Whenever any new book is published, it can be beneficial to question why another volume on the given topic is needed. Works abound on church-music history and performance practice. However, very few books in this discipline focus on congregational singing. In the past two generations, there have been countless books, articles, blog posts, conferences, and far too many tense congregational meetings regarding churches’ worship style and which songs a congregation should or should not be singing. However, far fewer words and thoughts have been invested into considering whether a congregation is singing at all. Phillip Magness’ Church Music: For the Care of Souls helps address this topic.
The author’s purposes are threefold. First, Magness provides encouragement to church musicians and pastors as they consider better ways to perform their vocations. Second, he offers a helpful model of negotiating the minefield of church-music-style discussions. Finally, Magness challenges worship leaders—from across the spectrum of church-music styles and preferences—to carefully consider how to best serve the singing of their congregations.
True to its subtitle, Magness makes the point that church music is unique because it is a means to an end—namely, it cares for people’s souls. As Magness explains, corporate singing should proclaim the very truths the assembly confesses. In other words, if you want to know what an assembly believes and confesses, listen to what it sings. The debates regarding church music style and choices have been at the forefront of ecclesiastical concerns for generations. Perhaps it is hyperbole to refer to these as worship wars. However, the term does reflect the destructive and painful results that often occur as casualties during and following such debates. The author offers critical commentary for both sides of such discussions. He calls out praise bands for singing at people rather than letting the people sing themselves. He criticizes bands and vocal soloists that overuse microphones and amplifiers that drown out the organic voice of the assembly. He challenges blindly adopting pop worship hits that use texts that are vapid at best and heretical at worst. Churches that celebrate more traditional styles of music are also challenged. On the other hand, Magness also appropriately chides organists who play poorly—with incorrect notes, poor tempi, and inappropriate registration—and thus inhibit, rather than encourage, singing.
Although Magness wisely points out that the text of a song must be the primary consideration in music choices, nowhere in the book are there any guidelines or parameters provided in how to evaluate texts. Of course, one book cannot contain everything. However, some suggested resources for text evaluation (such as The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod’s resource Text, Music, Context) would have been a welcome addition in the “For Further Reading” appendix (Endnote 1).
Church Music: For the Care of Souls is a welcome addition to church-music literature. Primarily, it fills a void regarding the important topic of congregational singing. More importantly, Magness’ ideas will fill a void in the day-to-day practice of church music by focusing worship leaders on the most important music in a congregation—namely, the singing of the congregation itself.
Kevin Hildebrand
Kantor
Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Endnote
- Commission on Worship [of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod], rev. Paul J. Grime, Text, Music, Context: A Resource for Reviewing Worship Materials (St. Louis: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, 2011).