By Ralph Cullen
Nothing is more satisfying, thrilling and spiritually productive in the life of a church and individual, than to hear and participate in the singing of a hymn that expresses, in the combining of words and appropriate music, the many facets of the Christian Faith so precious to every true believer. The importance and exercise of this art cannot be underestimated, for music is the gift of God, and the singing of well written verse, an almost unsurpassed expression of the incredible heritage we have received from the great visitations and revivals that have graced the Church down through her history.
As much as there is a desire in these days to concentrate on an intimate style of direct worship, so also there is a need to continue the more objective and faith building expression of proclamation. The Hymn style that expounds foundational and unchanging doctrine is vital in this day in which a neglect and even opposition to the Word of God is growing. It is worthwhile at this juncture to observe a verse of scripture, which places much importance on the teaching aspect of singing. This implies strongly the necessity of doctrine in that which we sing. Again, this does not preclude the singing of testimony or sentimental song, but does emphasise a greater awareness that there is no stronger medium to impart truth, than to put accurate words into well phrased verse, set it to music, and sing it.
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
As well as the contemporary trend in church music which often involves a band of musicians employing such instruments as guitars, drums and pianos or keyboards, so there is also a need to take stock of trends produced by this approach which is, to a larger or lesser degree, producing a decline in actual singing skills in many congregations. This is often the result of listening to amplified band music, rather than the more established practice of being led and supported by the ultimate of all instruments - the Pipe Organ. Of note too is the widespread trend in modern hymnals of transposing well known tunes often as many as three semitones below what was common even only a few years ago. I note with interest a tune such as Cwm Rhonda - always traditionally found in A, is often now printed in G. This down pitching of tunes does two things - Firstly it favours women's voices, which may be a symptom of what is going on in the wider church, but secondly it discourages the lifting of the voice, for to attain top E or F requires effort and often greater volume than would otherwise be required. This issue of pitch, and therefore key will be addressed later in this paper
The Organist then, is a key figure in the restoration of good singing to the church. It seems to me that this art has been neglected for so many years that it is more than a small challenge to see the skills and their application revived. The organ has suffered too, from both bad examples of its own genre, as well as bad press that organists themselves have given it. One kind hearted person said to me after a particularly good service in which I demonstrated more than the usual level of enthusiasm: "I have heard that all organists are a little bit mad"!!! Playing that lacks enthusiasm, sensitivity or just plain accuracy can do as much to destroy good singing as the opposite characteristics can do to promote it. On the positive side though, absolutely nothing will inspire and lead a congregation in singing as will a good organ, played with understanding, enthusiasm and skill. Nothing! No band - no piano and not even an orchestra with well scored and arranged music.... Nothing!
The purpose of this paper is to impart a few guidelines for organists - so that inexperienced musicians can become good ones. I will not address the issues of reading or playing skill here, for those are things that no paper can help. - Only practice will care for those things! I will however address the most important issues, and those are:
1: Organ specification and
2: Registration.
The former is all to do with the size and type of organ, the latter how those specifications are employed in the effective delivery of music that inspires, leads and supports good congregational singing. It is not my purpose to discuss the performance of classical organ literature. That is another subject and has been a stumbling block in relationship to the organ in today's churches.
Because many have associated the organ with historic music (and rightly so) so sadly, in many minds, the organ has no relevance to the contemporary church. This is a tragedy, as the proverbial baby has often been disposed of with the bath water...... The bath water in this case, eclectic selections of beautiful music, which are too often irrelevant to the spiritual life of a church. The baby however - is the glorious musical power of the organ in its unique ability to inspire singing and corporate worship.
Why is the organ so able to lead and inspire good singing?
