Can anyone share with me why musical craftmanship is being left out of writing these days? Remember the tools you learned in music theory, music history, and counterpoint that the masters of composition used when writing their classics? Whatever happened to theme and development? Why can’t more hymns and praise songs be written to contain a melody which interweaves with a counter-melody? A perfect example of a Christian anthem that does this is “Here I Am, Lord” by Daniel Schutte. Listen to how he uses the piano to interweave the verse into the chorus. It is wonderful craftmanship! The chorus iof this anthem s now being used as a praise chorus. Why do Christian artists, writers, and perfomers not include any of these elements in their music these days? Even the pop music in the secular world has examples where these tools are being used (“She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5 and “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba). Christian songwriters: I challenge you to use the tools you learned in school to write hymns and praise songs that will not only inspire the congregation as they sing them, but also challenge and inspire the orchestra, keyboardists, praise team and/or praise band as they perform them. God has given us some wonderful musical tools. Let’s implement these and make our musical offerings a craft again!
Can anyone share with me why musical craftmanship is being left out of writing these days? Remember the tools you learned in music theory, music history, and counterpoint that the masters of composition used when writing their classics? Whatever happened to theme and development? Why can’t more hymns and praise songs be written to contain a melody which interweaves with a counter-melody? A perfect example of a Christian anthem that does this is “Here I Am, Lord” by Daniel Schutte. Listen to how he uses the piano to interweave the verse into the chorus. It is wonderful craftmanship! The chorus iof this anthem s now being used as a praise chorus. Why do Christian artists, writers, and perfomers not include any of these elements in their music these days? Even the pop music in the secular world has examples where these tools are being used (“She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5 and “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba). Christian songwriters: I challenge you to use the tools you learned in school to write hymns and praise songs that will not only inspire the congregation as they sing them, but also challenge and inspire the orchestra, keyboardists, praise team and/or praise band as they perform them. God has given us some wonderful musical tools. Let’s implement these and make our musical offerings a craft again!