I still love a cappella music. Just not for the reasons I heard growing up.
Not because scripture demands it. Not because God prefers it. Not because of gopher wood.
But I still love it, and I believe the tradition of a cappella singing is a wonderful gift Churches of Christ (and other denominations) make to the fellowship of believers.
However . . .
A friend of mine just told me about the first time someone put a Christian music cassette in his hands. It blew apart his only-a-cappella-for-these-compelling-reasons world. For him, it was John Michael Talbot’s “The Painter.”
I got to remembering. I think for me it was Amy Grant, Sandi Patty (or is it Sandy Patti — I can’t ever remember), and Steve Green.
Now my “Christian music playlist” is filled with Chris Tomlin, Bebo Norman, and Shawn McDonald.
How about you? Who was the first Christian recording artist you remember? Who are you listening to now?
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We’ve been planning our next Zoe conferences (Nashville in October; Fresno in January; and Lubbock in March). The theme is “Fearless.” Randy Gill and Brandon Scott Thomas were telling me about the songs that are being recorded. Can’t wait.
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I’m sitting here having lunch at Panera while pecking away on my Mac. In the last ten minutes, two guys have attempted to walk through a full-length window.
Now THOSE are some clean windows, my friends.
The first? DC Talk and Jars of Clay.
Now I find myself in worship with Shane and Shane, Bebo Norman, and the worship leaders from IHOP-KC.
For me, the Doobie Brothers’ “Jesus Is Just Alright.”
late 70’s….Larry Norman and 2nd Chapter of Acts
For me, it has to be Keith Green. When I was but a wee lad, I would ask my dad who was singing and when he replied “Keith Green,” I would giggle and say, “Green Bean!”
I was a strange kid.
I believe this may be the first time I’ve commented on your blog, but I’ve been lurking for awhile and I appreciate what you write. Thanks!
Mike, thanks for changing the subject.
Acappella fueled my fire and now Phillips, Craig and Bean got me through a tuff time.
It was a Steven Curtis Chapman CD. I started listening in order to critique it (”how could this be worship?”), the problem was that one day I accidently started singing along and “caught” myself worshipping!
I admit, I might be strange. I love full congregational harmony. One person singing just doesn’t do anything for me.
I forgot to add–praise teams get on my nerves also, just give me a good leader like Ray Walker.
Wasn’t Ray Walker on “Good Times”?
Hate to burst ya’lls bubble - but Abilene rules again. Chris Christian (aka Chris Smith from Abilene) and ACU ex Brown Bannister are about as early as one can get for Contemporary Christian Music - going back to about 1973 or so.
Of course, sadly, Abilene was less than enthused about Chris’ endeavors with man-made instruments. Most have heard the story of how Brown and Amy Grant met in Nashville at the “hippie church of christ” and how Brown held up a phone to a cassette recorder of Amy’s music while talking to Chris on the phone one day. Chris said “I’m booking a plane to Nashville to tomorrow - tell Amy to get ready to sign a contract”.
The rest is history.
For me it was Michael Card. I first heard Love Crucified Arose and the beauty of the music and the richness of the lyrics always led me to join in worship. In fact I often could be seen and heard driving down the road to my next patient’s home singing along with many of the Christian music CD’s Although my preference is still ACappella when it is done well I am grateful for all of the awesome music I have heard that expresses in ways that talking cannot my bubbling up and over joy and sorrow that they express.
My first real exposure to CCM was probably Steven Curtis Chapman and the song More Than Words. It’s still one of my favorites.
Ironically for me it was also Amy Grant and that crew (MWS, Sandy(i) Patty(i).
Nowadays I just love Amy Stroup. She’s another Nashville Amy with some roots in Abilene, I think. Her music is refreshing.
Be careful of those windows!
From Merkel, TX: Michael and Amy McCoy (now Walker) - hands down. Back in the day, 1988, Michael and Amy joined us on AFCO, and Michael brought his guitar, much to our delight.
*gasp*
In case there are watchdogs lurking about to purify and purge the infidels from the One True Church-that-is-not-a-denomination, don’t worry. qb hereby certifies that Michael never used that guitar during an Official Worship Service [TM] anywhere in southeast Asia or Hawaii.
Fabulous.
qb
Had to be Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. Now I listen to FFH, Mark Schulz, Mercy Me, and Point of Grace.
It was a Micheal W. Smith/Point of Grace concert that first tuned me in, but it was Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman that convinced me that churches of christ as a group will be forced to make changes in the future whether they want to or not.
When I saw the Indescribible tour, it was quite simply one of the most amazing nights of worship that I have ever experienced. I liked their music and expected to be entertained before I went — but 3 hours of praise worship later, I left changed.
I guess I’m showing my age, but the first was one of the original Christian rock bands - Love Song.
My family and I read this post while having lunch at Panera, on my iPhone. Nobody’s walked into any windows; either folks are smarter here in California, or the windows aren’t as clean.
As for the music thing, there was a little bit of Amy Grant, but I got hooked in by Randy Stonehill and Sweet Comfort.