The answer to this most important question lies in the very nature of the Pipe Organ itself. An organ of suitable size will have (for example) no fewer than a dozen stops. Each of those stops will employ 61 pipes. When the organ is played in leading singing, a suitable registration of, say - eight to twelve stops will be drawn. If two four note chords are played on the Manuals, and at least one Pedal note is sounded, then simple mathematics will tell us that nearly ninety pitch sources (in this case - pipes) are sounding at once. All this from one instrument, played in harmony with itself, by one skilled musician. The cohesion of the various ranks of pipes will be such (we are assuming a well voiced organ) to provide a sound which is both clear in its melody tone and full in its ensemble. This latter quality is the most important of all. It would require an immense orchestra to provide a hundred - plus pitch sources, and it would require incredible work and skill to get that many musicians to play in such a way as to provide the passion and unity required to inspire singing. As well as all of this, the string tone of an orchestra is not conducive to the enhancement of singing as is the Principal tone of an organ pipe. The various choruses too, found in a well voiced organ, carry many other effective harmonics which both blend with, and stand above a chorus of human voices. (more of this as we define the specification of suitable instruments) It has been my experience on so many occasions now to watch, hear and "feel" the response of a congregation that "cannot help itself" when lead by good organ music. Singing simply becomes natural, unforced, and just so easy.
I am referring here to either a good pipe organ or a good electronic one. There are fine examples of each in this world, as much as there are some very poor ones. It behoves a church to have the best available, if the instrument is going to serve the desired end. Remember: As previously pointed out: The ability of the organ to provide a large ensemble is the most critical issue. Therefore an electronic organ must be one with multiple pitch or generator sources to effectively emulate a proper pipe organ. Many electronic and digital organs do not. Always check this critical issue over when choosing a suitable instrument for church work. A minimum specification of a suitable organ thus follows:
A console built to the standard specifications of the American Guild of Organists (Or the equivalent British standards) This will include at least two manuals and a thirty two note concave and radiating Pedal Board.
Stop tabs or drawstops will be present to control the voice selection and combination pistons should also be available to assist the organists registration settings.
The organ should have a sound which is capable of filling the room in which it is installed. It must be noted in this context that an organ that sounds loud in an empty room, will quickly fade in power as the room is filled with people. It should also be noted that for an organ to fulfil it's role in leading a congregation, it should be able to "hold its own" even when that congregation is in full voice. This phenomenon of both absorption of sound by the presence of bodies in a building, and the incredible volume of sound that human voices generate are factors that need to be well understood in choosing, installing and voicing an organ.
A good selection of all of the voice families of the organ should be present. These are Principals Flutes Strings Reeds
Note: Pitch in an organ is historically noted by the length of the longest pipe in a rank. It so happens that bottom C in a 61 note rank at unison pitch is 8 feet long. If you halve the length of a pipe, it will speak at twice the pitch I.E. at the octave.
The Principals are foundation stops on the organ. They will appear at Unison pitch (8'), at the Octave pitch (4') and at the Super Octave pitch (2') They will (or should) also appear in a "mixture" which is a group of two, three or more sets (ranks) of pipes that are tuned to unison, (usually up two or three octaves) and at quint, (fifth) intervals. The Principals are unique in sound to the organ. They produce a tone which is distinctive, and though existing in as many variations as there are organs (almost) they have a remarkable ability to blend with the human voice. It is the principal tone that sets the organ apart as unique in its ability to transform the singing in the church.
Principals have many names. The specific names will tend to indicate the particular characteristic of the actual stop. For instance a Geigen is a principal tone, but is leaner, sweeter, and slightly more "stringy" than a Diapason tone... etc. It is beyond the scope of this paper to fully expound on the many variants within these four main voice families, but here are a few that may be found on any typical organ... Principal, Open Diapason, Diapason, Choralbass, Prestant, Octave (4') Superoctave (2') Fifteenth, Fugara, Mixture, Plein Jeu, Cymballe, Scharf.
Principals may appear at all pitches in any division on an organ, but as a minimum, will be at 8', 4' 2' and mixture on the GREAT, and at 4' on the SWELL as well as 8' on the PEDAL. Larger organs will have Principals at 16' and 4' on the PEDAL, and as a mixture on the SWELL. Any more than this? You have a bonus!
Principals are designed (or should be!) to be used in chorus. By this I mean that each voice goes together with another one. In building the chorus, one uses first an 8' stop and then adds the octave to give greater definition and brightness. This is very important to understand as we later talk about hymn playing. If one considers the analogy of a building: The 8' on the Great is the foundation. The 4' is the walls, the 2' is the ceiling, the Mixture is the roof. The Mixture crowns the Principal chorus, adds brightness at the low end of the compass and definition at the top.
