Comments on: Special music, part 1

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:47:03 +0000

(I know I’m late; I just found this thread.)

I think this would be cool if it were simply a choral performance without any expectation of the congregation joining in. (Because, frankly, that it had been staged would be so obvious that I sincerely doubt most congregants would stand up; they would assume other individuals had been assigned the task, and would simply wait for the performance to play itself out. I don’t see how it’s obvious that you want the entire congregation to stand and join in.)

But if this were simply the choir sitting in the middle of the room and not on the stand, and if they started out joining in one at a time so that there was some momentary disorientation among the people in the pews, I think it could work.

By: WillF

WillF — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:38:06 +0000

This sounds like something these guys would do: http://improveverywhere.com/ Something akin to The Best Gig Ever. which makes it seem inappropriate for Sacrament Meeting.

By: A. Nonny Mouse

A. Nonny Mouse — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:41:10 +0000

“Anyone else looking forward to “Special Music, Part 2?””

I am!

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:08:38 +0000

#41: “It’s my impression we can’t do stuff like that, which seems like a shame to me.”. When BY was building the Salt Lake Temple, he sent missionaries to Europe, to find out how they ‘pulled it off’. Maybe this is something that can be learned from others?

By: Bored in Vernal

Bored in Vernal — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:38:12 +0000

Anyone else looking forward to “Special Music, Part 2?”

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:36:46 +0000

I know your example, Ann, wasn’t musical. My first sentence in #42 addressed non-musical presentations. “It” in the second sentence went back to musical performance art. Sorry that wasn’t clear.

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:34:09 +0000

Ann, I have experienced similar presentations in Mormon meetings. Fwiw, I think the main reason we don’t see it more often is simple inertia – plus a general lack of musical expertise at the local congregation level. There is much that can be done within the general restrictions of the CHI – even if the music is limited exclusively to the hymnbook, which is not required.

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:30:08 +0000

TMD, you are talking with someone who has been performing in public for almost 40 years. Wikipedia . . . never mind.

My example was performance art. I didn’t take the time or space to give all the details. It was performance art, and the spirit was POWERFUL and led to a deep feeling of worship. It was that aspect that my comment addressed.

I am not advocating performance art in Sac Mtg – at least most of what generally would be considered performance art and not performing arts. Performance art does not detract automatically from worship by “add(ing) an element of artifice to the performance of worship, and therefore detract(ing) from the spirit of genuine worship and response.” *Most* performance art might detract; not all does. There can be worshipful and deeply spiritual performance art.

We probably need to agree to disagree on this one, since I’m certain neither of us will change the other’s mind.

By: Ann

Ann — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:59:51 +0000

When I was singing with the Methodists, on a Pentecost Sunday, there was a presentation of Acts 2. One person started reading in English, and after a few verses someone joined in French, then Spanish, then Japanese. A cacophony of voices, reading through verse 12, then finishing with verse 21 in English in unison: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

It was awesome. Obviously a performance, but (I thought) a wonderful illustration of what happened.

It’s my impression we can’t do stuff like that, which seems like a shame to me.

By: Carol F.

Carol F. — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:33:33 +0000

Whether the singers are planted or not, I find this idea incredibly manipulative and cheesy. As the ward music chairperson, I would probably remain seated. Part of the reason would be out of deference for the pianist who I would not know if he was bugged or not.

I agree with those who say it would be much better if the opportunity to stand up was announced beforehand. But I would still feel it was cheesy. It would be like Girls’ Camp where they say you have the “opportunity” to bear your testimony but after 15 weepy dramatic girls I do NOT feel the Spirit but I still feel incredibly obligated to take my turn.