With heart and hands and voices

Leading the music of the local church

No.1 in a series of church music pamphlets from the Panel on Worship of the Church of Scotland

CONTENTS Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 The Organ ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 Congregational Accompaniment ... ... 8 The Choir ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 Three Simple Steps to Better Singing ... 17 Metre Demystified ... ... ... ... 19

© The Church of Scotland, Panel on Worship, 1995

Emended edition, 1996

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INTRODUCTION This is the first of a series of booklets produced by the Panel on Worship's Music Committee aimed at providing useful help and advice for musicians in parish churches in Scotland. Many church musicians have had no formal training in playing the organ or in leading choirs. Sometimes enthusiastic beginners quickly become frustrated and disillusioned because there is no one to turn to for advice, support or encouragement as they struggle to do their best in helping to lead the people in worship week by week. Others may have been in post for many years, working largely in isolation, not knowing what the folk in the church next door are singing, or how they should approach the task of ensuring that the music they bring to worship remains relevant and inspiring for all who take part. These booklets will not serve to transform the amateur church musician into a skilled professional, nor will they provide a recipe for how to turn a mediocre group of singers into a first rate choir. But then that is not their intention. Rather, it is hoped that their contents will inspire those who would like to become more proficient, confident and knowledgeable about church music. They have been prepared for those who know they are doing their best, but who are sufficiently gracious and honest to acknowledge that their best could, in some way, be made even better. The Kirk has a long and successful musical heritage of which it can be justifiably proud. And the inherent power of music at work in her worship has for centuries drawn on the skills, passion and vision of those who have been willing to take the initiative in creating the means whereby all God's people have been enabled to join with the psalm writer who said: Come, let us praise the Lord! Let us sing for joy to God, who protects us! Let us come before him with thanksgiving, And sing joyful songs of praise.

[Psalm 95]

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THE ORGAN THE CONSOLE To understand how an organ works, it is better to think of it as not one but several instruments, all of which are controlled from the console - the driving seat where the organist sits. A very large organ, for example a cathedral organ, comprises several "departments": the Great Organ; the Swell Organ; the Choir Organ; the Solo Organ; the Echo Organ and the Pedal Organ. All of these are controlled by the organist playing at the console. However, for the purposes of this booklet, which is designed particularly for those who know little about the instrument, description is confined to an organ that has two manuals and a pedal board - the type of instrument most commonly found in Scottish kirks.

THE SWELL ORGAN The top keyboard (or manual as organists prefer to call it) controls the collection of pipes known as the swell organ. All of these pipes are enclosed in a huge wooden box. (Have a look at the works of the instrument in your church to see this.) One side of the box is slatted - like a Venetian blind - and can be opened or closed either to increase or decrease the volume of sound. When these wooden slats are opened, the sound is louder, and when they are closed, the sound is softer. The Venetian blind is controlled by the swell pedal, usually situated in the middle of the organ console, immediately above the pedal board. In older instruments there may be a notched wooden lever on the right of the pedal board which performs the same function as the swell pedal - it either increases or decreases the volume of sound coming from the swell organ. The stops that control the pipes in the swell organ are located on the left of the keyboards in traditionally built instruments. However, on some organs stop tabs may be located above the keyboards.

THE GREAT ORGAN The lower manual controls the pipes of the great organ. None of the great organ pipes is enclosed. They are generally more powerful and robust in tone than those found in the swell organ. The stops controlling the great organ pipes are situated on the right of the manuals in traditionally built instruments (or above the keyboards).

THE PEDAL ORGAN The pedal board is laid out in the same way as the keyboard, and its job is to make the pipes of the pedal organ function. The stops controlling the pedal organ pipes are to the right of the keyboards on traditional instruments (or above the keyboards).

COMBINATION PISTONS The small ivory buttons under the manuals are called thumb combination pistons. These are labour-saving devices which bring into play various combinations of stops, literally "at the touch of a button". This allows the player to make quick changes of stops without taking his hands off the keyboards. On many organs there are toe combination pistons situated immediately above the pedal board. They perform the same task as the thumb pistons in changing the combination of stops being used. THE PIPES There are two main types of organ pipe: flue pipes and reed pipes. A flue pipe is like a recorder or penny whistle. Air is blown in one end of the pipe; it meets the lip of the pipe and sets the air inside vibrating to make a sound. It is the same principle that operates when children blow across the top of a milk bottle to make sounds. Flue pipes, therefore, have no moving parts and only the air inside the pipe moves. The majority of pipes in the organ are flue pipes.

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A reed pipe works like a clarinet or oboe. When air is forced into the bottom of the pipe it meets a thin tongue of metal. This tongue vibrates and in turn the air inside the pipe vibrates and so makes a sound. The same principle operates when you blow on a blade of grass that is held between the thumbs (except the sound made on an organ pipe is usually better!). Pipes are graduated in size: the larger pipes produce the lowest-sounding notes and the smaller pipes produce the highest-sounding notes. When a stop is drawn (switched on) this brings into play an entire set or rank of pipes - one for every note on the keyboard. So if you play one note with four stops drawn, four different pipes sound. The art of combining various stops to produce different colours of sound is known as registration.

