Above all, make friends with your PA man (or woman)
Okay, this is the house of God, but they could have had an argument with the spouse, or worse, the pastor's wife or church secretary. They could have had 2 hours sleep or less due to some ailment or crisis, the equipment may be playing up and it hasn't had a service since Blair's first term, their car could have broken down and they arrived an hour late, you could have given them the wrong SOF numbers....(erhem)...
You get the picture. They are human. Tip them over the edge and you may just find that they can quite easily turn you off completely or make you sound like a wailing cat in a snowstorm.
Actually, I have a very good relationship with our PA man, and I haven't managed to naff him off yet. I don't intend to.
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Sorted
After the stress of yesterday, came home today and found I'm more confident with the newish chorus that is getting an outing this week, and changed the last chorus for one that I know standing on my head.
It just felt right when I finally cracked it, the relief was real.
It just felt right when I finally cracked it, the relief was real.
Tuesday 30 August 2011
Crisis of confidence
Happened before, will probably happen again, is happening now.
Songs picked, chord sheets done, Musescores done, sent off to group.
But. Now I'm not so sure about my choices. The last chorus doesn't feel slow, or worshipful enough. I'm not sure it will create the right mood for the speaker. I'm not confident in playing at least two of them. Chord sheets are not up to scratch.
This happened a couple of months ago with the weekly Bible study. I changed my mind because of a crisis in confidence with a chorus, and the worship ended up being a bit mediocre. I should have stuck with my original chorus set.
There's a school of thought which says that it doesn't matter what you play, if the heart is directed at God, it will be as sweet smelling incense. But playing "any old thing" which you're confident with doesn't sound like a sacrifice of praise.
I can change my mind right up to Thursday night, and no-one will be particularly grieved. But it's bothersome to someone who wants to get it right first time.
I'll try mega practice, give it over to God, and be receptive to any change HE wants to make - I hope that He gives me that inspiration, or injects some confidence into me.
Songs picked, chord sheets done, Musescores done, sent off to group.
But. Now I'm not so sure about my choices. The last chorus doesn't feel slow, or worshipful enough. I'm not sure it will create the right mood for the speaker. I'm not confident in playing at least two of them. Chord sheets are not up to scratch.
This happened a couple of months ago with the weekly Bible study. I changed my mind because of a crisis in confidence with a chorus, and the worship ended up being a bit mediocre. I should have stuck with my original chorus set.
There's a school of thought which says that it doesn't matter what you play, if the heart is directed at God, it will be as sweet smelling incense. But playing "any old thing" which you're confident with doesn't sound like a sacrifice of praise.
I can change my mind right up to Thursday night, and no-one will be particularly grieved. But it's bothersome to someone who wants to get it right first time.
I'll try mega practice, give it over to God, and be receptive to any change HE wants to make - I hope that He gives me that inspiration, or injects some confidence into me.
Monday 29 August 2011
A quote to remember
"It’s not a matter of asking did God show up to our meeting. The question to wrestle with is this: did we show up to meet with God?" - Reuben Morgan.
Read more here.
Read more here.
Sing Hosanna
I am taking singing lessons now, and I'm confident my tutor can help me reach those elusive D, E and F5s, without the horrible warbles and squeaks.
I'm an alto, which is actually quite awkward in my position. I am quite happy to sing around F3-A5 all day, but a congregation wouldn't. So you need to achieve as close as possible to the perfect key, you can't lead by squeaking, or groaning.
Unfortunately, the leaders who wrote most hymns and choruses want to produce a song in a key which generates the most sound - and this would be soprano for the women, bass/baritone for the men. Beautiful effect, but just like women are not all size 10 and not all men have size 14 feet, most untrained singers are comfortable C4-to C5, and you then need to find the key to suit you, and the congregation.
Difficult task.
This week I had to bring down two songs which are normally in G to Eb. This can of course, cause problems to musicians, but this week is just me, the other guitar and the clarinet (who has to transpose anyway, in this case, I think it's F). Darlene Zschech, inspired writer, but my gosh she does like to use B4-F5 frequently, and this makes transposing a minefield. I had to bring one of hers down to F, but this caused a note as low as F3. Needs must, sometimes. You can, of course, with a well known song, allow the congregation and your support to carry you sometimes, but there's a danger of the congregation taking over. At times like that I hand it to God, knowing He has it in control, even if my voice is losing it.
I'm an alto, which is actually quite awkward in my position. I am quite happy to sing around F3-A5 all day, but a congregation wouldn't. So you need to achieve as close as possible to the perfect key, you can't lead by squeaking, or groaning.
Unfortunately, the leaders who wrote most hymns and choruses want to produce a song in a key which generates the most sound - and this would be soprano for the women, bass/baritone for the men. Beautiful effect, but just like women are not all size 10 and not all men have size 14 feet, most untrained singers are comfortable C4-to C5, and you then need to find the key to suit you, and the congregation.
