church music

Versifying Psalms for Singing

How is a psalm versified to function as a song for church music? This article considers the complexities involved in the task of versifying Psalms.

Brethren Hymnology

This article examines some of the hymns of the Brethren Movement that found a place in more general hymnbooks, and reflects on the character and nature of church music and liturgical songs.

Ten Principles for Church Song

This article lists ten principles for making wise decisions about church music. Among them are: our singing is for God's glory and the edification of the body of Christ, we ought to sing to the Lord new songs, church singing should swim in its own history of church singing, and all our songs should use biblical lyrics.

Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns – Introductory Considerations

This chapter considers the character of church music or worship music. Gordon argues that contemporary pop music and pop culture have impoverished the worship music of many churches.

Singing and Making Music: Sermon in Song: Sacred Music as Proclamation

In worship musicians and preachers share in the ministry of the Word. Purposes of church music include proclamation of the Bible, and the edification and encouragement of the saints. The ultimate goal of all of this is to give glory to God.

Music and the Future

This articles seeks to answer the why and what of church singing and church music. It does that by showing that music conveys meaning but at the same time is full of beauty.

Liturgy and Spirituality: The Substratum of Church Music

This is an article on church music. In the first place, the author discusses the foundation of liturgy and spirituality which is key to church music. Secondly, the author maintains that church music is a form of art, and discusses what we can learn from modern art in relation to church music.

The Organ and the Organist

This article discusses church music and the use of the organ. The author maintains that the Bible does not speak against the use of instruments in church to adorn the singing, and the use of an organ can be beneficial for worship.

Popular

This article calls for good quality church music. This article argues that God instituted church music in the Old Testament temple, and that this command of God on music is relevant for the church today. Therefore, there must be norm to govern church music and a regulation that applies this norm. The author also discusses the place of singing and the use of the organ.

Church Music: Accommodation or Discrimination?

This article is about the importance of music style in the worship service. The author focuses on Western tradition, but gives principles to remember for all church music.

Music: The Problem of Form and Content

This article is about the music (church music) that must clothe the text of the songs we sing in the worship and we have in our hymnal.

John Calvin and Church Music

This article is about John Calvin's view of church music and secular tunes in church music.

Church Music: Watch Those Words!

This article lays out basic principles for evaluating the lyrics of church music suitable for Reformed worship.

Church Music: Some Problem Principles

Popular

Are certain instruments, tunes, and rhythms wordly or secular in themselves? This article, in discussing the matter of church music, warns that it will not do for us to insist on one type of musical instrument, tune, or rhythm.

Church Music throughout the Ages

This article offers a suvey of the history of church music, identifying a great variety of styles throughout the ages. It considers music in the early church, the Middle ages, and into the Reformation. It gives due consideration to the types of musical instruments used in the worship over the centuries.

Church Music – Let There Be Variety

Popular

How varied should church music be? This article surveys the wide variety of music in Scripture, and suggests that our music today should be no less varied than what is found in the Bible.