STOPS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT The quality of tone that a stop will produce can sometimes be recognised from its name (trumpet, flute, horn etc.). Numbers are also printed on most stops. These indicate the pitch of the stop, which is determined by the length of the longest pipe in the rank. If you draw a stop which has 8 on the stop tab, the longest pipe in the rank is 8 feet in length. Pipes that belong to stop tabs which have 8 printed on them sound at the same pitch as a piano. If you play middle C on the organ with an 8 foot stop drawn, it sounds at the same pitch as middle C on the piano. If there is a 4 on the stop tab, the longest pipe in the rank is 4 feet in length. If you play middle C on the organ with a 4 foot stop drawn, what you actually hear is the C one octave higher. If there is a 2 on the stop tab, then the longest pipe in that rank is only 2 feet long. If you play middle C with a 2 foot stop drawn, then what you hear is the C two octaves higher than the note being played. Some pipes have 16 marked on the stop tab. This means that the largest pipe in the rank is 16 feet long. If you play middle C with a 16 foot stop drawn, what you hear is the C one octave lower than middle C. Most 16 foot stops are on the pedal organ. Some organs have Couplers. These are not stops, but rather devices which activate several pipes of the same rank when only one key is played. This helps to brighten the colour tone of the organ. Some organs have a Mixture stop. This brings into play two, three or four ranks of pipes, all of the same tone colour, but of differing pitch. The names on the stops provide a clue about the quality of tone you can expect to hear from them. Tone colours can be divided roughly into four main categories: diapasons flutes strings reeds Diapasons are the most important group of stops on the organ. They form the foundation of basic organ sounds. The word diapason comes from a Greek word that means "all-pervading". A diapason sound should permeate all the departments of the good instruments. The diapason category includes Open Diapason, Stopped Diapason, Principal, Octave, Fifteenth. They all blend well both with each other and with most other stops too. Flute stops include Lieblich Gedackt, Claribel, Rohrflote, Hohlflote, Harmonic Flute, Waldflote. These are among the softer sounds on the organ. They are usually mellow-sounding and blend well with most other combinations of stops. Strings include Salicet, Salicional, Dulciana, Gamba, Celestes, Viole. Strings will occasionally mix with flute stops, but you will might well find that a Gedackt 8 used with a Flute 4 will sound more pleasing to the ear than with a Salicional 4.

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Reed stops, which are very distinctive, can include Oboe, Horn, Cornopean, Trumpet, Clarinet. They can be used on their own as solo stops (while the accompaniment is played on another manual), or to blend with the diapason chorus. The orchestral reeds such as Oboe and Clarinet are used on their own in a single melody line: they often sound nasty if you try to play chords.

REGISTRATION Registration is the process of blending the various colours the organ can produce by drawing the different stops to produce different sounds. Entire books are written about the art of registration, but it need not be difficult. The important thing is to listen to the quality of tone produced by varying the combination of stops. Sometimes the title of a piece of music gives a good clue. While the title "Prelude" might not tell you much, "Triumphant March" says quite a lot about possible registration. Look for clues in the music too (dolce, grazioso, fortissimo, etc). Registration is not an exact science and therefore there are no right or wrong stops to use. Listen to the organ and its colours and experiment with different combinations of sound. Your ears will tell you that one stop used singly or with another of a different pitch will make a more pleasing sound than a handful of stops of the same pitch. You will also hear that 8 and 2 is a welcome change to 8 and 4; that 16 and 4 or even 16 and 2 can be exciting; that the swell Oboe is particularly harsh when used in conjunction with the Diapason; that the Hohlflote and the Celestes seem out of tune. There is no mystique about registration, but you do have to listen to the sound being produced. Don't feel that you continually need to change the registration. Most pieces need only one setting of stops for their entire length. When you feel more confident, you might want to try to be a little more adventurous by adding or removing stops as a piece progresses, but never sacrifice the time or rhythm of a passage for the sake of attempting to change the registration.

SWELL PEDAL The swell pedal controls the Venetian blind device on one side of the wooden box in which the swell organ pipes are placed. Many people, particularly if they are unable to play the pedals, get into the habit of resting their feet on the swell pedal. Don't be tempted: avoid this at all costs! The danger is that when you are concentrating hard on playing, you will work the swell pedal unconsciously, thereby continually altering the volume of the music being played. You should only put your foot on the swell pedal when you mean to increase or decrease the volume. When playing hymns, it is usually best to adjust the volume by adding or deselecting stops between the verses. TECHNIQUE Most organists can play the piano but not all pianists can play the organ. Why is this, when the keyboards are exactly the same? The organist obviously has to learn to co-ordinate hands and feet as well as managing the controls at the console. But that apart, the style of playing is different for each instrument. The notes on the piano continue to "ring on" after they have been released. This is more obvious when the sustaining pedal is used. On the piano the sounds between a succession of chords can be allowed to merge into one another to produce a smooth effect. However, the good pianist will be careful not to overdo this: the use of the sustaining pedal on the piano is in itself an art. Furthermore, pianists learn to develop a legato touch - that's to say they learn to play so that no perceptible gap can be heard between the notes. Very often the sustaining pedal is used where legato effect is impossible to achieve by clever fingering technique.

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But there is no sustaining pedal on the organ to help overcome these difficulties, and there is no possibility on the organ of a "ringing on" effect from the notes played. As soon as a key is released, the sound ceases immediately (unless the acoustics are such that there is a natural echo in the building where the instrument is situated). Consequently, the production of smooth legato effect is totally dependent on fingering technique alone. It is this difference that presents difficulties for pianists who suddenly find themselves playing an organ at a Sunday morning service. Their playing, which sounded fine on the piano, is somehow transformed into an unsatisfactory staccato style. Organists need to listen very carefully to ensure that they play with a legato technique. Try this simple little exercise:

Play middle C, followed by D. Listen carefully to the join between the two notes. Is there a gap between them? Or do they overlap each other, so that both notes sound together, even for a fraction of a second? If either of these things happen, then you need to give attention to your legato organ technique. Think of a see-saw: as one end goes up, the other end goes down. There is neither gap nor overlapping. The action of playing successive notes on the organ should be like this. Or, if you are a driver, think of how you change gear: as you lift the accelerator, you depress the clutch. Whether or not the car stalls, or has "kangaroo petrol" in its tank depends on how smoothly you can do this. Does the organ you play run on kangaroo petrol?

