4037 UU Music Resources for Dynamic Worship

Speaker(s): Beth Norton
Ila Stoltzfus
Rev. Dennis Hamilton

Sponsor: UU Musicians Network

Prepared for UUA.org by: Dan Harper, Reporter; Jone Johnson Lewis, Editor

How can you get your congregation to support dynamic worship services? By using music creatively, according to the Rev. Dennis Hamilton, minister of Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church in Carrollton, Texas. "This is a key to really moving and powerful worship – what we're going to do in this workshop."

Hamilton was joined by Beth Norton, music director of First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts, and president of the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network; Ila Stoltzfus, music director of the Unitarian Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Sarah Ann Jones, music director of Georgia Mountains Unitarian Universalist Church in Dahlonega, Georgia.

All the presenters believed one of the most important ingredients of good worship is a good planning process. They all advocated for regular communication between ministers, lay leaders, and music directors. Music, they said, should be an integral part of the worship service. They then presented a number of innovative ways songs and singing could be integrated into worship.

The had participants sing the "Chalice Song" from the Signature Series #3 songbook published by the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network as an example of "a child-friendly chalice lighting." But they also pointed out that this is a light, upbeat song. "Do we want the congregation in a reflective state," asked Norton, "or up and ready for a children's story?" Hamilton said that it is also possible to use a solo "cantor" or singer, singing without accompaniment, to create a more reflective mood using quieter music. In short, music should be used to create the kind of mood that is needed for a particular moment of the worship service.

Hamilton and Norton also suggested alternating singing with spoken word. "We do a lot of spoken litanies," said Norton, "and this is something like a singing litany." Hamilton and Norton used a four measure song called "We Begin Again in Love," by Robert Eller-Isaacs and Les Kleen as the response in a litany. Norton led the participants of the workshop in singing the song, alternating with Hamilton reading the words of a litany. "Part of any worship service will be a meditation or prayer," said Hamilton. "Something like this will have a good place there.... bringing us down from our heads into our hearts."

Next, the workshop leaders looked at hymn #194, "Faith Is a Forest," from the current hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition, saying not many congregations use this hymn, but that it could be made into a dynamic part of worship. First, they took a couple of minutes to teach the song to the participants, and then once everyone was singing, they added instrumental accompaniment. Jones played the melody on the flute while Stoltzfus played a kind of drone on the piano with the first and fifth notes of the scale. A participant offered to play the djembe, an African drum. Norton led the singing, while striking finger cymbals on the fourth beat of every second measure of the hymn. This simple accompaniment expanded the sound of the hymn, making it more exciting.

Norton introduced the song "There's a River Flowing in My Soul" as a way to talk about harmony. Norton described "no-fault harmony" as singing a note that sounds good until it doesn't sound good any more, and then singing a new note that does sound good. Norton pointed out that it's fine for song leaders and music directors to make mistakes while singing harmony, as this can give congregations the courage to try singing harmony themselves. She also noted that if congregations can learn songs to the point of not needing to look at a printed text, this can also improve singing and harmony.

Norton added, "We think of our church choirs as performance groups, but their role is to lead worship." Choirs can also act as song leaders.

The workshop leaders introduced the metrical index of tunes in the back of the hymnal. Using this index, worship leaders can exchange words from one tune, to a better-known tune, or a tune that better fits the mood of the worship service. For example, Stolzfus showed how the words to hymn #306 could be sung to the tune of "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee."

"No tune should be looked at as filler," said Hamilton. "Every hymn should be treated as a sacred object. We must choose our hymns very carefully." Finally, he said, "And have courage, and it does take courage. And your congregation will be awkward at first, but they'll get over it quickly."

Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon St. | Boston, MA 02108 | 617-742-2100