The Principals provide the authority in the organ sound
The flute family in an organ are imitative of the orchestral instrument which carries the same name. There are more varieties in flute tone than any other voice in the organ, but as a general rule, the flutes will have a more "rounded" tone, not exhibiting the same authority as the Principals. Flutes may be sweet, they may be mellow or they may be bright. Flutes can be used in chorus or as solos, depending on their tone and pitch. It is very common for flutes to be found at 16' 8' 4' 2 2/3(quint - or fifth) 1 1/3 or 1 3/5, and 1' In a typical organ, the flutes will carry second priority on the GREAT to the Principals, but may appear at all of the above pitches. More common is just 8' and 4'. The SWELL organ will have a greater variety of flutes, with mutations (those fractional stops) an almost must. The PEDAL organ is liable to have a 16' Flute before it has a Principal at that pitch. This is largely due to the cost in a pipe organ, but also due to the fact that the flute will blend better with a small specification that the louder Principal tone. Flutes are called: Bourdon, Contre Bourdon, Subbass, Gedackt, Nachthorn, Lieblich, Waldflote, Rohrflute, Rohrflote, Flute Harmonique, Sptzflote, Quint, Terz, (or Tierce) Flauto Traverso, Flute a Bec, Nazard, Tierce, Holflute, Doppelflute, Flautino, Holzgedackt, Koppelflote, Sifflote, and probably many more!!!
Imagination is the rule here.... More liberty is available with flutes than with any other voice family. As a general rule though, Flutes will be used as a secondary chorus with the Principals in leading a congregation is singing. The 8' flutes on the Great (or coupled from the Swell) will "thicken" or add more fundamental weight to the ensemble. This is valuable if the congregation is large or in full voice. Flutes at 4' and 2' pitch can be added to make the tone bright with out making it "sparkle" This is valuable to lift the sound of the organ "over" the singing while maintaining a "sweetness" in the tone. In solo work or voluntaries, "quinty" combinations (eg 8' plus 2 2/3') can sound very classical, bright and "chirpy". Again, experiment and practice is the trick here.
Flutes provide colour to the organ sound
After Principals and Flutes, you will find strings are next. A string stop on an organ does not sound like a violin, but tends to imitate orchestral strings in the sense that the String voice will be more "narrow" in scale than a Principal. The tone will be opposite from that of a Flute. The Flute is rounded and smooth, the String is "edgy" and "stringy" - how else can I describe it! Strings appear usually first on the SWELL, being under expression. They can also appear in a "celeste" which is two ranks of similar voice playing together and slightly detuned from one another. A Celeste has an "undulating" and chorus effect.
Strings can be played on their own as soft accompaniment voices, or with other voices to "warm up" the sound. Strings can be mixed with Flutes at the same pitches to provide a very romantic sound which combines the "round / smooth" sound (Flutes) with the "edgy" sound (of Strings), thus emulating Principal tone - without Principals being used!
Strings will be found on organs as: Gemshorn, ( A voice that is unsure whether it is a String or a Principal) Viola, Violone, Violoncello, Salicional, Celeste, Dulciana (very soft) Viole de Gambe, Gambe, Erzahler (somewhere between a flute and a string) and so on..... Again, the name of the voice describes to the experienced organist the approximate tonality of the sound. The novice will be very quick to catch on after a short time of familiarisation.
Strings can provide emotion to the organ sound
Reeds are called reeds because in a Pipe Organ the pipes use reeds to provide the tone as compared with the other voice families, which use "flues" to provide the tone. A "Flue" produces a tone when a narrow stream of air strikes the top lip in the mouth of a pipe. The pitch is then established by the resonating length of the pipe. A "Reed" on the other hand employs a vibrating metal tongue who's pitch is set by length and then amplified by the resonating pipe. Reeds are present on an organ as "Chorus" voices or as "Solo " voices. A Chorus Reed will blend with other choruses on the organ. A Solo reed will stand out on it's own.