The other obvious difference between the two instruments is that organists, unlike pianists, are unable to make subtle changes of dynamics by varying finger pressure. No matter how hard you strike the key on the organ, there will be no increase in tone. Dynamic change on the organ is produced by reducing or adding to the number of pipes through stop changes or by the use of the swell pedal.

ELECTRONIC ORGANS Some electronic organ consoles are modelled on traditional instruments and the layout and stop names described above will be familiar. Other electronic instruments do not follow these conventions. Unfortunately some churches have purchased electronic instruments that are totally unsuited for church use. The gadgetry on them is simply too numerous to describe in this booklet. It can range from automatic rhythm units offering rhumba, cha-cha and rap, to voice units that produce police sirens, breaking glass or dog barks!

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CONGREGATIONAL ACCOMPANIMENT No one who has attended a Good Friday service and has been moved by the poignancy and passion of "When I survey the wond'rous cross" can doubt the capacity of words and music to move the heart. No one who has been stirred by Easter Sunday morning shouts of affirmation like "Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son", or who has felt the hairs bristling on the back of their neck as a packed congregation on Communion Sunday sings "Ye gates, lift up your heads on high" can fail to appreciate the uncanny power of the Kirk's great heritage of hymnody. Communal singing of prayers like "Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts", or bursts of joy and gratitude like "All people that on earth do dwell" enable us reticent Scots (who would never dream of voicing such intimate emotions in public) to express the deepest, innermost feelings of our hearts in a valid and legitimate way. Something similar happens at football matches when supporters unite in chant as they encourage their team to win; the "Rule Britannia" of the Last Night of the Proms has the same effect. In the Kirk, it is the function - and the awesome privilege - of the organist to inspire the congregation to sing as if every Sunday were Easter Day. It is the organist's job to lead the praise, but that does not simply mean providing a backing for the congregation: leading the praise is much more. A good organist is not necessarily a virtuoso player, but rather one who is sufficiently proficient to concentrate less on reading the music, and more on the words, giving due regard to the phrasing and punctuation, but above all to the sense of what the hymn is saying. The words must be interpreted through the music if the singing is to be meaningful in any way.

INTRODUCING THE TUNE The hymn begins not with the singing, but with the introduction which should set the scene for what is to follow. The congregation should be given time to look up the words so that they are not still searching as verse one begins. The organist's introduction has four principal functions: It reminds the congregation of the tune. The congregation's familiarity with the

tune will dictate how much of an introduction you need to play. If the hymn is less familiar, or if it has not been sung for some time, then it might be necessary to play it over in its entirety. However, this is not always necessary: usually the first two or the last two lines are sufficient. It is rarely satisfactory to play the first line followed by the last line because the natural flow of the melody is disturbed and the listeners are confused by it.

Keep a sense of drama. The first line of hymns like "Now thank we all our God

with hands and hearts and voices" and "All people that on earth do dwell" can be exciting if played over in octaves alone.

It indicates the pitch - that is, it informs the congregation of the key in which the

hymn is to be sung and from this they can work out the starting note. It is usually best to end the introduction on the tonic chord (the doh chord), but sometimes the dominant chord (the soh chord) is equally satisfactory. If you decide to end an introduction to a particular hymn on the dominant chord (hymn tunes often modulate to the dominant chord half way through), there is no necessity to add the tonic chord again at the end of your introduction.

For example, the tune Crediton (No 168 in Church Hymnary: Third Edition - The

race that long in darkness pined.....) starts off in C major, and by the end of the second line (on the word "light") has modulated to the dominant chord of G major. After having arrived at G major, some organists feel they must then add the tonic

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C major chord as the final chord of their introduction. There is no good reason for this and it is clumsy and unmusical. By the end of the second line, the congregation are completely aware of the pitch of the tune, and do not require to hear the tonic chord again before they can start to sing. They are well able to work out their starting note from the two lines of introduction and indeed do so without thinking about it.

It indicates the speed of the hymn. Try to maintain a strict rhythm throughout

the introduction. Don't slow up towards the end or the congregation will pick up the slower speed. Play the introduction at the speed at which you intend the entire hymn to be sung. The pace the organist sets in the introduction should be maintained throughout the entire hymn.

It indicates the mood and sentiment of the words. Organists need to be

sensitive to the words so that the introduction and accompaniment reflect their mood and sentiment. That is why you should insist on having the praise list well in advance of the service so that you can study the mood and expression of the words and plan to reflect this in the registration you choose. Not many folk would play "Be still, my soul" with every stop on the instrument blasting away, but the opposite effect is often heard: "Praise him! Praise him! Praise the everlasting king!" played on mellow-sounding flute stops, as if it were a lullaby. Be sensitive to the message and meaning of the hymn.

The relationship between the last note of the introduction and the first line of the verse is of vital importance and the link must be musical. Don't feel that you should hold on to the last note of the introduction for umpteen beats until the congregation decides to heave itself to its feet. This is unmusical and ugly. Give the last note its proper value and then launch into the first verse, just as you would between the verses. This may take the congregation by surprise at first, but they will get used to it within a week or two, and realise that musical timing is important for good singing. (After all, you have given them time to look up the hymn before you began to play the introduction). If an organist complains that a congregation takes too long to stand for the beginning of a hymn, then it is invariably his or her own fault for hanging on to the last note of the introduction, thereby indulging the congregation and encouraging folk to remain seated when they should be on their feet and ready to sing!

