hands.” The singer(s) {I honestly can’t remember if there were one or two singers…I was distracted.} was/were fairly respectable. No odd scooping or warbling. BUT, standing next to them was a
{okay, I thought about not being mean, but I just have to desribe it this way}
very short {oom pa loompa like} very tan, very bleach-blonde, very bouncy, very enthusiastic cheerleader-laurel from our ward.
She wasn’t standing near the mike. What was she doing up there? The music began, then the singers,

then the side show.

An interpretive choreography from the waist-up. I would call it grandiose signing, but I don’t think that’s what it was. Miming {already bad enough, yes?} gone horribly wrong. Complete with the fierce and sudden pounding of imaginary nails in the palms every time the word “hands” was mentioned.

I tried to not let my jaw sink toward the floor.
It was an effort.
I felt like I was watching an SNL skit.
I whispered under my breath to my husband to quit looking at me, quit trying to catch my eye…
And then I had to leave the chapel because I was terrified I would burst out laughing.

It was the best performance EVER.
But for all the wrong reasons.
wendy
July 27th, 2009 @ 1:21 pm

Okay, that wedding video reminds me of a wedding I was in back in the early 90′s. The groom bought everybody Ray Bans, which they wore through most/all of the ceremony, there was a female minister, a male bridesmaid and female groomsman (dressed gender-appropriate but standing with the opposite gender) AND after the wedding we danced into the reception hall . . . though not quite as coolly as that group did.

Anyway, re: music, thanks, Katie & b., for the reminders to not judge. I was raised in a spiritually empty home and when I got to BYU I found comfort in that cheesy Mo-Pop stuff (much to the chagrin of my roommate, mind you). I “grew out of it,” but I suspect my current more critical view errs on the side of pride (I don’t EVER want to hear “His Hands” again, I tell you).

I love classical music and Jobim & Gilberto, but I also really dig Irish drinking songs, Christian rock, and a great variety of other fun & uplifting musical genres.

One of my most memorable musical numbers was from a mother/daughter team who were Southern Baptist before joining “the church.” I don’t recall the song, but it was definitely more soulful than the hymns. I do have other more spiritually moving memories, including ward choir experiences, but their number was unique.

I do miss the frequency of musical numbers we heard back then, but not the Mo-Pop stuff. It seems that less people are willing to perform these days. I loved doing duets and small groups, as well as hearing others perform.

This has been a fun discussion!
wendy
July 27th, 2009 @ 1:23 pm

Funny!!– Jenny, I typed my note about not wanting to hear His Hands while you were typing his, so I hadn’t read your comment yet.

Oh dear!!
wendy
July 27th, 2009 @ 1:23 pm

correction–while you were typing “yours” not “his.” I’m tired.
Peyton
July 27th, 2009 @ 1:52 pm

Honestly, my ward still does that sort of thing, only now with whatever the EFY songs were for that year (when it’s the young women singing) or some random oratorio selection (by our ward’s resident operatic bass). Occasionally there are pretty, but not religious, classical and new-age pieces by various string groups. And it’s always the same performers. Gets old quick. (But no, I’m not bitter that I’m never asked to participate. Well, maybe a little.)

I seriously miss singing the intermediate song–I think there’s been a congregational hymn sung twice since we moved here two years ago.
Faith.Not.Fear
July 27th, 2009 @ 1:58 pm

I remember when my Laurel or Mia Maid class sang the infamous “I’ll Build You a Rainbow.” For those of you unfamiliar with this piece, it was a Seminary movie song about a dying mother and the promise that families can be together forever — brought tears to my eyes every time.
Every time but this one, when one of the girls got the giggles, and it dominoed. Yikes!

I didn’t know that we were only supposed to sing/perform hymns/classical — any reference?

We’ve had a more modern piece sung at least monthly for years. I can see where they get distracting, especially when they are sung in a pop-sounding voice.

I love the hymns — this past Sunday we had a beautiful musical number of a hymn. The performer told us where to find the hymn before they started so that we could follow along — it was powerful to read the words with poignant violin and piano accompaniment!!!
Plain Jame
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:00 pm

I agree with so many – I do miss the sweet songs I fondly call “alternative gospel”. I also agree with the above saying that many have the ambition and guts to get up and perform, and we should be supportive instead of critical. The great thing is that the spirit was felt for so many people during those songs, many were sung beautifully, and it inspired so many to serve missions, repent, and come into the fellowship of the Lord, and that is the most important role of Sacrament in our lives.

I do, however, have faith that the Bretheren were inspired to make guidelines for Sacrament meeting, because while many songs outside of the Hymn book were conducive to the Spirit, many weren’t. It was challenging for them to have to “approve” each song, so they just made a nice form-fitted guideline that simplified the approved songs to be from the Hymn book.

All that being said, I have always been one to dislike guidelines and rules. The more restrictive things are, the more I tend to rebel against them in my own little ways. I love freedom to do as I wish!!
Faith.Not.Fear
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:01 pm

PS — I love the more current Seminary music!

I still grin, though, at the memory of “Tom, your life is changing” from when I was in Seminary — we sang along enthusiasticly every time! I guess it was important for it’s time since I do remember it, and the lessons that went with it!
angie f
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:08 pm

Jenny, Could the interpretive waist up choreography to His Hands have been an attempt at ASL? (that was big in some meetings I attended in the West in the nineties)

Growing up in the DC area, we didn’t really have the influx of mo-pop musical numbers except during a period of time in which our ward was home to a collection of nannies from Utah and suddenly our meetings began to have exactly the musical numbers you described. Funny, I’d never made the connection before.

Personally, I’ve gone both ways on the subject. For me the first time I hear an emotive religious song, I am often touched. The problem comes when the song (such as His Hands) is over performed at every possible occasion.