Chorus reeds are usually found on the SWELL organ and can be used to crown the complete Chorus on the GREAT. In other words, (referring to our house analogy) we build Principals at 8', then 4' then 2' then the Mixture, then add the Chorus Reeds at 8', 16' and then 4'. As the Chorus Reeds are on the Swell, they can be introduced together, with the Swell Box shut (minimum expression - quiet) and "swelled up" adding to the Great Chorus in way which turns the lights on in our proverbial house. The Reeds will add fire to the sparkle of the Principal Chorus. Another good effect with Swell Chorus Reeds is the so called "Full Swell" sound, which is not really full Swell, but sounds very dramatic. Close the Swell Expression, turn on the Swell Reeds and the Swell Mixture. Play full chords in this manner. The sound is one of a contained roar. It is powerful in preparing the listener to expect some unleashed drama! Solo Reeds are so expressive, that their use is entirely subject to the task at hand. One would not play a fanfare on a Vox Humana for instance. Neither would one play a gentle prayer on a Festival Trumpet. Again, the use of the particular stop is at the discretion of the musician. Chorus reeds are usually found at 16', 8' and 4' pitches. They can appear as the following: Trompette, Fagotta, Clarion, Clairon, Trumpet, etc. In the Pedal Division: Bombarde, Posaune, Basson, etc.... Some Solo Reeds may be soft (Oboe, Hautbois (pronounced Obwa) Vox Humana. Some Solo Reeds may be loud (Festival Trumpet, Trompette en chamade etc.)
Chorus reeds add fire and aggression to the organ sound.
Solo Reeds provide the statement of majesty or festival to the organ, or , in the case of the soft reeds, a melody line in plaintive, or reflective mood.
Now I ask....... What other instrument on earth can do all of the above? Nothing! The Organ is truly the "King of Instruments".
What is "Registration"? Registration is simply the art of using the right combination of stops on an organ to reflect and interpret the music being played. As already seen in the previous paragraphs, the organ is capable of expressing every mood and emotion from gentle reflection and quietness, to laughter, to authority, to sheer grandeur, glory and majesty. The general rules listed above within the voice families will serve to give broad guidelines of their general use. More specific application will require careful interpretation of the particular hymn or music being played.
Generally, the pitch of a hymn tune will be set by the publisher of the hymn book. If one is able to transpose, or better yet - if the organ has a transposer, then liberty is given to move away from the printed pitch if so desired. As previously stated, there is a tendency to lower the pitch of hymns these days. This trend is all a part of the general "down-skilling of the masses" right across the board. (this is my considered opinion of course!) So it will be my mission in life to lift it all up again! Having said that, a couple of factors need to be taken into account.
Firstly: What is the makeup of the congregation? Old / Young / Male / Female ? Tired or awake? Men sing to higher pitch than Women. People will be able to sing higher when they are not tired. Old folk may find it more difficult to sing as high as the young. A quick assessment will be made before setting out. If the best scenario is present (i.e. a good mixture of young and old Male and Female - and all wide awake) Then take the top pitch of the song up to F - unless the melody has a narrow range, I.E. The bottom note also needs to be considered. The melody should swing around a median of which the extreme ends are middle B and treble F. For further example: If the bottom note is D then the top note should not go higher than D etc. etc.....
There is no better way to add a most significant "lift" into a hymn than to lift the key in which it is being sung. This may be done at the final verse, or at any point in which a mood change is appropriate and would add vitality to the hymn. It must be noted, that if one is to lift the pitch of the final verse, then the previous verses must not be sung at such a pitch as will make the key change too high. A modulation may be effected by a simple playing of the dominant seventh of the new key before the final verse, or it may be approached in a more artistic manner by a well planned modulation spread over eight or more bars! Again - the actual means used is entirely dependant upon the skill and inspiration of the musician involved.