GATHERING NOTES Gathering notes belong to the dark ages! After having played over the introduction, some organists persist in playing the first note of the first verse before launching into the tune proper. The usual reason given is that the congregation needs to have the starting note pointed out to them. This discredits the inherent musical ability of the singers. The congregation is already well aware of the pitch of the tune from the introduction, and knows exactly the note on which it should start to sing. There is no benefit in playing gathering notes: they simply serve to disrupt the timing link between introduction and first verse, and the result is extremely unmusical. Make a clean start! ACCOMPANYING THE HYMN As the singing starts, don't suddenly reduce the speed. Keep the hymn going in strict time, with no rallentandos (slowing up) at the end of each verse. If you do this, the singing gets progressively slower so that by the last verse, the congregation is panting for breath! And it sounds dreich! Punctuation is important. Organists need to lift their fingers clear of the keys to make the instrument reflect the punctuation of the words. There are no absolute rules, but

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take a hymn like "Rejoice, the Lord is King" (number 296 in CH3), where the last two lines of each verse are as follows: Lift up your heart, lift up your voice; Rejoice; again I say, 'Rejoice'. Here is how you would punctuate this on the organ: Lift up your heart, [lift] Lift up your voice; [lift] Rejoice; [lift] again I say, [lift] 'Rejoice'. And the last verse of this same hymn:

We then shall hear the archangel's voice; [lift] The trump of God shall sound, [lift] 'Rejoice'. Of course, you have to be careful not to overdo it. For example, in the fourth verse of "How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds", it would be musical nonsense to punctuate every comma: Jesus, my Shepherd, Husband, Friend, My Prophet, Priest, and King, My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End, Accept the praise I bring. It would be sufficient in that verse to lift at the end of each line (musical phrase). To observe every comma would result in the rhythm becoming so disrupted that the tune would disintegrate into a meaningless succession of notes. Organists must also pay heed to the sense of what the hymn is saying and try to reflect that in their accompaniment. An obvious example is the last verse of "Dear Lord and Father of mankind": Breathe through the heats of our desire Thy coolness and Thy balm; Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire, Speak through the earthquake, wind and fire O still small voice of calm. These words become dramatically more meaningful if the verse begins softly, gets gradually louder towards the climax of the tune in the fourth line (earthquake, wind and fire), and reduces to a soft tone for the still small voice in the last line. However, care must be taken not to paint every word, and selecting stops which, as far as possible, reflect the general overview of the entire verse is usually best, since congregations do not cope well with sudden and unexpected dramatic changes on the organ. Having the hymn list in advance of the service allows you to study the words and plan to reflect their meaning in the way that you play. SPEED The most important factor that makes congregational singing dull and lifeless is the painfully slow way in which some organists accompany hymns. Unnecessarily slow singing is the kiss of death to joyful praise, and not all hymns should be sung at the same "dignified", "religious" and "respectable" pace that many imagine is the only appropriate way to celebrate and worship inside a church building. Why should

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hymns be sung slowly simply because they are hymns? Why should words that reflect the joy and euphoria in people's hearts be dragged out in a tedious and lacklustre manner? Why do organists who play at such slow speeds display such a degree of insensitivity that shows little regard for the sentiment of what is being expressed in the meaning of the words they are accompanying? No one (well, practically no one) would ever dream of singing "I do like to be beside the seaside" as slowly as "All people that on earth do dwell". Yet both songs are an expression of great gladness and joy (sing to the Lord with cheerful voice). There is no loss of dignity in taking hymns at a happy, brisk pace when the words suggest this should be the case. Of course, the size and accoustic of church buildings need to be taken into account, for undoubtedly this will have implications for the pace at which hymns are sung. In large, cavernous sanctuaries where time delays in sound are inevitable, or even in smaller churches where numerous hard surfaces create a substantial echo effect, it is often more difficult to control the speed of singing, or to encourage a brisker pace when necessary. One of the most common reasons given for not playing hymns at a faster pace is that the congregation always sings slower than the organ, and is unable to keep up. In such cases, the fault lies not with the congregation but with the organist. If the congregation does not sing in time, and is always half a beat behind, then the organist's playing is not sufficiently rhythmical to allow the beat of the tune to be heard. The usual result is that the organist, having set the pace, then slows down to meet the speed of the congregation and finds it impossible to speed up the hymn. There are several "tricks" you can use to overcome this difficulty. Since higher notes on the organ are heard more clearly, play the melody line of the hymn an octave higher. Alternatively, make the rhythm of the tune more pronounced by playing a verse or two in a staccato style. (Of course, this is in complete contradiction to the advice given previously about developing legato organ technique, but is suggested here as an occasional device for a particular purpose.) Some people argue that the congregation is unable to sing at a faster speed because faster singing uses more breath. This is simply not true. If it takes 10 seconds to sing a line of a hymn, then logic dictates that to sing that same line faster takes a shorter time and therefore uses less breath. So don't listen to criticisms that your faster playing leaves people out of breath when the opposite is invariably the case. Breathlessness is nothing to do with faster singing; it simply means that people have not realised they have to take breaths more quickly and at the appropriate places.

