Which Direction for This Choir?
  • puzzlemuse
    Posts: 1
    Hello everyone. I recently moved out of an Episcopalian church where I had been Music Director for 4 years. I built a choir there basically from scratch, and we developed lots of church and concert repertoire, partly through traditional Anglican sources, and also a lot of multicultural things (esp. arrangements of Moses Hogan and Boniface Mganga). When I left, the choir had a very strong identity and was proud of our work together.

    Now I am at a Presbyterian church, where there is a very fine small choir (11 members), who can do excellent things with a beautiful sound (three hired section leaders). However their repertoire seems a little hard to identify. They've been doing simplified arrangements of Haydn pieces, some pseudo-contemporary things, etc. Thinking I would challenge them I brought out Dawson's arrangement of "Ain-a that good news," but they seemed to have known that already from some other time and it wasn't that difficult to put together.

    My question is, where can I take this choir? I am less familiar with the Presbyterian tradition, and I doubt that they want to have their repertoire based on a core of Tudor motets. Yet I don't want to go from week to week doing this, than that, etc., without a focus as to their overall identity.

    I am just looking for suggestions that may work within this particular tradition, and ideas for myself to find new ways to challenge a choir, that didnt have the problems of my previous group.

    Thanks.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Presbyterians are Calvinists. Calvinism makes use of the "Regulative Principal of Worship," that is, "What is not specifically allowed in Scripture is forbidden."
    While contemporary Presbyterians have moved away from that approach, their tradition is of non-instrumental music, and songs/hymns based on scripture alone.
    Combine that with the fact that they are something like an offshoot of the Church of England, I would look into a capella, English-language settings of Psalms and Scriptural Canticles.

    Beyond that, since Presbyterians are not, like Roman Catholics, bound by anything like Liturgical Law, and since you likely serve at the pleasure of a pastor or board of elders, I would ask them what kind of music they like.
    I'd be willing to bet that musical tastes/preference/traditions within the Presbyterian world are much more regional and generational than they are denominational.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Also-
    And I don't want to sound unwelcoming at all (you are most welcome here), this is likely not the best place to come for help.
    While some of us work in or are affiliated with non-Catholic traditions, this forum is dedicated to music for the Roman Catholic liturgy, with an expanded sphere of interest into closely related liturgical traditions (Anglicanism, Orthodoxy, Eastern Rite Catholicism). It seems likely there are actual Presbyterian musicians out there on the internet who can help more than any of us can.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Polite correction! - Presbyterianism is not an offshoot of the C 0f E! It is a branch of Calvinism and is predominant in Scotland where John Knox did his damage. I believe that many Presbyterians have a rather eclectic musical 'tradition' which includes some Anglican repertory. The original limit of Calvinist music, though, was to metrical psalmody without instruments. Most Presbyterians, I think, in this country would not likely be bound to anywhere near that limit. I would suggest a repertory of basically 'quality' generic Protestant music that would not reflect any theological or sacramental bent which they would find unpalatable. (A study of the texts in their hymnal should give you a good idea of the doctrinal bounds of their music, and of the sort of teaching which they stress.)
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,451
    Correction noted, although-
    I said "something like an offshoot" instead "offshoot" to suggest that the Scottish Reformation was a bit tied up with the politics and ecclesiology of the English Reformation, not to suggest that a bunch of established Anglicans broke away from Angicanism to form another church.
    But I probably shouldn't have opened my mouth much either way, since the little I know about it comes secondhand by way of my study of church music.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,046
    There's certainly enough Calvinism in low-church Anglicanism, but that doesn't necessarily mean an influence the other way. Still, Anglican influence shows up in other denominations...the 1940 Lutheran hymnal owes scads to the Anglicans (all that Anglican chant, some BCP language). Can't speak for the Presbys though...
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,605
    I'd suggest visiting and downloading bulletins from major, leading Presby churces - Mad Av in NYC, that sort of place, and following the scheme that they utilize.
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    puzzlemuse, contact me at moconnor09 AT gmail.com. I have a friend who can help you.
  • don roy
    Posts: 306
    i grew up a presbyterian so my earliest memories were of a presbyterian choir. i can tell you from my own experience that most of the repertoire is interchangable among the mainstream protestant denominations (at least those churches that havent abandoned their heritage for the praise and worship crap we catholics helpd foist on an unsuspecting world)
    it sounds like basic anglican repertoire (especially the early 20th century repertoire) would be fine for your group. some presbyterian draw the line at latin (although swahili is probably just fine)
    you might want to go to a good regional music store (like peppers or heads) and spend a day among thje choir samples.
    good luck.
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    Don is right, the Pepper catalog pretty much serves Pres, Methodist and the Baptists who still have choirs.
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