DC Talk, Jars of Clay, and Audio Adrenaline… all I knew until then was good ‘ole Acappella/AVB…
I had never heard of CCM until I got to Harding. Even then, it took a couple of years until I started listening to Amy Grant, MWS, and SCC. DC Talk was the turning point, though…here was a group that was awesome. Maybe someday they will reunite.
Of course, I had friends (in the church, so it was covert) who listened to Stryper back in high school.
Amy Grant… Of course the crush I had on her helped as well…
Now it’s Switchfoot (as we speak), TobyMac, Third Day, Relient K, Hawk Nelson… oh, and no more crushes (my wife loves Third Day).
For me it was “Godspell” all the way back in ‘71 or ‘72. “Prepare Ye”, “Day by Day”, & “Light of the World” so resonated with me. I was 15 or 16, & just was thrilled that those songs were being played regularly on the pop radio stations. I also loved “I Dont Know How to Love Him” from “Jesus Christ, Superstar. My older sister bought the sheet music to “Day by Day”, & we rocked out to it while she played it on the piano. Sweet Mom & Dad approved. I love them for that. Happy 61st Anniversary, Virgil & Lou!
I’ll always be partial to Amy Grant. She broke wide the cofC doors with her contemporary recordings of standards & wonderful,fresh new songs—imho, of course.
Mike, you asked who we’re currently listening to . . .
For me, there’s no more cutting and honest work from a Christian artist than the solo work of Derek Webb. His album “Mockingbird” should have done for “Christian” music what “Blue Like Jazz” did for “Christian” books.
Another great artist, though most may see him outside of the sacred sphere, is Sufjan Stevens. In one of my favorite songs he compares the way we cover our sins to that of murderer John Wayne Gacy Jr.
“And in my best behavior
I am really just like him.
Look beneath the floorboards
For the secrets I have hid.”
Others: Robbie Seay Band, Aaron Roche, Matisyahu (Orthodox Jew meets Bob Marley), Kendall Payne, and a little Irish band called U2.
I grew up in Searcy but I remember being taught Amy Grant songs in seventh grade by some university students who were our Sunday morning teachers at College church. Next came Smitty, followed by SCC.
I was always more of a rock and roll person so when I found DC Talk I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. These days my office is usually filled with Third Day (Hello? Jesus and southern rock! How can you go wrong?), Mercy Me or Jars of Clay.
I’ve raised my kids on CCM and our car usually has Skillet, Barlow Girl, Superchick, Switchfoot, and Relient K. This fall we hope to go to the Music Builds tour and experience Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay and Robert Randolph and the Family Band in person.
Music is such a gift from God. Speaking as a musician at heart, I know full well that instrumental music is a gift completely separate from vocal gift. It’s wonderful that both can be used to glorify God.
What started it for me was Michael Card’s stuff from the ’80s. It still knocks me out.
Nowadays, my favorite is probably Buddy Miller’s “Universal United House of Prayer”
Matt: No, that was Jimmy Walker. Ray Walker was on “My Favorite Martian.” smhsr
Amy Grant was my first. I went to church with a cousin of hers, which was cool. Then it was the original A Cappella.
Today, my house has a mix of Relient K, Switchfoot and Hawk Nelson (my boys’ favorites) and a CD of songs sung by the counselors of Camp Deer Run in East Texas.
Thanks, Steve. I always get those guys confused.
Odgie, you just made my all-time super cool commenter list for simply typing the name “Buddy Miller.” Truly you are a chosen one of God for having such extraordinary tastes.
Did nobody else grow up watching the Grand Ole Opry? Good old county gospel music was my first taste. I can still hear Dolly and her “Coat of Many Colors.”
I have a very distinct recollection of listening to Handel’s Messiah in my car a few days before Christmas when I experienced this particular epiphany. The instruments and orchestration were CLEARLY a part of what made this work so marvelous. I had already encountered some ideological questions about the use of instruments in worship - but this was in the most literal sense a “realization” of those thoughts - it brought it out of the realm of theory and academic debate and into the “reality” of my world.
Handel’s Messiah, the Requiems of Mozart, Bach, Berlioz, Verdi - how can one not worship hearing, experiencing such towering music - stretching heart and soul to Heaven? How could God not be honored with such music????? And I’m so thankful for it.
My buddies dragged me over to Calvary Chapel in the late 70’s with Sweet Comfort, Daniel Amos & Keith Green. Then off to Columbia Christian and someone to me to a 2nd Chapter of Acts concert. My first 6 years of youth ministry it was U2 then a buddy hooked me up with Rich Mullins (who is still my favorite)I also enjoyed the Lost Dogs and the 77’s. I probably listen to Switchfoot, Derek Webb & Over The Rhine. Our usual Sunday Worship leaders are Pierce Pettis, Grace Pettis, Wendy Colona, Tom Kimmell and our own Dave Madden. I guess I can’t say more without mentioning Sam Phillips (aka Leslie Phillips, aka T-Bone’s ex wife, aka femme fatale in Die Hard something).