THE END Some organists are in the habit of reducing the speed towards the end of each verse. This invariably results in the hymn becoming progressively slower. Avoid this at all costs. A judicious slackening of the pace, possibly linked with an increase in tone leading to a triumphant final note (allargando) can indeed be extremely effective. But this loses its effect if introduced as a matter of course at the end of every hymn. Sometimes the opposite effect is heard. The hymn reaches its last note and the organist hangs on to it for ages while deselecting stops and gradually reducing the volume of the organ. This is extremely unmusical. If the last note of a hymn has four beats then play only four beats, for there is no good reason to hold on for longer. The last note of a hymn should be as musical and as rhythmical as any other note in the hymn. Make a clean break!

UNACCOMPANIED SINGING

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Organists have an inherent fear of not playing. Yet not every hymn needs to be accompanied from beginning to end. Some hymns come alive when sung unaccompanied all the way through: indeed many were specifically written for unaccompanied singing. (For example, the Psalms were never intended to be led by an organ). If you feel that you are unable to lead the singing, then perhaps there is someone in the choir or congregation who can do this. Alternatively, or in addition, so much can be added to the meaning and interest of a hymn if the organist allows the congregation to sing certain verses unaccompanied. If you have never done this before, it is as well to warn the congregation (before the service begins or as the hymn is announced) which verses are to be sung without organ accompaniment. Once people are used to singing on their own there is no need to give advance warning. And don't be worried about the pitch dropping during the unaccompanied verse. Contrary to popular belief, congregations never lose the pitch of a tune (choirs might, but congregations don't). Organists don't believe this, but it is true! SOME DEVICES YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TRY

1. Play the hymn an octave higher with both hands. 2. Don't use the pedals for every verse. 3. Play the melody as a solo, an octave higher or on another manual. 4. Use staccato playing to maintain the rhythm if the singing begins to drag. 5. Play the tune in octaves with each hand. 6. Try some verses unaccompanied. 7. Play with the manuals uncoupled.

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THE CHOIR The word "choir" means different things to different people. In the Church of Scotland today there is no commonly agreed definition, for in one place it can mean a group of willing and enthusiastic volunteers of both sexes with very little musical ability, and in another place it can refer to a group of women, men and boys, led by a professional musician, all of whom have a high degree of musical literacy and ability. In past times, the choir leader aimed for a well-balanced group of sopranos, contraltos, tenors and basses (SATB), capable of singing all manner of music: anthems, introits and hymns in four-part harmony. However, the reality for many churches today falls far short of this standard of excellence, and many church musicians are faced with the task of training a quite different group of people. But a lack of musical proficiency among the singers, or the fact that your choir members are small in number is no great deficiency at all. What is important is commitment and enthusiasm, a love of singing, and a determination to strive for what is best in helping the congregation in its weekly worship and praise.

WHEN TO REHEARSE In the past, because there were fewer competing activities, choir members were prepared to make the weekly rehearsal a fixed diary date. Choirs were even known to turn out in force for both morning and evening services. Today, crowded diaries mean that many turn out for rehearsals as and when they can. This can create difficulties and frustration, but you might want to consider whether an alternative rehearsal arrangement would better suit your local conditions and situation. Some people find it difficult to give long-term commitment where the choir is expected to turn out on every Sunday and where rehearsals are held on a regular week-day evening. To overcome this difficulty, many singing groups now come together for a previously agreed short-term series of practices, when they prepare for the great festivals of the church's year (Advent, Christmas, Easter, Pentecost etc), or to take part in special services or choral events that may be held from time to time. This has proved to be a successful alternative in many areas (people sometimes find the prospect of becoming part of a singing group for a limited period of time more attractive than agreeing to a continuing long-term commitment). It is also a good way of encouraging those who would not normally feel comfortable as part of the regular church choir, but who might like to be part of, say, the "Easter Celebration Singing Group". There is no rule that practices must be held on a Thursday night! As an alternative, a Sunday morning rehearsal prior to the service (when people are coming to church anyway) is a good way of ensuring that the music is fresh in the choir's mind. Tea or coffee after the rehearsal and before the service is always welcome! Always make the choir practice a social event. All work and no play is no fun, and singing can be thirsty and tiring work. Either half way through the practice, or at the end of it, allow time for a tea-break so that folk can chat with each other.

HOW TO REHEARSE Always start the rehearsal with something the choir knows really well. This

provides a good warm-up before going on to new material, and also creates an opportunity to highlight certain techniques (where to breathe, vowel production etc.). Don't spend too long on this stage of the practice.

Some choir leaders might want to start with a few vocal exercises or even

physical exercises (stretching arms above the head, deep breathing or touching toes if possible!). But be careful not to bore people with this: a couple of minutes is enough.

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Try to ensure that the singers sit up straight in their seats. Slouching results in breathing difficulties. For the same reason, legs should not be crossed. It is good to sing standing up from time to time during the practice.

Encourage people to take deep breaths - bigger than they think they need. Check

to make sure that no one is breathing in the wrong places - usually in the middle of words or groups of words that go together. For example, it would be wrong to take a breath after heads in this line: Ye gates lift up your heads on high.

Encourage singers to open their mouths wide. Scottish people tend to sing as

they speak - through a guarded mouth. An open-mouth will produce a much better sound. Furthermore, the higher notes are easier to sing with the jaw dropped open, as are the low notes.

When the musical line goes upwards, tell the singers to imagine that the intervals

are greater than they really are. Conversely when the line goes downwards, the intervals should be thought of as less than they are. This will help the choir not to sound flat. Another way of achieving the same thing is to ask the choir to sing a downwards scale (to "la") while at the same time imagining they are singing an upwards scale, and vice versa. It sounds Irish, but it does help!

If the singing is flat, a finger pointing upwards or a hand lifting upwards will

encourage the singers back to pitch. In the unlikely event of a choir singing sharp, gestures pointing downwards will help to restore correct pitch.

