MODERN PRAISE MUSIC

When I was a teenager, the older people in our church would complain about early rock n' roll music or a little later about the Beatles, but most of the criticism was leveled at Elvis' gyrations or the length of the Beatles' hair, not the music itself. One exception was a pamphlet we were given in Sunday school in which a rather racist criticism was leveled against the “pagan African rhythms” teenagers were being exposed to as they listened to these songs.

Well, now I am even older than the elderly curmudgeons in that church who grumbled against modern music, and I find myself doing exactly the same thing regarding modern church praise music. So if I vent for a while, try to forgive me for being so behind the times. But first let me explain that I have a rather wide appreciation for a range of musical styles in both secular and religious settings. My favorite secular music tends to run toward any classical music from Beethoven onward, operettas, Broadway musicals, folk music, rock music from the classics of the 50's up to the death of Tom Petty, good country-western and popular singers, and even some disco. I have been much less impressed with anything coming out in the last few decades.

As far as church music is concerned, I was weaned on the classic hymns written no later than about 1930 that now still form the staple fare in “traditional” church services even though there was much great church music composed over the succeeding 50 years or so that is now almost totally ignored. Those musical compositions managed to adequately fill the gap following the music my grandparents loved by liberally borrowing from gospel, folk, country/western and other popular styles of the day.

So what are we treated to today in terms of praise music in the “contemporary” church services? Nothing to brag about, that is for sure, at least in my jaundiced opinion. The dumbing down of church music has been going on steadily for many decades. It started out by eliminating any deep theological content which the congregation might have to actually think about while singing. That was coupled with an elimination of any music written in four-part harmony that might force someone to learn how to read music. So at that point we were left with lyrics perfectly acceptable for anyone who had at least learned how to read, if not yet understand, English, sung to a very simple melody.

But that was apparently not enough since the art of writing lyrics that actually rhymed became too difficult for composers of praise songs to master. To make up for that deficit, they simply repeated the same identical words over and over since they knew they would always rhyme that way. I am no huge fan of rap music, mainly because it has largely abandoned a melodic line entirely. However, the best of rap almost makes up for that deficit with its clever lyrics and driving rhythm.

That brings us to the subject of the music itself. In the first place, most of it is totally forgettable. In addition, it tends to be extremely boring, unimaginative, and downbeat. Just take the familiar Easter hymn like “Low in the grave he lay” for the sake of comparison. It starts out with rather slow and somber music accompanying the opening words “Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior. Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord.” These words are then followed by a rapid increase in the tempo and higher and higher notes proclaiming “Up from the grave he arose, with a mighty triumph o'er his foes.” Now imagine this whole hymn being sung to the slow, grim music with which it began and you will get some idea of the total mismatch between music and lyrics in much of today's praise music.

The closest thing I can compare it with is Buddhist or Hindu chants meant to basically numb one's mind and bring you into a contemplative and meditative state in which all reality slips away as you enter an altered state of consciousness. I had someone at church explain to me that today's life is so fast paced that church is the place where the members of the congregation can go to just chill out, and modern praise music helps them to do that. I really doubt (1) that life is any more fast paced than it has been for the last fifty years when rock 'n roll became popular, and it was certainly not the monotonous pap we hear in church today and (2) that the main biblical reason for meeting in fellowship is for us to veg-out to mind-numbing music.

I will give our praise singers and musicians credit for at least trying to manufacture a little enthusiasm in the songs they lead through strumming on the guitar a little faster, drumming a little louder, or moving their hands and bodies as if they were really singing something exciting. But the musical compositions they are performing are against them every step of the way.

One advantage of being stuck at home and watching the services on television instead of in person is that my wife and I can just mute the sound until the singing is over and the sermon begins. Apparently, it has been noted that many people routinely arrive in the auditorium well after the contemporary service has started. There may be many causes for such a behavior, but I would be willing to bet that dislike of the music is a prime factor for more than a few.