In this column, I continue my how-to look at some contemporary and global songs in The Book of Praise.
“Safe in Your Hands,” (#14 in The Book of Praise) with words by Michael Perry, and music by Christopher Norton a solid—though not solemn—pop ballad. Perry was for a long time associated with Jubilate Hymns in the UK; Norton has written a great deal of music for piano instruction, and knows how to write congregational melodies that grab you immediately and stay with you.
The pop piano ballad has been the musical real estate occupied for many years by Elton John—Sir Elton John, if you please. “Candle in the Wind” or “Your Song,” is a good place to begin learning the rhythmic feel of “Safe in Your Hands.” Pop piano ballads like this one are driven by the rhythm of the left hand, usually a dotted quarter/eighth rhythm, or a syncopated version of it. With apologies to my mom, who taught us kids not to “pound” the piano like Jerry Lee Lewis when we played, the left hand rhythm should be well accented and, yes, pounded out a little. If you’re playing with a drummer, the left hand should lock in with the kick drum (bass drum) rhythm; if you have a djembe player, it will be the rhythm of the centre of the drum head which gives the bass sound. Make sure that the eight note is distinct from the note it precedes, like a drum stroke would be.
The emotive and thematic power of this song emerges cumulatively. I usually try to begin it softly—though still with rhythmic drive—and let the dynamic level grow through until the end. Sometimes I have taught it to a congregation by having a soloist sing verse one. Then the choir reprises verse one and goes on to verse two, and the congregation joins for the last two verses. My experience of the song is that it works better feeling it in a slow two rather than four and, even with a good forward drive, it shouldn’t feel like it wishes it were an uptempo number.
Playing rhythmically-driven songs too quickly is a mistake often made by newcomers to contemporary pop or gospel, and this is especially true of world music. “Cantad al Señor/Oh, sing to our God,” (The Book of Praise #453) is a Brazilian folk song that has suffered this treatment, according to its translator Gerhard Cartford. Cartford says (and I’m paraphrasing him here) that even joyful Brazilian music has an underlying melancholy that a too-quick tempo will obscure.
The arrangement in The Book of Praise is one that invites elaboration. I would add guitar and percussion to its vocal lines, and not introduce the canonic men’s part until the congregation knows the song. If you are looking for accompaniment ideas for this song, Sing! A New Creation, from Faith Alive and CRC Publications (see note below) offers, besides Cartford’s simple arrangement, a fuller treatment with some lovely, crunchy chords by Robert A. Hobby. When I have to play something like this, though, I spend some time listening to some songs in the same genre in order to achieve at least a distant-cousin resemblance to their rhythmic flow.
Here are some reading and listening ideas. If you have others (and I know you do!) I’d be glad to pass them along in future columns.
Listening
Come Know My Joy, by the Singers and Players of Beaches Presbyterian Church, features recordings of lesser-known songs and hymns from The Book of Praise can be obtained by contacting the WMS Book Room. (Full disclosure: I produced this resource, along with co-producers Wendy Donaldson and John Dell, during my tenure as Music Director at Beaches Presbyterian.)
If you’re not familiar with the rhythmic feel of Brazilian music, YouTube is a place to start. The Rough Guide World Music Network is also a good introduction to the music of various parts of the world.
Books
Leading the Church’s Song (Augsburg Fortress: Minneapolis, 1998.) A thorough how-to book on most current styles of congregational song, though it doesn’t touch on hip-hop. With forward by Paul Westermeyer, and chapters by Mark Sedio lead writer, Robin Knowles Wallace and Gerhard Cartford, along with a demo CD, it’s full of helpful information. You can order it on-line.
Sing! a New Creation, from Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Faith Alive (CRC Publications, Grand Rapids MI: 2002) and Reformed Church Press (New York, NY) is a rich resource in a wide range of contemporary, folk/liturgical and global congregational song. The leader’s edition offers arrangements of less-familiar accompaniment styles, percussion parts and background notes by leading practitioners in each genre. This collection is widely available, or order it online.
The Faith Alive site also offers brief, simple audio files of 294 selections.