Hey Elliott, drag your tush to Austin to see Buddy open up for Emmylou you can crash in the spare room and we get you some good texas BBQ none of the cheap pulled pork stuff in Hotlanta.
And the state of CCM music. Well they held the wake for the print edition of CCM magazine a couple of months ago.
During my years at Oklahoma Christian the first non-acapella worship for me was Amy Grant—still brings back great memories when I hear her. (Of course a couple of my roommates were convinced I was “going off the deep end” … but I had no idea what they even meant!)
For me it was Amy Grant in late High School. Now it is Shane and Shane, Bebo Norman, Chris Tomlin, Third Day and I could go on and on. I love that my son can lead worship with his guitar on youth trips and decotionals. That would never have flown in my youth group. My family will be going to the Metroplex in a couple of weeks to worship with SCC at First Baptist Euless. I know it will be a special night for our family. BTW qt…Michael and Amy both sang in my wedding…they are gifted.
Rich Mullins. I think it was “Hold Me Jesus”… the line where he says,
“And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It’s so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters in my heart.”
I believe those lines changed me in a way that most music, not just a capella but all music, has never even come close to.
PETRA! (Beyond Belief) and dc Talk (Nu Thang), both 1990, first two albums (cassettes) I ever owned. actually Petra was my little brother’s but i loved it.
my parents decided to just skip the whole music controversy and hope we’d grow up filling our heads with anything that had a decent (or at least a not-detrimental) message. plus, at the same time my dad started teaching me guitar using worship songs (and he still has his CoC preaching job! at my end of Canada, we fight over different stuff.) I pretty much voluntarily listened to 80% ‘Christian music’ as a teenager. I still love 20-year-old Christian rock! Those were the golden years of CCM, imo - before worship music.
You’re kidding me! No one said Petra or White Heart!?!?!??! Man, “Beat The System” is STILL one of my favorite albums of all time - Greg X Volz was an awesome vocalist. And “The Coloring Song,” which A Capella did a great rendition of, is as happy of a hippie Christian song as you can find.
And yeah, I did like Stryper, too…but only because I liked being able to say the name of the album “To Hell With The Devil.”
Trust me, Happy — no one hates Atlanta BBQ more than this Atlanta resident!
And kudos for mentioning Leslie Phillips. I love “River of Love.”
And my apologies to all for having used the word “kudos.” I’m humiliated.
Michael Card…first and finest for me.
the first christian artist i remember listeing to is dallas holm. shortly after that came amy grant and michael w smith and others. i still like all of them, but also really like casting crowns, phillips, craig and dean, chris tomlin and mercy me. so much good stuff to choose from these days.
Early, Don Francisco. Later, Randy Stonehill. There are other good artists, old and new, but these guys endure in terms of message AND music. Bryan Duncan and Phil Keaggy do it for me, too.
I agree that it is all good. But I still cling to A Cappella music. I still believe that this is what is good and acceptable in the eyes of God. I used all the others as source of encouragement, but what I actually offer up as worship to my creator is A Cappella.
For me it was Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith while a counselor at Camp Tahkodah (owned by HU) under the leadership of Cliff Sharp. Mike - do you remember Cliff and Jane Sharp from Searcy days? It was a great summer!
I think my first was either Jars of Clay or DC Talk. Now I listen to whomever they play…but some of my favorites are Third Day and Mac Powell, some of Casting Crowns & Mercy Me, and Chris Tomlin.
I listened to some of the suggestions on U-Tube. For example, Larry Norman. I don’t see how anyone could be inspired by him. I listened to others and they did nothing for me. What is the deal anyway? Amy Grant I have heard about. She has a pretty good voice but even she isn’t inspirational in my opinion.
I know I’m in the minority, but I just haven’t heard any Christian music that I like yet. My wife listens to Christian radio and most of it sounds popish and I don’t care for pop music. There’s probably something out there that I would like but, I listen to AM radio quite a bit so I haven’t explored this that much.
I have noticed that sometimes secular music I’ve listened to for years actually has great spiritual meaning. Collective Soul’s “Shine” and Garth Brook’s “You Move Me” come to mind. These guys may have had every intention of these song’s having spiritual meaning but they didn’t sell them that way.
I am wary of anyone who gets wealthy by selling their gift. Or maybe I should just say I haven’t been able to reconcile how one can take a gift that can help people connect with God (and this would apply to preachers as well I guess) and sell it for more than a modest profit. So I guess when I hear Garth Brooks sing “You Move Me”, even though I know he sold it for large profit, he didn’t sell it as Christian music and I almost think this is closer to God talking to me, than Garth marketing to me. Does that make any sense?
I’m pretty open to having my mind changed here…
I usually find myself the odd man out in discussions like this…
…but 98% of contemporary Christian music leaves me flat. There are a handful of modern songs that I like, two or three that really touch and move me, but the rest, meh.
Like so many others it started with AG, SCC, & MWS.
Matt Redman is an amazing modern psalmist. Other favorites: Toby Mac, Jeremy Camp, Mercy Me, Nichole Noredeman.