Having a better understanding of appropriate music for worship services, I am now embarrassed by my memories of playing Brian’s Song and Theme from Snowy River in Sacrament Mtg. What was I thinking?! In my defense, my dad was the bishop and he frequently volunteered his daughters for musical tasks and then forgot to pass on the information to us. I would usually find out when his counselor called to get the name of my piece for the program, so I would give the name of whatever emotive piece I was having fun playing at the time. And to the counselor’s credit (or discredit?) he never chastised my choices or even blanched at their mention.
jenny
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:20 pm

{Angie, at first I thought, maybe, but I know a fair amount of ASL and it just wasn’t matching up…}
Giggles
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:28 pm

We had four primary kids sing “Scripture Power” when we spoke before our mission.

Crazy to think that one of those kids just left on his own mission.
Angela
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:29 pm

Hey, I sang “El Shaddai” when I tried out for Madrigals, and after I got IN the Madrigal group, we all “voluntarily” went to sacrament meetings all over Salt Lake County where we often sang another “Christian-but-not-Mormon” fave, “In This Very Room.” Complete with ASL choreography.

And I had very big bangs. And a nice lace collar.

Oh, and the piece de resistance? I sang at my boyfriend’s (the man who would later become my husband) missionary farewell. I don’t remember the song, other than to say it was NOT “In the Hollow of Thy Hand” because by 1990 it had been done to death. But . . . I did manage to start crying halfway through the number and stood there on the stand, tears streaming down my cheeks, which caused one of my husband’s friends to ask him, “Dude, what do I gotta do to get a girl to cry on the stand to musical accompaniment at MY farewell?”

Such fond memories . . .
b.
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:42 pm

A favorite hymn of mine that I don’t believe is in the hymn book is Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

Once, I attended a Sacrament Meeting hosted(?) by a group of kids from Oak Ridge school. These are mentally and physically disabled kids. They sang Janice Kapp Perry’s The Test. I ugly-wept through the entire meeting. It was one of the most profoundly spiritual meetings I have ever been to.
cheryl
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:43 pm

Having the Church Music chairman as our Bishop (years ago –now he’s our Stake President) we definitely knew what was “allowed” and not –I think most people would be surprised what is actually allowed. I see so many assumptions that anything outside of a hymn is wrong; but usually these are the people untrained in music and don’t realize how much more is out there besides Janice Kapp Perry (and yes, we can sing her music –she’s written for the Children’s Songbook and the Hymnbook; both are welcome).

This is a problem with being a musician; I also assume everyone knows what to perform, or at least what is appropriate. But high standards? I may have them, but I think everyone should be able to perform. Not every appropriate piece of music in Sacrament Meeting is “Oh, that I were an Angel” –it’s not all difficult to learn, you know? Another assumption people make sometimes…

Oh, for the questions about Mission farewells: It wasn’t because there were too many –it was because it turned into the glamorization of the missionary; the focus was completely off of the Gospel and the purpose of the mission. It became this culture of socialization, too –I remember missionary farewell hopping for weeks! My friends and I would skip our own meetings because we “HAD TO” be at every farewell (and ha! We were doing half the musical numbers, too. So funny!). Then later, it became missionary homecoming hopping –we had to see if there was any potential in these RM’s…
Lindsay
July 27th, 2009 @ 2:58 pm

There seems to be a misconception perpetuated in this forum and in the church that hymns or “classical” music are the only Sacrament meeting-worthy musical number (as opposed to the 80′s and 90′s misconception that anything goes). Here is the church’s actual stance on the matter, from the music FAQ page (http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6755-1,00.html):

Does the Church have a policy that only hymns can be used as music in sacrament meeting?
“The hymns of the Church are the basic music for worship services and are standard for congregational singing. However, in addition to the hymns, other appropriate selections may be used for prelude and postlude music, choir music, and special musical selections” (First Presidency letter, Nov. 7, 2002).
(There are several more interesting FAQs, so check out the site if you’re interested.)

Being a proponent of non-hymn musical numbers myself, I love it when there’s a musical number in sacrament meeting involving a beautiful piece I’ve never heard before (provided, of course, that it is reverent and appropriate).

That being said, I, too, have sat through my share of cringe-worthy musical numbers: a solo of “Bring Him Home” from Les Mis (under pretext, on a patriotic holiday, of bringing our troops home. Or something?). Several “crying to musical accompaniment” numbers, as Angela mentioned. 3 and 4 year olds tunelessly shouting primary songs in duos or trios (maybe cute, but hardly spirit-inducing). And of course, the EFY soundtrack-type songs that sound great on CD, but rarely translate well to sacrament meeting (my faves: the songs that glorify soon-to-be missionaries).

And while the awkward musical numbers of 20 years ago discussed in this post were likely heard primarily in LDS-saturated communities, I’ve noticed that most of the inappropriate musical numbers (and, interestingly, old-school missionary farewells) I’ve heard recently are in congregations far away from Utah .

I love LDS culture.
Carina
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:04 pm

Thanks, Lindsay, I updated the post.
AmandaStretch
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:07 pm

I’m actually the special musical number coordinator in my ward right now, so I’m loving this discussion. I’m guilty of singing “His Hands” in Sacrament (and I like the song, so sue me), and some other JKP songs with my family back in the day, but it wasn’t overly dramatic, thank heavens. Someone asked for a source, and this is what the Church handbook has to say:

Sacrament Meeting

Opening and closing hymns in sacrament meetings are usually sung by the congregation. The sacrament hymn is always sung by the congregation.

Special musical selections or a congregational hymn may be scheduled following the sacrament or between speakers. Such selections may be presented by the ward choir, other choirs, small groups, or individuals. The bishopric decides what music is appropriate. (See also”Appropriate Music for Church Meetings.”)

