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A couple thoughts on the question of contemporary worship music for Anglicans from a former worship leader
I'm starting from the premise that it can be done, and can be great. Let's just get that out of the way
1) There already exists a lot of contemporary worship that fits perfectly within the Anglican tradition. Several pioneering UK worship writers, for instance, were evangelical Anglicans. Tim Hughes is an ordained priest, for example
Gain a familiarity with their catalogue. There are usually traditional songs set to new arrangements. Often they add a rousing new chorus. So see Hughes' "Holy, Holy," https://open.spotify.com/track/0qkUt541SZcMkCt4OXBtEt?si=b474830626c149c6
Examples can be multiplied. Because, despite the abundance of shallow songs in modern worship, from fairly early on there were internal critics within MW who thought to give new arrangements of hymns, or write "new hymns," so to speak
2) It's not plug and play, and that's ok. Delirious, Passion, et al, these kinds of music came about for the sake of outdoor concert venues, big conferences, and the like. THAT'S FINE, but it will take intentionality to fit with the spirit of an Anglican service
If that's the kind of music you want, maybe develop a separate service to accommodate that style rather than assume you can plug Hillsong into a Eucharist. Maybe you can swing it, but the structure of the service is just different. Worship should feel of a piece
3) To my mind the key thing missing from TEC on the matter of modern worship is the DIY spirit that birthed MW in the first place. When I was a teenager I spent hours and hours finding new material from all over, finding or making my own arrangements, key changes, etc
A lot of major "artists" were just creative congregations. For instance Vineyard UK albums usually came individual churches that decided to write enough original music to make an album. I visited where they wrote the BEAUTIFUL record in a London suburb https://open.spotify.com/album/5F54j3n8Pp6JOhST7KZn5k?si=CFgk9OknSu-KbTLByEIT-w
If you want some of this for TEC I propose you consider not having an organ and choir. Hire someone under 40 who plays guitar and pay them what you pay your parish music director to write new music, and find ways to distribute it
Go all in, if that's what you're really trying to accomplish. Take the pews out of the choir and put in drums, amps, and instruments. Install a proper sound system. Pay "young people" to do full-time ministry work
Maybe consider starting a record label. This is pretty common for indie music. Follow the lead of Vineyard, maybe, and release music charts with new albums. Or team up with Bifrost Arts or something. Just cause you don't know the resources doesn't mean they don't exist
I would want to make sure this came organically from the people themselves, rather than from a cleric who thought it would be cool and relevant, or who’s living out their existential pain from leaving their home church
(That’s perfectly legitimate pain, but not the best pastoral practice or motivation. Most priests know not to come into a low church parish with clouds of incense right away)