Matt Elliot,
Glad somebody knows about Buddy besides me. I can’t believe I made anybody’s cool list.
A friend recommended your blog to me awhile back, and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the past few months. I have yet to comment but thought I would jump at this post’s solicitation.
Growing up Southern Baptist, we rarely sang a cappella except for an occasional last chorus every now and then. Having several CoC friends in middle school and high school, I was always amazed at the beautiful strong voices I heard in worship when visiting their churches. I used to think, “If I had only grown up Church of Christ, THEN I would know how to sing alto!” Just last week at my church (which happens to use instruments) the worship leader silenced them near the end of “It Is Well.” I couldn’t help but notice how much quieter everyone became, as if we were suddenly self conscious of the sound of our own voices. I really appreciate those who use the piano, violin, drums, guitar, or whatever to lead in worship, but I am sure thankful for my exposure to the beautiful a cappella I witnessed in a few Church of Christ churches growing up.
My first Christian cassette tape was the Stephen Curtis Chapman one where he does a rap with DC Talk. G-O-T-T-O-B-T-R-U.
These days I am a huge Derek Webb fan … mmm, and Andrew Peterson and Jill Phillips. Yeah, and you’re right on Shawn McDonald.
Amy Grant and Michael W Smith, for sure, were the ones I first heard way back when. But these days, when I choose to listen to a CD, I almost always choose Casting Crowns (can’t believe no one else has mentioned them!)
Originally, it was listening to Amy Grant on vinyl at the missions center at Lipscomb in the early 80s–and debating why it was okay to listen to the music there but not in church. But my real “this can’t be wrong” experience was Micheal Card. Most recently, it was last night at a very traditional CofC that lets kids sing and dance with great music off of a VBS DVD.
Kyle, good choice on “You Move Me” it was written by Pierce Pettis and Gordon Kennedy. Pierce wrote the song when he spent his first Christmas without his kids after his divorce. He basically said that God moved him from despair to hope during that holiday season. And Gordon Kennedy is from the Christian rock band White Heart.
On another note John Michael Talbot’s “Hermitage” burned down a few months back. Talbot has recorded like 2 albums a year for some 25 years putting him on par with Frank Zappa for albums recorded, And like Zappa most of what is recorded is well………
1982-1983
Russ Taff - Walls of Glass
Amy Grant - Age to Age
These two albums got me through a very difficult summer.
Oh, Char! I so agree with you re. Casting Crowns!!
CC -
Whiteheart is still my all-time favourite band.
jim -
i share your feelings on that 98% of ‘Christian music.’ I wish there was no CCM ghetto, but I learned way back when I first started getting into music that there *are* musical gems to found in the ‘Christian music’ scene [*snarky dig at CCM 'artistry' deleted*] That said, it’s not like mainstream Top 40 is a gold mine, either.
Buddy -
Don Francisco is my second-earliest musical memory ever (behind the songs ‘The Gambler’ and ‘You Are Always On My Mind’). And my CoC preacher Dad can play Phil Keaggy!
I feel left out. I was never in the bubble to begin with….
I think it was burst about 800 years after the church was established.
“Jesus Done Left Chicago” by ZZ Top! Come to think of it, that is what I am still listening to.
I grew up in an Independant Christian Church, so a capella was new to me when we joined a Church of Christ 7 years ago–however, my favorite “Christian” artists are Rich Mullins,Charlie Peacock and Jennifer Knapp. I had heavy SCC and Amy Grant influences in there–I think Amy’s “Straight Ahead” was the first concert I ever went to!
Ha ha Sarah-I loved that SCC/DC Talk combo-that was great!! Got to be TRU!!
Like Adam G., I was never in the bubble either (though I did go to many an A Cappella and AVB concert!)-I remember watching Michael W. Smith’s video of Secret Ambition in a middle school class and I was hooked-then I started going to concerts, and haven’t stopped yet!! I also was an Amy Grant fan back in the day (I won front row tickets to her concert one time), but LOVED Rich Mullins (I cried when he died) and DC Talk rocked.
Now, oh my-the list could go on…Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin, MercyMe (have you seen their blog?? Hillarious!! I have it linked off my blog), Casting Crowns, David Crowder, Skillet, Switchfoot, plus vome MWS and SCC thrown in, and much more…
Rich Mullins was my first real taste. We had tickets to go see him in the concert he was on his way to in Wichita KS when we got the news he was killed. That was a sad day.
Others I like … You guys need to check out the Daniel Doss Band. He has written some awesome stuff, especially ‘God In Me’ and ‘Hold On’. I’m a huge Tomlin fan. I’m convinced God will chose him to lead worship in heaven. Philips, Craig and Dean are awesome and some of the first I listened to.
Did anybody else out there like Carmen, I mean, like, alot?