If a musical program is presented, it should be simple, reverent, and short enough to allow a spoken message. Sacrament meetings should not be turned over to outside musical groups. Recitals, concerts, and pageantry are not appropriate in sacrament meeting.

The ward choir should sing in sacrament meeting at least once or twice a month.

Hymns and other appropriate selections may be used.

http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6759-1,00.html

Basically, when in doubt, ask the bishop. I think Come Thou Fount is completely appropriate, and we had a violin duet play it just last week. I think we’re all on the right track here.
Annie
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:07 pm

I have an inkling that the judge in your ward was my grandfather. Provo? Just maybe.

I don’t think I can top your post and Jenny’s experience with waist-up interpretive dance (please tell me there were jazz hands at the end). My parents also didn’t encourage the music so my first introduction to Mormon pop was my Not of The World seminary tape. Anyone remember that one? (“walkin, walkin together and wonderin, wonderin whether the good things we share will always be there…”) Such profundity.

A little off topic, but I did attend a ward when a man bore his public confession/testimony with a boom box, wearing (for some reason) all white. I wish I could remember the song he played.
Lisa
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:11 pm

As I understand it, the guidelines specify “hymn-like” music for Sacrament meetings. So I use a lot of hymns and anthems from various religious sources, always looking for music that invariably brings the Spirit.
I find that “approval” varies with each bishop and music chairman. (It’s easiest when I’m the music chair.)

Mormon music has been a touchy issue for me since my conversion 33 years ago. I can’t stand that we sit for all the hymns, even the “rest” hymn, now. It’s hard to have a non-boring Sacrament meeting without some good music. The more the better, in my view. It’s not the performance quality so much as the spirit with which the musical gift is given that matters. Most all of us ought to up there making music at some point. Don’t wait to be asked. Volunteer!

Sometimes I need a worship music fix, especially at Easter, since it seems that Mormons as a group do not understand music as praise. So I go to the biggest local Christian church and raise my voice and my arms in praise with all the rest. Maybe I’m just a snob, but it’s very cathartic and spiritual for me.
cindy baldwin
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:24 pm

My husband and I were visiting a University of Utah singles ward last Christmas (long story) and there were two musical numbers. The first was a tasteful and beautiful piece by the ward choir. For the second, a man got up and sat at the piano and pulled the microphone toward himself and proceeded to sing “Mary Did You Know”, jazzy dramatic night club style. My husband and I just sort of sat there with our jaws hanging open.

In my second student ward I was the ward music chairman, and in our stake we were not allowed to use ANYTHING for our musical numbers except hymns AS THEY WERE ARRANGED IN THE HYMNBOOK. No piano arrangements, nothing. I thought that was going a little far… but the “Mary Did You Know” episode was so bad in the other direction that it almost made me grateful for that!
Kalli
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:37 pm

Sometimes I wish I were Episcopalian, so that I could jam out to Chris Brown down the middle of a wedding. Just once.

And I’m just saying a little tambourine never hurt anyone…
wendy
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:45 pm

I was just made our choir director–I’d love links or some ideas for other songs, if anybody has some (besides Sally DeFord, who our ward has done a ton of).
Coffinberry
July 27th, 2009 @ 3:59 pm

I remember arriving at BYU in fall of ’83 to hear “I Heard Him Come” at the first sacrament meeting of my student ward. I overheard some whispers of how over-frequently done it was, but I had never heard it before. Where I had come from, we made up our own (or at least my mom and I did). I kinda liked it. (And I admit to doing “His Hands” myself, back when it was still new and hadn’t been done locally yet.)

Actually (and as has been noted above) a lot more music is appropriate for Sacrament Meeting than we might realize. It has more to do with selecting music that invites reverence (as in pondering the relationship with God, as opposed to soporific) than with the particular genre.

I will always be grateful to my maternal grandfather (branch president) who invited my paternal grandfather and grandmother (Methodist deacon and women’s auxilliary president) to perform “On the Wings of a Dove” (on Guitar) in Sacrament Meeting when I was a child. (That, and the Methodist minister who let me sing “Teach me to Walk in the Light” accompanied by that same guitar in their Church on another Sunday).
Emily F
July 27th, 2009 @ 4:17 pm

In my last ward in Draper (just 2 years ago) a man sang the same song every mother’s day at the request of his mom (an old school MOTAB singer). Instead of having the primary kids come up and sing “I Often go Walking” she had him sing the same song every year…”that wonderful mother of mine.” It was a nice enough song, but year after year, it got so old…and it just wasn’t Sacrament meeting appropriate, I didn’t think. My parents are still in that ward and he still sings it every year. I don’t get it.

LOVED that wedding. that’s awesome. seriously.
Jo
July 27th, 2009 @ 4:35 pm

As a convert I originally missed the elaborate musical numbers (my old church even had a small band) and especially the clapping at the end! I too like the EFY CDs.

However, I also can tell the difference between feeling the spirit and being entertained. I’m glad our meeting focuses on the gospel and Jesus Christ instead of having to show a concert in order to keep up attendance. Our ward has a musical number about 3 times a month and I love them. They always invite the spirit and are really enjoyable. I do think it’s unfortunate that all missionary farewells had to be stopped because of the problems in Utah. In our ward they aren’t many youth so anyone who decides to go on a mission sets an example for the others and publicly acknowledging them is beneficial to all of our youth.
East of Eden
July 27th, 2009 @ 5:02 pm

I think I was one of those permed hair and lace collar maids singing the JKP and the Cope and the El Shaddi….and I hated every minute of it. Being a Young Woman at the height of “I Walk By Faith”‘s monster popularity was indeed the trial of my wee teenaged faith. We also came from a home where it was Mozart and other things….none of which included anything that could be purchased at Deseret Book or any other LDS emporium.