The blend of voices should be uniform. This means that no one voice should

dominate. Encouraging people to listen to other singers around them should help with this difficulty as well as ensuring that everyone is in tune.

Before beginning a piece of music, it can be helpful to ask the choir to sing the first

chord in harmony so that the singers can listen to each other, and the balance between the parts can be established.

The beginnings and ends of words are important. Singers should begin and end

each word at precisely the same moment. You can practice this by asking the choir to sing words like worD, spiriT and seeK where the last letter of the word is strongly articulated. Consonants in the middle of words should also be well emphasised; take care with words like Praise and Christ by asking the choir to sing PRRRRaise and KRRRRist.

Good singing is sustained on vowel sounds. Encourage the singers not to sing

the consonants at the end of a word until the very last moment. Words that end with S are particularly treacherous in this respect, and need special care. For example, badly trained choirs can often be heard singing praiSSSSSSe, where all the emphasis is placed on the last S of the word. It sounds like a collection of snakes hissing! It is much better to sing on the vowel sound AI like this: PRAAAAAAIse, with a very short, crisp s sung at the very last moment.

CONDUCTING One of the most difficult jobs for a conductor is to look the choir in the eye. Don't

be afraid to look directly at your singers, for it is important for them to see your facial expressions and not the top of your head as you follow the score. Make sure you communicate what you want them to do, both with your hands and your facial expression.

Don't mouth the words with the choir as they sing because they will be tempted to

watch your mouth rather than your conducting arm. There is no purpose in mouthing words that the singers already know, and it can encourage dragging and late entries.

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Look bright or thoughtful or frown as the mood of the music dictates. This helps to encourage the singers to pay attention to the expression, mood and sentiment of the words.

Make sure the singers don't drag. Many will wait until they hear their neighbour

before they themselves begin to sing. This results in singing behind the beat. Encourage them to look at you as much as they can, particularly at the beginning and end of phrases, rather than burying their heads in the music and words. Looking up will free them to sing better, and by continually keeping an eye on you, the choir will keep in time with the beat they see rather than the beat they hear.

Conduct as often as possible and train the choir to watch your hands. This will

promote uniformity of attack and release as well as helping to direct the singers in points of expression. The most important reason for conducting is to hold the choir together - everyone must sing at exactly the same pace as indicated by you. Always give a clear indication of the down-beat by making definite gestures.

The pattern for beating time is as follows:

Two beats in the bar

1 2

Three beats in the

bar

1 3 2

Four beats in the

bar

1

2 4

3 Singers always like to be "brought in", particularly after an organ or instrumental

introduction or interlude, or where the music is contrapuntal with all the parts making entries at different times. Give a definite lead by pointing to the appropriate section of the choir when it is their time to come in.

One final point: don't tap or stamp your feet in time with the beat! It's

unnecessary, and can be extremely distracting and annoying to both choir and congregation. Use your hands to tell your singers what to do.

TEACHING NEW MATERIAL When you are teaching new material, demonstrate by singing rather than asking

people to follow the tune on the piano. Using the voice communicates what you want more effectively than using the piano.

If you must use the piano, play only the melody - in octaves, if you like. Playing in

harmony only complicates matters by making the tune more difficult to hear. If singers are unable to read music, demonstrate the shape of a tune or part by

using your hands to guide the voices to pitch. Teach only short phrases at a time. Repeat each phrase several times if

necessary until the singers are confident and secure with it, and only then move on to the next phrase. Use the same technique when combining the various SATB parts.

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REPERTOIRE The choice of music will almost certainly influence recruitment to the choir. Try to ensure that you cover a range of musical styles, both traditional and modern. The music you choose should be within the ability of the singers. There is no point in rehearsing an eight-part motet if there are no basses in your singing group, and simple songs sung well will affirm the singers more than complicated music sung badly. Similarly, music which is pitched too high for the singers will never sound good. Choose songs that will show off their strengths, and with which they will be comfortable, confident and secure. Simple arrangements are often most effective because they do not make undue demands on the performers. Even so, don't be afraid to stretch the abilities of the singers from time to time as you experiment with new material. It is rewarding to work hard at music which at first seems challenging but which, when mastered, instils confidence and satisfaction in the singers. Don't underestimate the value of unison singing. If singing in harmony is clearly beyond your choir's abilities, then don't flog a dead horse! Clearly articulated words, sensitive expression and dynamics, steady rhythm, clean entries and endings and good vowel production can be exciting in unison singing, and far more effective than badly-performed part singing where people struggle to hold their own tune.

AMEN Always finish the rehearsal with music that the choir is able to sing. Never end on a negative note. There is nothing worse for lowering morale than leaving the practice having just sung a piece that disintegrated because people were not familiar with it. And finally, even if things have not gone as well as you would have liked, make a point of thanking your singers for their hard work and patience in striving to produce the best music they can. Choir members are anxious to please and are grateful for positive thanks from their leader. A conductor who expresses nothing but criticism, and who continually highlights the choir's lack of ability, only serves to undermine the confidence and enthusiasm of people who are trying their best, despite their musical limitations (which they are probably only too ready to acknowledge). Don't let folk go away with the words "That was a bit of a mess. We might get it right next time" ringing in their ears. Be gracious in your thanks!