I have been wanting to be impacted by some more Christian Music, but I am pretty ignorant about the art. Would love some recommendations for some good stuff.
http://www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org
Jim:
Believe me, I share your sentiments. I’ve never really liked top-40 radio, and unfortunately for guys like me, much CCM is rooted in that style of music. But as time has passed some more interesting artists have emerged that I find quite satisfying and inspirational. Would be interested to know what other kinds of music you like so some of us could help you find a good match.
Same for you, Matthew. What kind of “secular” (hate that word) music do you tend to listen to?
I love acapella music. However, Derek Webb songs like “The Wedding Dress”, really draw me in and make me think.
Metallica “No Leaf Clover”
My first experience with non acappella Christian music was with Elvis Presley (How Great Thou Art!) and The Happy Goodmans (When God’s Chariot Comes!)
On my Ipod, I have Yolanda Adams, Don Moen, Casting Crowns, Elvis, The Happy Goodmans (good memories) and the Gaithers. I also have a great gospel song recorded by The Commodores right after they were joined by Lionel Richie entitled “Jesus is Love”. It is the most listened to song on my Ipod. I highly recommend that you download it.
“JEEESUS….ISSSSSSS…THE CHAMPION!!!!”
Ha. Carmen.
Can’t believe no one mentioned Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys. Their all-instrumental “This is My Father’s World” is awesome.
Copester:
I may be one of the older readers of your blog (b. 1945). I was raised in the instrumental churches of Christ/Christian churches fellowship. I never knew there was such a thing as a cappella singing churches of Christ until the late 50s or early 60s. My dad was preaching for the Park Church of Christ in Goldfield, Iowa, and one fine Sunday morning this family visited our services. Sat right on the front row with the piano right in front of them. Nothing happened until the pianist struck the first note. The man go up, took our hymnal (”Great Songs of the Church”), and slammed it down full force on the wooden pew. It sounded like the Crack of Doom! He then marched his family down the center aisle of the church and out of the building. That’s when I learned about a cappella music.
Incidentally, “Great Songs of the Church” was a joint publishing effort of Standard Publishing and E. L. Jorgenson of the churches of Christ (a cappella). The last song in that hymnal (I still have a copy of GSOTC) is M. C. Kurfees’ “How Blest and How Joyous” (Unity Song). The opening lines are: “How blest and how joyous will be the glad day, when hear beats to heat in the work of the Lord; When Christians united shall swell the grand lay, Divisions all ended, triumphant His Word!” That is the song that took the brunt of the disgruntled brother from Texas or wherever he came from!
I can’t believe no one has mentioned (that I’ve seen so far) Caedmon’s Call, though one of their founders was Derek Webb, who does appear to have some fans here. They were the first band that proved to me that Christian worship music could actually be good music, not this syruppy-sweet pop mush that prevailed in the 80s. Hearing them at the Metro Bible study at First Baptist in Houston was an incredible experience that forever changed how I looked at worship.
An attempt to discuss your bigger question … sincere apologies upfront if this sounds like preaching to the choir!
My guess is that the a cappella bubble went bust a long time ago. We sang the Brahms Requiem in my high school concert choir and I thought I was in Heaven and wondered where in the world I had been?
Further exposure to church music from plainsong to Renaissance through to the 20th Century – Hassler, des Prés, Tallis, Gibbons, Lassus, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Schubert, more Brahms, Vaughn Williams, Howells, Pärt, to name a few – captured my heart for worship as CCM, with its heavy origins to American country music, folk rock, Sacred Harp, barbershop, R&B, inspires the hearts of many others towards worship.
PowerPoint slides are convenient and flashy for mega church worship, but they have also been instrumental in allowing good a cappella singing to go bust. They have played havoc on raising up a couple of generations of worshippers with respect to learning how to use a hymnal, read notes, and understand when the praise band plays, and when the backup singers (i.e., congregation) are supposed to sing along with the soloists holding the microphones. Very few congregations are being taught how to sing new hymns – this would be a great aid to those coming into a church for the first time or coming from church backgrounds where part-singing was not part of their tradition. Too, children are no longer allowed to explore the wonderful tactile experience of holding a hymnal and discovering all its musical and inspirational adventures during real-time worship. For time and convenience they can get a worship CD or be stimulated by following picture-perfect kids in a worship video, but their other musical/liturgical senses are not otherwise engaged. Today’s emphases on style over content and flashes of American Idol are busting the ‘a cappella’ bubble and have been slowly seeping into our worship culture.
Congregational singing – whether the hymns are from the Wesley brothers or from Hill Song – should be just that: congregational. When congregations can sing out and be heard and the corporate spirit of worship can be felt in spite of a power hungry organist, praise band, or worship singers who enjoy stroking their microphones, then it’s a happy day of reflection and praise! (BTW, some need to take a listen to their worship podcasts and process through some of the hymns done congregationally when led by their praise team octets – the octets are crooning and slurring into several different keys simultaneously and none of their melismatic singing matches. No wonder there is confusion among the ranks of congregants who are trying to figure out what they’re supposed to sing.) Not everything written by Handel or Chris Tomlin is appropriate for congregational singing.