But the best music memory I have was one Sunday someone in our ward had managed to secure the talents of a lady who fashioned herself quite the opera singer for the closing song. She sang some song, I don’t know what…but you could drive a MAC truck thru that vibratto. Needless to say, my sister and I, who already had “reverence issues” in church were on the floor howling. And although our parents were giving us distainful looks of “don’t do that” they did nothing to stop us. The finale, and oh yes, it was a finale, came when said Opera Lady was at the apex of her song, arms waving in the air in a most dramatical Brunhilde fashion. She slowly and surely brought her arms down to rest in the dead pose, as she bowed her head to end it all.

Um, if you were wondering what that howl in mid-June 1986 eminating from the North Harris Street Chapel in Mesa, AZ was, it was my sister and it at the apex of our giggles….it was the thing that sacrament meeting musical numbers are truly made of.
sar
July 27th, 2009 @ 5:47 pm

Wow, East of Eden, I think we were in the same stake. My story comes from the stake center on Harris. It involved a young man who gave the sacrament prayer as if it were a Shakespeare soliloquy. One time he sang in church some Mormon/Christian pop song. It was the kind that where you’re not sure if the lyrics are talking about Jesus or their boyfriend (not that I have anything against that sort of mysticism, one just doesn’t see that metaphor very much at church). Anyway, the high point was when he went into falsetto for a chorus. My sister and I were trying to giggle “reverently” and “silently” which probably looked like we were having some sort of convulsive seizure. My dad was grinning and tried to catch my mother’s eye. But my mom ignored all of us and stared straight ahead. It was a good plan. If she had looked at us it would have been all over, at least on our pew.
Dovie
July 27th, 2009 @ 6:07 pm

I remember cringing for the sweetness through some musical numbers growing up. The sweet girls, with their sweet voices, singing the sweet songs, with the sweet singing machine.

I do remember learning ASL from one of our YW leaders who worked at a school for the deaf and singing and signing “Oh Lord My Redeemer.” I can still remember some of the signs. I considered that a little less “sweet” and maybe a little more beautiful. Perhaps that is just what I tell myself.

The ward that I am in now has some amazing musical talent. Those making the music and those leading the music makers. It was just amazing the beautiful and appropriate music they put together. My husband is not a Mormon but always loves the musical numbers. He tells me often “If there would only be less of the talking and more of the music it would be better.” He can say that because he has no idea the amazing music we are treated to in our ward and stake. At Christmas time we just have congregational hymns, choir numbers and instrumental numbers with interspersed with brief readings or testimony the ward follows the same format for Easter.

Even in primary the children in our ward are taught to sing in parts and fancy arrangements on all kinds of songs. Recently my father passed away and all of his grandchildren were able to sing “I am a Child of God” with guitar accompaniment with the descant with only two thrown together practices. ‘Cause they had learned it in primary. I am not a part of any of this musical instruction or talent but I sure enjoy it. It really enriches my worship experience.
reva
July 27th, 2009 @ 6:10 pm

As a professional musician, JKP and the ilk actually make me physically violent. I love the idea of democracy though – they all have/had the right to get up there and make the song their own. Kudos to mom and dad for taking a stand against such filth in your home
Lindsey
July 27th, 2009 @ 6:10 pm

My mom was the choir pianist for years and years. We had a very enthusiastic choir leader who LOVED those alternative church songs. I think he “quit” his calling after he was told certain songs weren’t allowed in Sacrament anymore. LOL

You’re not alone…even when you’re feeling on your own.
reva
July 27th, 2009 @ 6:13 pm

Oh, and my favorite was a few years ago at a Christmas fireside in Mesa AZ was a vocal number that came on the heels of 9/11 – “Let Freedom Ring This Christmas.” The poor girl sang like a toad and the song was just as awful as the name implies… I almost poked my own eardrums out with my violin bow.
CatherineWO
July 27th, 2009 @ 6:19 pm

I was trained as a classical musician in the 60s and 70s, and I too had great disdain for much of the Mormon pop music of the 80s. But then, in the late 80s and 90s, my daughters were teenagers, and I saw the sometimes very spiritual experiences they had singing these songs. They have long since grown out of them and moved on, but I can’t discount their experience.
I don’t think that any musical number in a Sacrament Meeting should be a “performance.” Its purpose should be to invite the Spirit into the meeting and bring us closer to God. The genre, or vehicle, is less important than where it is taking us.
Charlotte
July 27th, 2009 @ 7:51 pm

Perhaps it is because my first exposure to any non-hymn/children’s song book Mormon music was “The Mormon Rap” (so my expectations were never high) or because I didn’t live in Utah till high school, and then in a musically snobbish ward, but I don’t remember being unindated with those songs. I still don’t mind hearing them once in a while. I do love arranged hymns, though. And in my last ward, I found the fight between our chorister and the bishop entertaining at times (they were always pleasant, but definitely on different pages).
Johnna
July 27th, 2009 @ 8:58 pm

My daughter the Mia Maid is pondering how someday to work a wedding entrance dance into a temple wedding day.
Angela
July 27th, 2009 @ 9:27 pm

Johnna, maybe you could stand outside the temple with a boom box and it could be a temple wedding *exit* dance?? I’d pay good money to see that one.
Fairchild
July 27th, 2009 @ 9:40 pm

#27 – I had that seminary tape too! Even though I grew up in Texas during that time, we had plenty of exposure to such music. My biggest memory was our entire YW group singing “Love in Any Language” complete with sign language whenever possible for about a year! The most beautiful song I heard was as a newlywed at BYU, an African American girl sang “His Eye is On the Sparrow” in Sac meeting and it was gorgeous!
hcl
July 27th, 2009 @ 9:49 pm

one of the best Stake meetings I attended was when we were treated to a few simple talks on family, and then the congregation sang the primary song, “Love is spoken here.” Don’t know. It was simple, yet powerful.