Difficult task.
This week I had to bring down two songs which are normally in G to Eb. This can of course, cause problems to musicians, but this week is just me, the other guitar and the clarinet (who has to transpose anyway, in this case, I think it's F). Darlene Zschech, inspired writer, but my gosh she does like to use B4-F5 frequently, and this makes transposing a minefield. I had to bring one of hers down to F, but this caused a note as low as F3. Needs must, sometimes. You can, of course, with a well known song, allow the congregation and your support to carry you sometimes, but there's a danger of the congregation taking over. At times like that I hand it to God, knowing He has it in control, even if my voice is losing it.
Sunday 28 August 2011
Stringing the instrument (Haiku)
New guitar strings today.
All twelve, 2 and a half hours.
Sounds beautiful :-)
All twelve, 2 and a half hours.
Sounds beautiful :-)
A different sort of service
Main worship:
Jesus, Hope of the Nations
In Heavenly Armour
I, the Lord of Sea and Sky
Jesus, my Strength
Post communion:
Be still
Usually, the music starts lively, and winds down with prayers somewhere in the middle.
Sometimes the Spirit leads differently. I picked these songs a little over a week ago, and the template for my thinking usually goes thus:
This week's could have ended up being rather long; note 3 "hymn" type ones which played together we could have ended up leaving church about tea time if we had really got going. Instead, the leader was inspired to split Be Still away and have it after Communion. It ended up being structured beautifully.
I had no idea what was being spoken about this morning, but you can probably see the theme was "strength". From a vision at Bible Study, which was a galloping horse, and weakness apparent in the congregation, the sermon which was on provision (feeding the 5000) - they ended up being perfect choices - but I had no idea of the weakness in the congregation, and I didn't know the sermon theme.
Next week - I daren't even blog it, not yet. Songs are picked, theme has emerged, I'm off to listen to and play them. And then pray that the message is right.
Jesus, Hope of the Nations
In Heavenly Armour
I, the Lord of Sea and Sky
Jesus, my Strength
Post communion:
Be still
Usually, the music starts lively, and winds down with prayers somewhere in the middle.
Sometimes the Spirit leads differently. I picked these songs a little over a week ago, and the template for my thinking usually goes thus:
- An idea of the theme from whomever is speaking - sometimes I will know in advance, sometimes not
- A song will come to mind from above. It may be a hymn or chorus, may be praise or worship
- If I have no idea of the theme, a song is invariably forefront on my mind, or I look through my SOFs and database until I get that "pang" - that one.
- After that, I will consider the other members' requests and ideas and see if one or more of them fit in
- From that I can see whether I am missing anything from usual format: 2 lively praise ones, a winding down, and 2 worship
- I gather potential candidates and see how they fit together
- The songs get picked and I get to work with Musescore, chord sheets etc
- I "play" them together in Musescore, play about with keys, then play them myself
This week's could have ended up being rather long; note 3 "hymn" type ones which played together we could have ended up leaving church about tea time if we had really got going. Instead, the leader was inspired to split Be Still away and have it after Communion. It ended up being structured beautifully.
I had no idea what was being spoken about this morning, but you can probably see the theme was "strength". From a vision at Bible Study, which was a galloping horse, and weakness apparent in the congregation, the sermon which was on provision (feeding the 5000) - they ended up being perfect choices - but I had no idea of the weakness in the congregation, and I didn't know the sermon theme.
Next week - I daren't even blog it, not yet. Songs are picked, theme has emerged, I'm off to listen to and play them. And then pray that the message is right.
Saturday 27 August 2011
Counting your blessings
Okay week 3 of all this, and I have my ups and my downs. I'm excited, exhilarated even, at times, but Pride sometimes takes centre stage and I have to wallop it with something. (Or ask God to.)
But I do start to get feelings that it's all too much. Pondering this today, I should count my blessings, or at least my resources. What do I have?
But I do start to get feelings that it's all too much. Pondering this today, I should count my blessings, or at least my resources. What do I have?
- A 12-string guitar (an Epiphone, if you're vaguely interested) and moderately good at holding the strings down
- A fairly good ear for music
- A fairly good understanding of keys, chords, capabilities of instruments, and the capability of those who play them (at least in our little group)
- Singing lessons
- A pianist
- A flautist
- A cellist
- A clarinetist
- Another guitarist
- Someone at the end of a telephone, or email, that I can go screaming for help and advice occasionally (more experienced than me, but PTL I haven't had to do this yet)
- A puta
- A printer
- Word
- Musescore (really is a worship leader's 2nd best friend next to Jesus. Try it.)
- If MS isn't your thing, Kingsway is an excellent resource, and they give you a download a week for free
- Ah yes...
- Jesus. If it wasn't for Him, I wouldn't be there, at the frontline, doing something that He asked me to do long ago, but was too scared of rejection, or maybe I just wasn't mature enough to handle it
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