Contemporary Worship Music at St. Anne’s by Scott Tucker (former music director)
On November 22, 2010 we introduced a new musical genre which is different from what most are used to, but consistent with what other Anglican (and other denomination) churches are doing on a regular basis.

Contemporary worship music is a loosely defined genre of Christian music, developed over the past 60 years, and stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are often referred to as praise songs or worship songs, and are typically led by a worship band. It is arguably the most common genre of music sung in churches, and some songs even feature in more traditional hymnals.

Theology and lyrics – Lyrically, an informal and sometimes intimate language of relationship is employed.  The terms ‘You’ and ‘I’ are used rather than ‘God’ and ‘we’.  Imperatives are used on occasion (‘Open the eyes of my heart, Lord’, ‘I want to see You’), encouraging the singers to relate to God personally. Often a physical response is included in the lyrics (‘So we raise up holy hands’).  This couples with the use of drums and popular rhythm in the songs to encourage full body worship.

As in traditional hymnody, some images, such as captivity and freedom, life and death, romance, power and sacrifice, are employed to facilitate relationship with God.

Musical identity - Because CWM is meant to be sung communally, there is an emphasis on its accessibility, to enable every member of the congregation to contribute to the overall musical product, and use the songs as a forum to express their personal praise to God. This manifests in simple, easy to pick up melodies in mid vocal range; repetition; and, the rhythm too.  Though the style has developed according to what is ‘popular’ between 1950s and now, it is notable that Christian music usually follows popular trends that are already well-established rather than the most current.

During worship songs, members of the congregation often harmonize.  Also, the role of improvisation, flowing from one song to the next and inserting musical material from one song into another all contribute towards a unique experience.

The worship band - There is no fixed band set up for playing CWM, but most have a lead singer and lead guitarist or keyboard player. Their role is to indicate the tone, structure, pace and volume of the worship songs, and perhaps even construct the order or content of the worship during performance. The role of the band in a worship service, leading and enabling the congregation in praise, contrasts that of performing in a Christian concert. In CWM today there will often be three or four singers with microphones, a drum kit, a bass guitar, one or two guitars, and keyboard. There has been a shift within the genre towards using amplified instruments and voices, again paralleling popular music, though some churches play the same songs with simpler or acoustic instrumentation; we chose the latter for November 22.

Popularity and effectiveness - As arguably the most common genre of Christian music found in churches across the world, CWM has proven successful. Its simplicity means that almost anyone with some degree of competency on a musical instrument can join in, and everyone can sing, creating an all-inclusive worship experience. It reflects the social climate of individualism as the lyrics emphasize personal relationship with God, even within a group context. And perhaps most importantly it creates an atmosphere of religious euphoria in a style suited to the musical taste of a generation who have grown up singing pop songs and find classical music less accessible.

Important Note: Contemporary Worship Music is not going to replace organ and choir music at St. Anne’s… the idea is to supplement and differentiate our worship at appropriate times both seasonally and thematically based on liturgy and in consultation with the Rector and Worship Team.