And, my last ward was GREAT about Christmas. We had the entire hour full of christmas hymns/carols, and just a few readings from the standard Jesus’ birth. And, better yet, we didn’t have Sunday School or priesthood!
Cindy
July 27th, 2009 @ 10:50 pm

I remember my cousins singing “Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water” in Sacrament Meeting! Even at the tender age of 12 I wondered if that was quite kosher!
Angie
July 27th, 2009 @ 11:48 pm

My husband grew up in Las Vegas in the 80′s and 90′s. He and his best friend used to prepare musical numbers – mostly from Greater Than Us All – and then call the ward music chairs in their stake and volunteer to come sing. Now he’s a professional musician. I play piano, so he and I have had lots of church music callings. We LOVE church music. Btw, we are both in the hymns-only, better-safe-than-sorry camp, despite the the musical follies of my husband’s youth.
m&m
July 28th, 2009 @ 12:32 am

I was one of the ones singing those songs, a lot. His Hands, JKP, In This Very Room, the list goes on.

Truth be told, I liked it then (I loved to sing, and these were the things everyone sang, and I even had one of those ‘I’ll never forget it’ teenage testimony moments singing one of those songs. So I can’t get too upset that they had their moment in my life.)

That testimony-strengthening experience was one of those moments that we could probably laugh at, too. I cried through half the song, so my friend had to sing most of it solo. Poor thing. (But you have to feel sorry for the one blubbering, too. Embarrassing!)

I like the changes that have been made, although it’s interesting to see that there is still room for music besides just hymns and to see that it’s not always agreed upon what exactly appropriate music looks like. (We have a choir director who gets creative. Not everyone likes her style, but I will tell you, she loves what she does and has gotten a lot of people involved in music. It’s been cool to watch.)

It’s also always interesting to see the variation in styles and taste. I don’t really envy those in charge of music…can be quite a hot topic!
Jennie
July 28th, 2009 @ 2:29 am

As a teenager in Michigan in the 80s we rarely heard the LDS pop songs. I remember hearing “I Heard Him Come” at EFY in Utah and, boy, I lost it! I loved that song! I loved all that cheesiness! We never got that stuff in Michigan.

Once I went to BYU, though, and got a weekly dose of it, I got sick of it fast. Mostly because I hated the way it was designed to force the Spirit down your throat. Kind of the “lowest common denominator” of spirituality.

I hadn’t really thought about how we rarely hear those songs any more until someone got up to sing “His Hands” a couple of weeks ago. That is one creepy, depressing song.
Becky
July 28th, 2009 @ 10:33 am

I came from a home where the only church music that was appreciate came out of the hymn book or the OLD choral numbers (The Heavens are Telling, Glorious Everlasting, etc). My parents were in music at church so at home around them we could only play our Motab records/8 tracks. My dad would only allow classical music in the burb.
Having said that, yeah for the new policy. As my mom would say if she closed her eyes in sacrament meeting she didn’t know if she was at church or someone listening to a lounge act.
April
July 28th, 2009 @ 10:35 am

This is a little off topic because I don’t really have any specific musical number memories, but my fondest “music memory” is when I was younger, my neighbor (who is a tad irreverent with a wicked sense of humor) would occasionally sneak the first line of Mary Had a Little Lamb into the prelude music. You really had to listen to catch it, and I’m sure everyone else was oblivious, but it was our little inside joke.
Strollerblader
July 28th, 2009 @ 10:38 am

I have always disliked “His Hands.” It’s a whiny song. And I hate how it makes me feel, because it’s about Jesus and his love and sacrifice for us, and what I feel when I hear that song doesn’t bring reverent feelings.

“Come Thou Fount” WAS in the hymnbook — the pre-1985 one. I’m not sure why it’s not in the hymnbook now. LOVE that one. I listen to it ‘most everyday, we sang it recently in a stake choir for Elder Bednar (who said it was one of his 2 fave hymns), and now our ward choir (aka quartet) is rehearsing it.

I WISH we had “special musical numbers” here. We get about 4 or 5 of them per year including Christmas, but not including the primary singing, or the RS/PH assigned hymns in sacrament meeting. And our ward choir is really just 6-8 women and 2-3 men clawing our way through a hymn. Thankfully, they don’t make us follow the handbook recommendation of the choir singing at least once a month! A couple times a year, we get a special musical number from a certain woman who sings beautfully, but that is the only time she shows up to church — to perform.

I miss how much singing I did when I was in YW. We were always working on some song or other to sing in Sacrament Meeting 3-4 times per year.

I wish we had more music in church, as well. I hear about other wards doing “Hymn Sings” and I get jealous. I’d LOVE to do one here, even if it was for a fireside, rather than in Sacrament Meeting. “The song of the righteous is a prayer unto me.”
Researcher
July 28th, 2009 @ 10:46 am

I like that the Mesa Central Stake gets several particular mentions. Lots of musical talent and probably more music students and teachers per capita than anywhere else except perhaps Utah.

The thing I absolutely 100 percent hated was the ward choir singing “Well Done, Thou Good and Faithful Servant,” at every missionary homecoming. And there were lots and lots and lots of missionary homecomings, alternating with all the missionary farewells with the obligatory “I’ll Find You My Friend” or another song of that type. The “Well Done” tradition would have been kind of hard to stop, for obvious reasons (the first few missionaries not to get sung to would really wonder what the ward had against them), but it became so horrible in its repetition.
Anonymous
July 28th, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

We had an actual opera singer in our ward choir. Male. One Sunday, he was concerned that the sopranos were not quite up to the task of hitting certain key notes – so he did it for them. The look on the choir director’s face was PRICELESS.
wendy
July 28th, 2009 @ 12:35 pm

April, I’m chuckling about Mary Had a Little Lamb. I always struggle to keep a straight face during “Lord Dismiss Us,” as the words to Go Tell Aunt Rhody run through my head.
Marie
July 28th, 2009 @ 12:46 pm

I hate all the abovementioned Mormon pop, though I confess to having owned a Michael McLean cassette in my early teens. It didn’t take long exposure to my classy high school choir teacher and his selections of beautiful, dense religious music to realize that McLean was so much fluff. And I think you can make a case that writing fluffy songs about the Atonement is out-and-out irreverent.