Any ideas out there on what the worship arts and media set-up in Heaven will be like? At least the polyphony, melisma, and part-writing will be perfect!
I remember being quite confused as a 10 year old playing beautiful classical “hymns” written for God - but not “acceptable” for worship! It simply didn’t make sense. For anyone who has a “gift” of music - you know what I’m talking about - it is a “God-thing” to be able to make music - whether on an instrument, or with a voice - it’s all “music in your heart”. Anyway - got out of the deep conservative south … fast forward to chaperoning a teen trip to a DC Talk and Audio Adrelaline concert…and I was sold! Totally amazed and blown away by literally thousands of young people worshiping and praising God! LOUDLY! Changed me forever. Still love the close harmonies of a capella - but give me EVERY kind of gift of music - and let us all give that gift from our hearts - that’s all God asks for!
Amen, Karin.
Michael Card…
and U2.
Still 2 of my favorites.
Mike, I’m not sure what this sentence means–”It blew apart his only-a-cappella-for-these-compelling-reasons world.” But it is of interest that when people list their “Christian Recording Artist” they are all ones who use instruments. So I guess he was saying that was the first time music with instruments spoke to his soul.
In my case the artists that I enjoy are the ones who don’t do rock or hip hop or at least did not early on in their career. Amy Grant, Twila Paris, John Michael Talbot, Michael Card, etc. You can hear the good lyrics without being overpowered by instruments. Also they don’t place one in physical “hypertension” just spiritual. If Fanny Crosby, L.O. Sanderson, John Wesley, etc had live in our time–they would been grreat Christian recording artists.
But does no one remember Pat Boones “Wonderful Time up There”? A song about Heaven in the 50’s that incidentally was one of the most danced to songs of those years. Good Beat for “The Hop”.
U2, Fernando Ortega, Delirious and Sonic Flood were my early influences.
Oh, and in my spare time I used to lay down drum tracks to Zoe songs. Seriously, I played along to Zoe songs on my drum kit because they allowed me to experiment with various sounds and rhythms. Brandon… look me up if you need a drummer.
Early influences: Jars of Clay’s first album and DC Talk’s Jesus Freak
Modern day influences: Anything Derek Webb, Hillsong, Caedmon’s, U2, and Paul Baloche (one of the great worship songwriters today).
In my experience, I find many different expressions of worship (instrumental, a cappella, contemplative) meaningful to me for different reasons. I am moved by a traditional rendition of “How Great Thou Art” as much as singing “Salvation Is Here” (Hillsong) with a full band.
Amy Grant–I’d love to live on a mountain top–I can still remember the exact place in Neosho where I was driving, the car I was in, the direction I was headed, and about what time of day it was. It rocked my world. I have never been the same since.
I was at a church here in Franklin for a Christmas concert last December and Amy came on stage and sang about five songs. I wish she would have sang Mountaintop.
My main fellowship is still in an a capella church but I also attend Grace Chapel whenever I can. There is a lot we could learn about music…and not just the instrumental part…and how it moves us.
Drop the entertainment arguments. Those are so bogus. Let the praise the Lord with all our heart and not just out of rote memory.
Listening to Herald of Truth each Sunday as we ate lunch…with the theme song of A WONDERFUL SAVIOR…after coming in from the little country church where Daddy preached…and the beautiful singing by ACC’s chorus…and I knew then THAT harmony was what brother Teddlie was trying to teach in those wonderful singing schools I attended. Later, being able to get HYMNS FROM HARDING early Sunday mornings before leaving for worship services.
the gaithers were one of the firsts for us and of carmen… now we love leeland, anderw peterson is a great song writer…chris tomlin, living here in middle tn we are blessed to have many song writers here …so lots of new songs floating around all the time…
{by the way lynn i will tell mom and dad you said hey … christy sharp sanford here : ) }
just picked my oldest daughter up from camp tahkodah this past weekend …
“Drop the entertainment arguments.”
I’m not sure what you mean. Are you saying that entertainment has a place in worship or that the argument that some worship is turning into entertainment is not really true?
I worship in an a capella congregation and find that even we are guilty at times of having turned corporate worship into a production. I think this is unfortunate and many folks still believe that as long as we don’t have instruments, we are fine.
I’m reading “Hearing God” by Dallas Willard and he has some really interesting thoughts about how we “talk” to God. I highly recommend the book to anyone who is looking to change the way they interact with God. Imagine the notion that the most important relationship in our lives is enjoyed with someone who almost never makes an audible noise in communicating with us. And then consider how much focus we place on the audible noises we make in trying to communicate with him.
Third Day rocks!
For me it was Twila Paris, Michael Card, and Rich Mullins (Rich’s songs will always be some of my favorites). Now I love Ginny Owens, Casting Crowns, and Third Day.