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THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO BETTER SINGING Sometimes choir leaders who have had no formal choral training are unsure about how to improve the quality of sound made by their choir, or of the steps to take in encouraging those who want to be able to sing better. Some singers say they find it difficult to reach the high notes; others confess a lack of confidence to sing louder. There are those who find they quickly run out of breath while others complain that their throat begins to hurt after a short while. Many members of choirs and congregations alike maintain that they are tone-deaf while some people are desperate to sing better but for a number of reasons don't even try. Good singing is certainly an art, but it is an art open to all, for God has given each of us a voice that is unique. And though some people seem to think there is nothing to it, others recognise their limitations and would like to overcome these, even if that only means being able to sing just a wee bit better. Even for those who think they can't sing (and this is usually because someone at some stage has said to them: "You're singing flat!" or worse: "Don't sing this time round!") there can be a whole new way of praising God just waiting to be discovered. Singing actually makes people feel better: deeper breathing; the sound of their own voice and the voices of others around them; the thrill of taking part in something worthwhile; the satisfaction of singing better than they thought they could - all of these factors can contribute towards enabling people to discover that they can indeed sing a new song to the Lord. Hundreds of books have been written about singing technique and in a humble little booklet like this it is obviously impossible to explain in detail the lengthy processes involved in acquiring a truly professional singing technique. However, here are three simple, but nevertheless extremely valuable, steps you can take to help the singers in your choir to sing better.

BREATHING Developing correct breath control is the single most important technique for good singing. Proper breath control means firstly taking in enough breath, and secondly controlling the outflow. Most people don't realise this basic principle and use only a small proportion of their breathing mechanism. Singers should always breathe in through their open mouths. The reason is obvious: the nasal passages are narrow, so it is more difficult to take in large amounts of air through the nose. It is much easier to fill the lungs fully by taking air in through the mouth. Try this little experiment: Empty your lungs by breathing out. Now close your mouth and breathe in

through your nose as fast as you can until your lungs are as full as they can be.

Empty your lungs by breathing out. Now pinch your nose with your fingers

and breathe in as fast as you can, this time through your mouth, until your lungs are as full as they can be.

Which was easier and faster? Breathing in through your mouth, of course! The lungs are like balloons: expandable in every direction. Most people use only the top, front part of their lungs, and so do not completely fill them with a supply of air. Good singers work at filling the whole capacity of their lungs with air, which means that they can hold on to notes for longer, sing louder and tackle longer phrases of music without snatching a breath in the middle. Try this experiment:

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Place the palms of your hands, fingers pointing downwards, on your rib cage at the back. Take in a deep breath (through your mouth) and feel your lungs expanding in your back. Every part of your lungs is filling with air, not only the top part.

If you encourage your singers to get into the habit of breathing like this they will be surprised at how quickly their singing technique will be improved. Be very careful to check that people don't raise their shoulders when breathing in like this: it is the outward (not upward) expansion of the lungs that is important (think of how a balloon expands). Controlling the expulsion of air from the lungs is also important. It needs to be even and consistent. Try this experiment:

Take a deep breath and then let it out very slowly. As you exhale, make a hissing sound. Be conscious of the flow of air out of your mouth. Are you actively controlling the outward flow so that the hissing noise is even and uniform, or are your lungs in charge?

SUPPORTING THE VOICE Breathing is the basis of the body's support system, but it is also important to 'support' the voice in order to reduce the strain on the vocal chords. The diaphragm (a muscle situated immediately under the rib cage) is important for this. Some people find it helpful to control the expulsion of air by 'singing from' the diaphragm. This simply means pulling in the diaphragm as they sing. It is easier to let the diaphragm operate naturally and to learn to use the abdominal muscles to do this; they are further from the throat and therefore less likely to make the throat tighten. If the tummy muscles are pulled in when singing, the diaphragm will do its job of supporting the sound. It will then be easier to sing higher and longer notes. Try this little experiment:

Take a deep breath and sing "ah" without pulling in your tummy muscles. Now do the same thing again, but this time, as you sing, pull in your tummy muscles. You should notice a difference in the quality of the sound and the way in which it is produced.

OPENING THE MOUTH Having learned how to breathe and how to support the sound, singers also need to know how to let the sound out. The best and simplest way to do this is to encourage singers to open their mouths when they sing. When we speak, the inside of the mouth changes shape with each vowel. If a singer lets this happen when they sing, the vowel sounds will be distorted. Encourage your singers to sing with an open, oval-shaped mouth, with the tongue resting behind the bottom teeth. Furthermore, the throat needs to be relaxed and open so that air can pass outwards unrestricted. Narrow vowels (for example ee, oo, ay) will be a lot harder to sing on higher notes than open vowels (ah, aw, oh) unless the throat is open and relaxed. Practice this little experiment with your choir: Make sure everyone is sitting upright. Ask them to yawn - yes, yawn! This

should be easy because, as everyone knows, yawning is highly infectious. As they yawn, ask them to think about how different their throat feels - it should feel wide open. This is how it should be when they sing.

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Finally, encourage your singers to smile when they sing. This helps physically to make a brighter sound. And choir members might even look as if they are enjoying themselves!

