Some congregations seem born to sing. Others do so reluctantly. Surprisingly, while numbers can help, there is no reason a small congregation or home group can’t sing enthusiastically. Whatever the size of your group, there are some things that can help.
Sometimes people in congregations don’t sing because they don’t really like the music. It’s hard to sing what you don’t like. The only way to find out is to ask. An annual survey can be a big help in fine-tuning the repertoire. It is worth asking what songs on the repertoire they like and which ones they don’t. But it is also helpful to ask about their other musical preferences.
Ask who their favourite secular recording artists are. Ask what radio stations they listen to. What is their favourite Christian recording etc? These things will tell you a lot about genre preferences that will not show up in questions about the existing repertoire. However if you ask, you should do the courtesy of responding. Publish the results of your survey. Ask for help in identifying new songs that match the preferences of the congregation. Tell them what you intend to do as a result of the survey.
If there are negative criticisms, take them seriously. They are saying something important, even if you consider it off-beam or slightly heretical. If the congregation doesn’t like what you think they should like, you need to explore whether your objections to what they like are really valid, and whether you need to teach and model good song selection.
At times congregational singing can suffer after a prolonged period of change. Too many new songs can stifle peoples desire and enjoyment of the familiar. If this happens it is time to take stock, and trim back the selection of songs used.
Use your survey above as a basis for trimming the fat, and spend three to six months focusing on songs that people enjoy and sing well. Once people recover their enjoyment and enthusiasm you can start adding new songs, or giving previous failures a second chance. Unless there is a strong appetite for change, it may be wise to introduce new material at a slower rate to avoid recurrence of the same problem.
A good song leader can be an enormous help to ‘non-singing’ congregations. Their words and actions should convey a genuine enthusiasm for singing and leadership. A good singer is not necessarily a good leader, and vice-versa, however both skills can be learnt. Most important is an attitude of humility and a desire to serve and help the congregation.
The common image of a song leader is ‘the one up the front’, and that role is very important. However song leaders can be just as valuable in the congregation. Powerful, confident and enthusiastic singing can help others by providing cues for timing and pitch. It can also help mask the sound of the ‘non-singer’s’ own voice, which is a big fear for many. If your church has many good singers, encourage them to sit in areas of the congregation that don’t sing well, and to serve as encouragers and role models.
Most people have been told they ‘can’t sing’ by the time they are teenagers. This leaves many feeling that they are vocally inadequate, and that singing is only for the ‘experts’. This is a powerful lie that robs many of the joy of one of God’s precious gifts. Singing is for all, no matter how good or poor the instrument.
I remember growing up in a small country church where the leaders encouraged us all to ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord’. Despite having a rather inadequate voice (that has improved a little with training and practice), this was the encouragement that led me down the road of songwriting.
There are a number of ways our words can have a huge impact.
Music is an expression of joy and creativity within. It springs from an innermost being renewed by the spirit of God. He puts a new song in our heart. Our leading should be an expression of this joy and passion. If we allow ourselves to be moved and touched by powerful words and music, others will too. Simple gestures and movements can help unlock the fear and formalism that inhibit our praise. It is a fine line between serving the congregation expressively, and drifting off into one’s private devotional world. We need to remember that we are leading public and corporate worship. Nevertheless the reality we experience as we sing, influences the way others experience singing to God and to each other.
Technicians can’t seem to agree about the ‘correct’ volume to achieve the best participation. To some extent it may be governed by the age group. Typically youth like it louder. However there are problems at the extremes.
If the music and leaders are too soft, then the less confident may be inhibited by the fact that they can hear themselves. However being too loud has problems too. People may perceive that they are not needed, as the band makes all the noise. Also if you can’t hear yourself, it can be hard to pitch notes, and the vague sense of not singing in tune can be quite detrimental to enthusiastic singing.
In between the two extremes are ranges of volume levels that are comfortable, and can be ‘played with’ to see what works best. Other factors can be the composition and style of the band. An energetic band can encourage participation. However a way out, avant-garde ensemble may have exactly the opposite effect. A clear melodic lead can be a help, as can be simple as opposed to dense arrangements.
Another help may be to mike the congregation using a couple of condenser microphones and feed the sound of the congregation into the front of house mix. This gives the sense that more people are singing more heartily, and encourages others to join in. This is particularly effective for middle-sized congregations who can’t seem to make enough noise.
In short the best way to get congregations to sing heartily is to provide good quality, enthusiastic leadership playing the songs they like in genres they prefer and by verbally encouraging people individually and as a group to sing wholeheartedly.
Who here has been told they can’t sing? (Pause). Did you know that most of you have been lied too! If you can talk, then you can sing. The Psalmist invites us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. If you can make a noise, then make a joyful noise to the praise of our God as we sing…