For those of you who, like me have not been that attracted to mainstream “Christian” music, and prefer more alternative music, you might check out some of the following bands that are musicians who are Christian. Some of this is very eclectic and an acquired taste:
Sufjan Stevens
The Danielson Famile
Soul Junk
Doug Burr
Half-handed Cloud
Anathallo
Jeremy Enigk
low
Serena-Maneesh
The Weird Weeds
Enjoy,
Todd
Hearing Christmas music as a child was my introduction into Christian instrumental music. Much later, Michael Card blew me away. Mike, did you hear Monte Cox sing the Card song at the PU lectureships in 2007? Not a dry eye in the place when he finished.
Oh, and yes………he changed the arrangement to be a cappella!
Matt Redman, The David Crowder Band, Steve Fee, Todd Fields, Charlie Hall, Kristain Stanfill…just to name a few. But, I’ll take Chris Tomlin over all of them!!!
I wonder if there is any hope this fad will pass? Most of the songs are very hard for a congregation to sing, hence the need for a “praise team.”
Casting Crowns!
Dan, I’m sure the folks who can’t read music might be wondering “when this 4-part fad will pass?” I am all about the congregational aspect of worship when I am in that setting, but my alone time was definitely influenced by Michael Card. Russ Taff was the first concert of any kind I ever went to and Bryan Duncan opened. Late in the ’80’s Card, Taff, Petra, Carman and Stryper were my regular listens with a smattering of MWS. Card is probably the best cross-over writer of that era writing songs many often associate with Amy Grant. I taught a class last week using “Traitor’s Look.”
Today Mercy Me, FFH, and Third Day are probably my most listened to of the CCM, though my kids know the songs from “Radiance” better than any of those. I still listen to the Eagles and Rush more than anything, but when I want to sing in the car Acappella (old/new) is the media of choice.
The Weird Weeds are most definitely NOT a Christian band.
I am just amazed at all this. I have only heard of 2-3 of all these “artists.” Where do you hear them anyway? The ones I have heard sound more like a wounded calf bawling. Where on earth is the inspiration? Believe me, I would really like to know.
You know…it is kind of funny (and ironic) that so many have mentioned Michael Card as we are having this a cappella conversation. I just remembered that a few years back at ACU-Michael Card came and did a small, intimate concert and he was talking about how beautiful he found and how much he loved our a cappella singing. He was encouraging us to sing along, and he said something to the effect of, “I KNOW you guys can sing-come on!”, and “There is definitely something to this a cappella music-don’t stop” I know I am not quoting him verbatim, but I remembered that. I guess it is all about perspective.
I do love a cappella singing, but also greatly enjoy jamming out at a concert or in my car to instrumental music. They both have a special place in my heart!
A wounded calf bawling probably touches the heart of a few humans, not to mention the calfs creator. To each his own. You can’t take personal preference and taste out of the equation when talking about either instrumental or a-cappella music. Some people just love sappy sofa sized landscape paintings from the local starving artist sale while others are drawn to abstract modern works. The same is true for music. It is the heart connection that is made that causes the participant to acknowledge something bigger than themselves exists. That is what making music (or art) in your heart is all about.
Todd
maybetodo,
Thanks for the band recommendations. Excellent. I must agree with your bad taste. You should try out the Flobots from Denver. Also, Katie Herzig has some great spiritual truths in her tunes as well. Enjoy.
Love Song, Larry Norman[R.I.P.], Daniel Amos, etc. But then there are greats like Mark Heard [R.I.P], Pierce Pettis, Vigilantes of Love/Bill Mallonee, Buddy Miller, Julie Miller, Jill Phillips, Derek Webb, Rich Mullins [R.I.P.], Andrew Peterson, Fernado Otega, and the list could go on and on… By the way, Christian is a follower of Jesus–noun; and not an adjective. Music is music and some of it points us heavenward and some earthward and some in between. Good music touches the soul and mine has been touched by Neil Young more often than some/many “Christian” artists.
Amen, Todd.
Amy Grant and
of all people, BJ Thomas.
It will always be Michael Card who did it for me, first heard at a concert at Oak Hills C of C (is that a grand piano on the stage???). I never miss his concerts within 200 miles of home. Sarah Groves is also one of the best singer/songwriters of this decade.
Jesus Freak by DC talk is my all time Jam. My wife wants it played at her funeral. She says that she wants her life to mean something enough to play it loud. Here is the other thing. CCM puts Christian ideas in the contemporary vernacular. All the old Acapella albums were stuck in the same 50’s arranging new tunes to old hymns. I listen to CCM becuase pound for pound it goes deeper than anything Acapella or AVB or Soul or any other acapella group ever did. DC talk’s song “In mind eyes” is about confession and the road to healing. “Voice of truth” by Casting Crowns is about over coming fear in our contemporary culture by listening to God. I could go on, but most of the lyrcis are not as repititious and always go deep about real issues of fatih. That is why I can’t stop listening to it. “Shine” by the News boys is also a great song about what it means to let your light shine before all men.