Until a couple years ago I was in the Ensign 7th YSA Ward (known for its generally classy vibe). However, I was shocked and appalled one Sunday when a sister apparently in her early 20s was allowed to take the stand in Sacrament Meeting and sing that awful Mormon pop song about all the white dresses that a good Mormon girl should aspire to wear in her life. Horrid song, horrid perpetuation of Women as Sole Guardians of Virtue concept. I can only hope that our very classy bishop didn’t know what she was intending to sing. My friend and I thereafter came up with ideas for verses 4 and 5 of the Little White Dress song (to celebrate the post-wedding life of the LDS woman): the little white honeymoon teddy and the little white shroud. We were very pleased with ourselves.

And I’m very pleased with our culture that we’ve managed to (mostly) purge our meetings of musical drivel. Hooray for us!
Carina
July 28th, 2009 @ 1:03 pm

I was inspired to write this post after hearing a lovely a cappella duet last Sunday in my ward of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
Laylu
July 28th, 2009 @ 1:37 pm

As a music major at BYU we got into huge discussions about this in our classes. I, for one, cringe at the mormon pop BUT different people are moved by different music so that’s great that for some people they feel the spirit and it touches them. To each his own. I personally am grateful for the guidelines that have come out- I have been ward music chair in almost every ward so it makes my job easier when I have to say no to a song.
Lauren
July 28th, 2009 @ 3:40 pm

Maybe I missed it in the comments, but Come Thou Fount was actually in the older version of the hymnbook, so I think it counts.
East of Eden
July 28th, 2009 @ 7:01 pm

Sar, I’m sure we were in the same stake, Mesa Central? So you know how it was back in the day…
Angie
July 28th, 2009 @ 9:34 pm

If you can believe it, our last bishop wanted two musical numbers a week. That was a lot of work, but we totally agreed with him that music can be an amazing part ofthe worship service.

It’s nice to read everyone’s comments about how music has affected them.
sar
July 28th, 2009 @ 10:14 pm

East of Eden: Yes, Mesa Central, and yes I remember how it was back in the day. As Researcher mentioned, there is/was a lot of musical talent in that stake. I’ve heard some of the most moving musical numbers in that stake but also some of the most “entertaining” as well.
Katie E
July 29th, 2009 @ 5:48 am

Ah JKP..remember the “I walk by Faith” era. Never heard “His Hands” from what I remember. I do remember singing with the Youth (and signing) “In this very room” (which I still like). I agree that some were a bit much. I do recall those who would “farewell hop.” I must admit I do like more pep in the Hymns when sung (well the ones that are supposed to be up tempo). On Sunday we sang as our closing hymn “There is Sunshine in my Soul” HOWEVER…it wasn’t sang up beat at all…very monitone unfortunately.

I like when my husband said one of his companions changed the words to “High on a Mountain top, a banner is unfurled…” to “High on a Mountain top, a bager chased a squirrel..” I giggle everytime we sing it now.

I also cracked myself (and my sisters) up one time when we sand “Have I done any good in the world” and I changed the words to “Have I cheered up the glad…made someone feel sad..”

good post…
scott bronson
July 29th, 2009 @ 7:06 am

I tried to get my wife to play the theme to Schindler’s List as prelude music. She refused. She continues to do so. Alas.
Jen
July 29th, 2009 @ 11:04 am

I grew up in the JKP era and was quite grateful when we were encouraged to stick to the hymns to get away from the tendency to perform less-than-sacred material. Now when I hear a JKP or EFY song from the 90′s I cringe. It really is best to just keep it to the hymns.
Merry Michelle
July 29th, 2009 @ 11:46 am

I’m a professional, classically trained performer and voice teacher, and as such I have to say that I have mixed feelings about the “hymns-only” rule. Sometimes I kind of miss the 80s freak-show that was so entertaining as Jenny (comment#10) so aptly said “for all the wrong reasons”. I do have to admit that I personally feel the spirit more when I’m not inwardly groaning or trying to stifle giggles.

I think I can top you all with a story that has gone down in family lore and infamy. In the mid-70s, my husband’s family (his parents were recent converts) were asked to provide musical numbers for church. He walked up to the piano and played “Choo-Choo Boogie” and his sister followed him by singing “One Tin Soldier”. We can’t talk about it at dinner without someone’s milk coming up their nose.
Merry Michelle
July 29th, 2009 @ 11:47 am

LOVE the wedding, by the way!
Liz C
July 29th, 2009 @ 3:11 pm

We are currently blessed with a Bishop for whom music is a locked door, to which he has not got a key. As a person who really NEEDS music to feed my soul, things have been more than a bit rough since he was called. Lovely man. No emphasis on music whatsoever.

I miss our last ward for the music. I spent 3 years as choir director there, and for holidays, Bishop turned over the meeting to a musical program. To stay within the guidelines, I always wrote them to include the spoken word/message all the way through, and while I stuck with the hymnal, I didn’t use it as expected–how about all the men a capella singing “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” for the announcement of Christ’s birth, with an immediate jump to “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” for the celebratory angel chorus? And I will always remember how lovely the Primary song “Lullaby” sounded a capella, with the ladies taking melody and harmony, and the men singing the bass piano notes in deep, resounding “bom”s.

It was So Much Fun to plan these sorts of programs. I miss the music, as we don’t have it in our current ward–no leadership push for it, and no commitment from other members.