METRE DEMYSTIFIED Many people are familiar with the helpful indices at the back of hymn books, particularly the Index of First Lines. However not everyone is sure about how to use the Metrical Index. What is it and how does it work? Have you ever been faced with the embarrassment of trying to sing words to a tune where the syllables cannot be made to fit except by hilarious contortions of the text? This happens when the metre of the words and the rhythm of the tune are incompatible. Try to sing the words of "Happy birthday to you" to the tune of "Old Macdonald had a farm" and you will soon discover what is meant. The Metrical Index will help you to find tunes and words that fit together perfectly. Metre is the word used to describe the number of syllables in the words of each line of poetry or verse. (Hymns are, of course, poetry set to music.) For example, the word shepherd has two syllables: shep and herd. Stressed syllables are those parts of a word which carry more weight or are given more accent when we speak them (or sing them) out loud. For example when we say the word pastures, the first part of the word (past) receives more stress than the second part (-ures). When several words are put together, as in the line of a hymn or psalm, there is an easily recognisable pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables: / / / / The Lord's my Shep-herd, I'll not want. / / / He makes me down to lie / / / / In past-ures green: he lead-eth me / / / The qui-et wat-ers by. (The sign shows the unstressed syllables; the sign / shows the stressed syllables). When verses are put together into song, the number of syllables in each line determines the metre of the music. Look again at the markings above the words in The Lord's my Shepherd. There is a clear pattern of syllables in each line: Number of syllables in

each line The Lord's my Shep-herd, I'll not want.

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He makes me down to lie 6 In past-ures green: he lead-eth me 8 The qui-et wat-ers by. 6 So we say these words have a metre of 8686. Here is another well-known hymn: Glory be to God the Father

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Number of syllables in each line

Glo-ry be to God the Fa-ther 8 Glo-ry be to God the Son 7 Glo-ry be to God the Spi-rit- 8 Great Je-ho-vah, Three in One! 7 Glo-ry, glo-ry, glo-ry, glo-ry 8 While e-ter-nal ag-es run! 7 It is easy to tell where the syllables come in these words, and to work out that the metre is 878787. The metre in the first verse is (almost) always the same for every verse of a hymn tune. Therefore since the metre for first verse of Glory be to God the Father is 878787, then you can be pretty sure that all the other verses in that hymn have the same metre. Just as all hymns have their individual metres, so too does each tune. For example in Church Hymary Third Edition (CH3) the metre description appears as a number next to the name of the tune in the music edition. Have a look at Hymn 124 which is set to the tune Glenfinlas. The numbers next to the tune show that it has a metre of 6565. You can now use the Metrical Index in two ways. Firstly you can look up the all the tunes that have a metre of 6565 (in CH3 these are listed under 6565 on page 998). This is particularly useful when you want to sing the words of a hymn but the congregation does not know the tune given. For example, you might want to sing Hymn 86 - I greet thee, who my sure

Redeemer art. If the congregation does not know the tune given (Stonelaw, which has a metre of 10 10 10 10), then you can look in the Metrical Index (page 1002) to find other tune choices available. In this case, you might choose to use the tune Chilton Foliat.

Secondly, if for some reason you want to use a particular tune but not the words of the hymn given for that tune, you can look up the Metrical Index to find the words of every other hymn in the book that can be sung to that tune. For example, you may have had a request from a member of your congregation

to sing on Easter Sunday their favourite tune, Glenfinlas (metre 6565) which appears at Hymn 124. However, the words, "Holy Spirit, hear us" are not particularly appropriate for Easter. So you can look in the Metrical Index (page 998) and find under the metre 6565 that the words at Hymn 11 (Jesus, stand among us in thy risen power) are exactly right for the occasion.

Sometimes letters are used as a kind of shorthand to indicate the metre. SM stands for Short Metre which is a metre of 6666 CM stands for Common Metre which is a metre of 8686 LM stands for Long Metre which is a metre of 8888 The letter D stands for Double. Therefore 6565D means that there are eight lines; the metre of the last four being the same as the metre of the first four. So written without the shorthand D the metre would be represented by the numbers 6565 6565. A few words of caution are needed about selecting words and music.

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Firstly, while all tunes of a similar metre will fit words of a similar metre, not all tunes will reflect the mood of the words of a hymn. Even though their respective metres are the same, a triumphant tune would not be appropriate for the words of a reflective or devotional hymn. So you do need to be careful about selecting words and music. Secondly, there are some instances where the stresses on the word syllables do not seem to fit the tune well, despite the fact that the metre of both words and tune are the same. For example, the Common Metre tune Abbey (Hymn 457) does not fit well with

the Common Metre words of Hymn 331 "When God of old came down from heaven." The problem is that, if sung to Abbey, the stresses fall on the less important words:

When God of old came down from heaven, In power and wrath he came; Be-fore his feet the clouds were riven Half darkness and half flame In the rest of the hymn, the first word of almost every line is also fairly unimportant (But, The, In, Now, On, And, So, A, No etc.) Clearly the tune Abbey is not suitable for these words. However, a much more satisfactory match between words and music is obtained when the hymn is sung to the tune Winchester Old (printed at number 331), because the important words are stressed when that tune is used: When God of old came down from heaven, In power and wrath he came; Be-fore his feet the clouds were riven Half dark-ness and half flame. By using Winchester Old, the first word of each line (When, In, Be-, Half) receives a much weaker stress than the more important second word of each line (God, power, -fore, dark-) which properly receives a heavier stress. Apart from these caveats, you will enjoy using and experimenting with the Metrical Index. It is a very helpful resource which allows us to use some of the hymns that we would otherwise not sing because they are set to tunes that are unknown. It also allows you to try some match-making of your own!

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CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS BOOKLET

The Organ ... ... ... Glen D Macaulay Congregational Accompaniment Glen D Macaulay The Choir ... ... ... Marion E Dodd Robert Tait Walter Blair Three Simple Steps to Better Singing ... ... Marion E Dodd Metre Demystified ... ... Donald MacLeod Editor ... ... ... ... Glen D Macaulay Further copies of this booklet can be obtained from:

Rev. Douglas Galbraith, Secretary, Panel on Worship, Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, EDINBURGH EH2 N. 4Y

Fax 0131 220 3113 Tel. 0131 225 5722.