Before any organist begins, He or She, must know that they are to lead the congregation - not follow or accompany them. Why?..... Simple: The ONE always leads the many. Many do not lead the few or the one. If the hymn is to be sung with expression, it must be led that way. Only well trained choirs can interpret a hymn well. The average congregation is not a well trained choir. However - as already intimated, a well played and powerful enough organ will provide a lead for a congregation that will cause them to sing in an appropriate manner, interpret the hymn well, and be nothing else but sheer joy. Therefore in playing a hymn, the organist must set out as they intend to continue. The introduction then is very important. It must be played in a way that will set the mood, the tempo, and leave no doubt as to the key, and the tune. The mood is set by the nature of the hymn. "Praise to the Lord the Almighty" is a hymn - for example, of great and positive stature. The tune discussed here is Lobe den Herren. The final line of the verse could be played as an introduction to set the mood and tempo. The mood is strong and majestic. The tempo is prompt without being hurried. The registration of the organ could well be fairly full, but without reeds. I.E. Principals 8, 4 2 and Mixture, with a solid Pedal line. Some have contended that the Pedal should not be played in an introduction. I disagree. The Pedal more than anything else adds weight to the ensemble and sets the mood completely. Having played the introduction, a suitable pause should be made to give "breathing space" and the hymn should begin. Having begun strong, the organist should then "back off" the registration by removing the 2' and the Mixture from the ensemble. This will serve to give more room for voices to fill the sound out. The registration can then be expanded come the second verse. The final verse which declares "oh let all that is in me adore Him" should reflect just that sentiment and involve the grandeur of the chorus reeds, maybe swelled up under the full Great.
Lets take another example of a more reflective nature: The hymn "Jesus the very thought of Thee" by Bernard of Clairvaux is one of the most famous and precious hymns of pre reformation times. It is by its very nature an intimate love song. If the tune St Agnes, Durham by J Dykes is employed to sing it, it reflects quite accurately the heart of the writer and the mood of the words. In fact - I know of no "contemporary song that has the power of this one in intimate worship. In this case an introduction of the last two lines is quite potent, beginning on the relative minor an resolving to the dominant seventh at the end of the first phrase. The mood is sweet and reflective. The registration should be too. Maybe flutes at 8 and 4 with strings from the Swell coupled to the Great. The Pedal should be appropriately balanced, or maybe in this case absent from the introduction. Again, a suitable pause for breath and the verse should begin, this time a little stronger, as the opening phrase contains more strength than the closing lines of the first verse. In each or either of these hymns, and any others, the mood of the words must determine the registrations employed. Mixtures added to a Principal Chorus will always give a sense of greater intensity and will lift voices. Reeds will add fire and determination to the singing. Practice and experimentation will develop excellence and confidence quite quickly.
It is vital that constant tempo is maintained in singing a hymn. Slowing down or speeding up will not provide any mood changes or expression. Allowing such drifting speed will only add confusion and uncertainty. Uncertainty results in less than confident singing.
The key to confidence and good expression is constant tempo and artful use of correct and appropriate registrations.
Constant tempo must be employed throughout each verse of a hymn. The closing phrases of a verse must be sung at the same tempo, but can, indeed must be followed by a suitable pause before a new verse is begun. This pausing breaks the chance of unattractive rhythm being established in the singing of a hymn - something which will destroy the majesty of a festival hymn, and turn an intimate hymn into a "pop song" This may sound old fashioned and boring, but a tendency toward rhythm in singing a hymn detracts from the power of the hymn which lies primarily in poetic words framed in the beauty of melody supported by appropriate harmony.
Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody (note - not "making rythym") in your heart to the Lord;
This is not to say a Hymn will not have a certain rhythm. It will, but it is a natural rhythm which does not require the addition of beat between verses. If beat is added, the result is a kind of stilted sound that tends to debase the music and detracts from the centrality of the words. The pause between verses also gives the congregation time to breath and allows the words to settle on the heart. Again it is important to remember that a hymn is primarily words supported by music - not the other way round.
This has been a rather brief and condensed guide, but I trust that it helps those who desire excellence in singing in church. To those who reject the organ as applicable to today's contemporary church services, I suggest the following:
In my opinion, the organ has been neglected becuase of it's non percusive nature. This in turn has made it unuseable in the "rock" idiom. At the same time band music with drums and percusive keyboards (piano etc) are being employed in many churches, but in doing so the music has become instrumental - not primarily vocal. There is nothing wrong with great expression in instrumental music in church. I am all for it. What I see however, is a need to "balance up" what is going on in contemporary worship and restore congregational singing again to the church - something which above all will bring the presence of God and great blessing to Him. This being our purpose in creation.
Rev 4:11; 5:9 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.......And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.........