I remember a lot more music from my growing-up years, and wonder how many others in my ward miss it, too–and what we could do about it? Activity group to sing through the hymnal in a year? Community party that invites choirs and groups from all the congregations to perform in the cultural hall? There must be more to sing!
bekah
July 29th, 2009 @ 3:32 pm

Growing up near the New England Conversatory of Music, we had some amazing musical numbers in our stake (one of my favorites was the stake “Messiah Sing” with full chamber orchestra and soloists each Christmas), as well as a few Mormon Pop songs when I was in YW in the 80s and early 90s. Most of the pop stuff was pretty new to us, so it wasn’t too terrible the first time you heard it.

I took voice lessons from a lovely old Jewish lady, so most of the sacred music she had me sing was Catholic (she was a big fan of the Requiem Mass interpreted by various composers). The first time I ever saw the LDS Choirbook at BYU, I couldn’t understand why most people in our ward choir weren’t familiar with the tune to “Jesus, Savior”–after all, it’s just Mozart’s Ave Verum with different words. I try to make my own LDS voice students learn some non-Mormon sacred music as well. And I LOVE it when my non-LDS students want to leatn some of their favorite gospel songs.

However, my favorite church music experience EVER happened just last summer. My husband’s cousin got married in a local chapel about six weeks before I had my fourth baby. The ceremony was in the RS room, which was swelteringly hot and crammed full of people. A friend of the bride and groom sang “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain, complete wiith all the repeats, choruses and fade-outs. One of the most awkward, uncomfortable performances ever. Grandma and Grandpa looked especially confused at the lyrics “I’ll be love’s suicide”. Painfully priceless.
nesquik405
July 29th, 2009 @ 7:59 pm

As an eternal ward organist, I had a hard time with the hymns-only rule too. But I’ve made my peace with it, even if I do throw in a little Bach and Mendelssohn along the way. Also some Protestant hymnns, too–Ha!

What has made it bearable are the arrangers out there, adding some fresh sounds to our hymns.

That said, away from my calling, I’m hymned out and refuse to listen to them.

As for by-the-book bishops, I once had one that picked out 88 hymns from the book and those are the only ones we could sing. “Unfamiliar songs are too hard for the new converts.” Well, how do you become familiar with a song, hmmm?

On his birthday, the disgruntled chorister sweetly told the congregation that his favorite hymn was “If You Could Hie . . . but unfortunately we can’t sing it for him because it isn’t on the list.”
eljee
July 29th, 2009 @ 9:19 pm

Our current bishop is just like that. He claimed that people weren’t singing and the spirit would be stronger if we sang only very familiar hymns. Well, three years later, the singing is even more apathetic than it was before. He said that the place for learning “new” hymns was in RS singing time. Yeah, right, like that’ll ever happen. (Anyone else have a pet peeve about “practice songs” that don’t need any practice?)

He’s a wonderful bishop in many ways, we just don’t see eye-to-eye about music.

Our ward does hymn-sing-along sacrament meetings 2-3 times a year, and I think I’m the only person who hates them. Basically it is open mic for any member of the congregation who wants to get up and tell everyone what their favorite hymn is; then we sing it. It means that for a whole hour, I have to listen to/sing all my least-favorite hymns. I don’t dare get up and share my favorite hymns because no one but me would be singing.

Sorry I sound really rant-y! Typical LDS sacrament meeting music just doesn’t quite do it for me. I understand the hymns-only thing, in fact I agree with it (because the Mormon pop stuff would be worse). But the music that really feeds my soul isn’t going to be heard on Sunday morning, at least in my ward. Even the hymns that feed my soul aren’t going to be heard.
Paul S.
July 30th, 2009 @ 2:11 am

Several years ago in my Ward in Provo we were treated to an interesting vocal trio in Sacrament Meeting. Three guys (not members of my Ward – I have no idea where they came from!) dressed in what I would call “Cowboy Sunday Best” got up and sang a country-western song about Jesus, accompanied by guitar and mandolin. The feeling in the Chapel could best be described as “awkward”.

Now for something serious. Regarding no. 72, it has already been mentioned, but bears mentioning again, that there is no official Church-wide “hymns-only” music policy. If your Bishop has instituted one in your Ward, he’s directly contradicting official Church policy – something which should not be done lightly! This “hymns-only” thing got so out of hand that the First Presidency sent a letter to every Bishop and Stake President to remind leaders that Church policy is not this strict. Here’s the text of the letter:

“Inspirational music is an essential part of worship. When prayerfully selected, music can invite the Spirit of the Lord, increase devotion to the gospel, and lead to greater spirituality.

We remind stake presidencies and bishoprics that they may consider both the hymns and other appropriate music when planning meetings. The hymns of the Church are the basic music for worship services and are standard for congregational singing. However, in addition to the hymns, other appropriate selections may be used for prelude and postlude music, choir music, and special musical selections.

May you be blessed in using inspirational music to enhance worship and strengthen members of the Church.” (First Presidency letter, Nov. 7, 2002)

Also, please see LDS.org for official policies on music in church:

http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6755-1,00.html

Note that it specifically encourages the use of unfamiliar hymns!

Regarding the apathetic singing mentioned in No. 72, the problem has absolutely nothing what-so-ever to do with unfamiliar hymns. The problem that your Ward has (and about 95% of all Wards have, too) is that you have an incompetent organist. (I do not use the word incompetent lightly!) Most ward organists are pianists who are afraid of the organ and have had no organ training from a competent teacher – their only “training” has been from listening to other incompetent ward organists. We’ve developed a style of organ playing in church that actively discourages congregational singing (lack of proper organ technique, unsupportive and inappropriate registrations, etc.) Your Ward’s singing would improve dramatically simply be singing acapella! Maybe you could discretely suggest to the Bishop that the organist needs some lessons.

