SEARCH Journal

This is a topic bound to bring forth strongly held opinions, whether from the stronghold of dearly held tradition and resistance to change, or the frontiers of progressive innovation, or perhaps somewhere in between these two redoubts. It’s a topic somewhat akin to a minefield, where various explosives such as musical taste and styles of churchmanship lurk beneath, awaiting detonation. In order to pick our way through delicately, it seems sensible to remind ourselves of why we have music in church in the first place. The American priest, musician and theologian Marion Hatchett summarises the role neatly: “From the early days of the Church, music has been integral to the worship of God. Music gives solemnity, beauty, joy and enthusiasm to the worship of the community. It imparts a sense of unity and sets an appropriate tone for a particular celebration. It is an effective evangelistic tool. It nourishes and strengthens faith and assists worshippers in expressing and sharing their faith. It heightens texts so that they speak more fully and more cogently. It highlights the basic structures of the rites. It expresses and communicates feelings and meanings which cannot be put into words.”