OK, rant over, but one last thought: good music does so much to bring the Spirit into our meetings, mediocre music does nothing for us, and bad music drives the Spirit away; mediocrity and “badness” are not godly attributes!
jendoop
July 30th, 2009 @ 6:41 am

I heard “I’ll Build you a Rainbow” just last month. It did not make me feel warm and fuzzy, it reminded me of how much the person singing it revels in the glory of having a good voice. It is wonderful when music reminds me of the Savior and CORRECT DOCTRINES, not furthering the pride of the person singing. Which is what makes ward choirs so great, its hard to glory in it when the person next to you can’t hold a note.

Uplifting music is what we are urged to listen to, yet many of those LDS pop songs are about manipulating the audience’s emotion to get a tear or 10. They are flat out depressing! Let’s glory in our God a little more, rejoice in the glorious gospel!
eljee
July 30th, 2009 @ 10:42 am

Paul,

Our ward has one really good organist (who is my student–I have a master’s degree in organ performance), one very mediocre organist, and up until recently one organist who thought he was good but in reality was pretty awful. I think the singing is only slightly better on the Sundays when the trained organist is playing.

I was serving as ward organist when this bishop was newly called. My dh was put in as his counselor, and at our first bishopric-and-spouses dinner, bishop and his wife started ranting about the music and how they were going to change things. Needless to say, it was extremely awkward. I don’t know if they momentarily forgot I was sitting there or what. I didn’t choose the hymns, but I definitely had input into what was selected. Blessedly, I was released a few weeks later due to having a new baby, as I think remaining in that calling would have added too much stress, conflict, and awkwardness at a time when my dh, as a new counselor, really needed things to be harmonious. At that time, the bishop would go over the list of hymns and remove anything he thought wasn’t familiar enough. To be fair, our bishop and his wife had fairly recently returned from many years of activity, and they simply didn’t/don’t know many hymns, and they have no musical inclinations whatsoever.

When I was ward organist, while I don’t think we had the most enthusiastic congregation of singers ever, we did pretty well. I got lots of comments and compliments about how enjoyable it was to sing when I played.

I agree that the ward organist can make a tremendous difference! That would lead into a whole other rant, about stakes who refuse to encourage or support the training of organists, even when there are capable teachers in the stake who are willing to take on the task.

Our stake/ward does allow music other than hymns, though it must be approved by priesthood leadership. I tend to prefer hymn arrangements, at least those that are beautiful and interesting. I do think it is a good boundary.
Whitney
July 30th, 2009 @ 1:43 pm

‘O My Father’ played on the saw at a mission farewell. Enough said.
Mom in the Mountains
July 31st, 2009 @ 8:47 am

Whitney- LOL! The saw certainly can be a beautiful sounding instrument, but… in Sacrament meeting? Hehehehe

As a musician, I feel pretty strongly about music in Sacrament (just like most of you). My opinion is that I don’t like hearing “boring” as-written arrangements of the hymns as a special musical number… Change it up? Sure! I think hymns can be powerful, and life changing, even. But what difference is there from the congregation singing a hymn and singing a hymn as written for a musical number? THAT BEING SAID, the hymnbook is a huge resource for changing things up, if people would just use the back “Using the Hymn Book” section a little more. Lots of great ideas and information in there, and it’s never ever used.

I love unique and beautiful arrangements of hymns, however. The EFY CD’s have some amazing arrangements. “I know that My Redeemer Lives” comes to mind. And there are lots of arrangements online and in songbooks you can find at various LDS bookstores.

I also think it’s the responsibility of the Ward Music Director and the RS Music Director to introduce spirit-inviting “non-hymns.” So many classics were written under inspiration and have the ability to invite the spirit, and I think they are often pooh-bah’d because they are “not hymns.” There is a reason why we have arrangments of Bach, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and many other famous composers in our hymn book right now. While an opera aria may not be appropriate for Sacrament Meeting, many, if not all of the hymns that Bach composed are very appropriate. While I agree that it’s important to get the music “approved” before performing a special musical number in Sacrament Meeting, I think it’s also important to teach that the Hymns are not the only music that can–and do– invite the spirit into our meetings and our homes.
Faith.Not.Fear
July 31st, 2009 @ 10:16 am

I love when the hymns relate to the purpose of the meeting thus creating a wonderful spiritual sandwich for us all to feast upon!
Another thing that makes meetings powerful is when the congregation knows what the choir is singing about (ie. rendition of familiar hymn or scripture)! We were singing a piece with the most beautiful words, and someone suggested putting the words in the bulletin so the congregation could follow along.
Maybe that’s not doable (or necessary) every time, but on that occasion, it was powerful!
Rachel
August 3rd, 2009 @ 1:02 pm

All I can say is this: “More Than Words” 2 guys, one guitar, Sandy Utah, in Sacrament Meeting, circa 1993. (you know the song with the two blonde Fabio-type men harmonizing)
Stephanie
September 7th, 2009 @ 1:31 am

While on my mission, I attended a missionary farewell. This was 1992, so the full-fledged farewell was strong and well. The soon-to-be missionary’s sister was attending some prestigious school, majoring in vocal performance. She sung “His Hands.” She had a beautiful voice, but instead of singing “each day was filled with selflessness,” she substituted selflessness with selfISHness. I tried really hard not to laugh.
Lisa S
September 7th, 2009 @ 1:01 pm

Well our ward must of not received the memo. We sing everything…have interpretive piano playing of hymns….a variety of musical instruments including acoustical guitar and a pioneer type instrument.. Our stake is very artsy….we are in California but not Hollywood or L.A….a little further north on the coast. I love it.
Lisa S
September 7th, 2009 @ 1:04 pm

Oh ,the song “Come thou Fount of Every Blessing ” USED to be in our hymn book. I love that song and had our Relief society sing it a few months back in Sacrament meeting.