My grandfather grew up a Methodist and he started going to the Church of Christ when he married my grandmother. When he was in his 60s, he learned how to play the organ. On Sunday mornings, he would play while we were getting ready to go to worship. I didn’t realize it then, but my granddaddy was engaging in the most pure worship there is…using his God-given talents to praise the Lord and sharing it with others. Some of his favorites were “How Great Thou Art”, “Angry Words”, “I Come to the Garden Alone”, and “Beyond the Sunset”. I didn’t start listing to CCM until 2001–Mercy Me just rocked my world along with a little praise band at a youth rally in Albany, Texas, (I was there as an adult leader) singing “Holy Spirit Come”. I have never been the same. I love acappella music as well…Zoe is wonderful to use to learn the new songs and the parts.
Ha ha! The window thing is funny! Can you get the name of their window cleaner for me please?
I worked at a Christian bookstore in high school (mid-80s) when Amy Grant released her Unguarded album. I remember a teenager’s mom bringing it back because she was so offended! Ha!
What I love about Christian music is that if there is something you are going through, there’s a song for that. I love Third Day, Jeremy Camp, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me…….
Scripture demands it? Must have missed that part.
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The Pat Metheny Group makes me thank God and worship Him. No words, just music.
I wonder if anyone’s instrumental “bubble” has been burst?
The Blackwood Brothers — my grandparents (papa was an elder…) listened on Sunday mornings before church. It had harmony and instruments!
The Gaithers — same nana & papa gave me the Gaithers sing with kids album (maybe 1973?)…
Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Godspell…
But it wasn’t until college that I discovered the world of CCM because my roommate played Amy Grant (Age to Age - song that spoke to me most was ‘Raining On The Inside’ & Michael W. Smith (Friends - title song). I also discovered David Meece at that time (We Are The Reason), and First Call - especially “The Reason We Sing”
He has brought us together
Each of us a different gift we bring
We’ll serve Him forever
Even if the cost is everything
For He has called us to be faithful
So with one heart we give this offering
CHORUS
The reason we sing
The reason we lift our voice
Is more than just making harmony
The reason we sing
Is to praise the One who gave His Son to be
The reason we sing
More than just an emotion
His Spirit gives us joy that we can’t hide
We will not be silent
We’ve got to let the world hear what’s inside
And as we praise Him with our music
Jesus is the One we glorify
The words and harmonies really touched me.
Currently I’ve discovered Dave Barnes, and like the more folky-alternative contemporary (contemplative) sound, but have Hallal and Zoe Group on my ipod as I’m ellipticalling…!!
And to be able to support oneself and family by sharing one’s gift/talent with others… I cannot think that God is not pleased by following a dream that He created in us. We all cry out for encouragement, and to know that we aren’t the only ones who feel [fill in the blank with the emotion of your choice], and that music [so many different kinds of music for so many different hearts] touches us in ways we don’t even understand completely… Just as Christian writers make a living writing, and ministers have a full-time job preaching, why do musicians (artists) get relegated to hobbyists? We all have gifts to share, what a blessing to be able to make your gift your livelihood.
My a’cappella bubble bursts each Lord’s day at JESUS Community Center in Miami. Even though I am 68 years old (five generations “Church of Christ” deacon, elder, preacher and all of that stuff) my heart now bursts forth with unexpressible bilingual (English and Spanish) praise as I and the congregation are led by a youthful worship leader and praise band.
This past Sunday, a fifteen year old young man, Christian just one year, came to the assembly to offer a hymn of praise to the Lord as his spiritual birthday gift to the Lord. He is an Hispanic boy and prepared a rap song of “Thank you, Jesus!” which brought tears to our eyes and all of us to our feet praising the Lord. One of the shepherds had prepared a powerful instrumental sound track of the beat he needed to share his song.
At the same service, a former drug addict (also an electrician out of work) along with his girlfriend dropped by the assembly of saints out of curiostity because he noticed a church was meeting in his neighborhood at a private school for mentally challenged adults. He just happened to be the lead base player and percussionist for a very famous Latin band. He was so moved by the worship (praise, prayers and message) that he made a bold profession of faith and is preparing for his baptism this week. He asked if he could bring his bongo drums and base guitar next Sunday to offer his special gifts and help lead the congregation in worship to the Lord.
Whether a’cappella or insturmental, there is so much more creativity we can and must employ in praising the Lord and edifying the believers!
Reflecting on the novice teen with his rap song of praise and the way his praise touched a professional musician to give his life to the Lord reminds me of what the Christian gathering on the Lord’s Day should really be like as pictured for us in the First Corinthian Letter. We were part of all this dynamic worship last Lord’s Day which was so very touching and sent us all out into our mission field knowing that the Lord is real, alive and very present with his people when their hearts burst out of rigid forms and touch the living Lord.
If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played… What then, brethrn? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, etc… Let all be done for edification… If an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secretrs of his heart are disclosed; and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you!” (1 Corinthians 14:7, 24-26, RSV)
Kieth Mitchell, one of the shepherds
JESUS Community Miami
Kieth - I love those stories! If I’m ever in Miami, I want to visit JCC.
Steve Sr.
I know as father to one of the band members, you wondered why nobody cited Homer Hiccolm and the Rocketboys for their all-instrumental “This is My Father’s World!”
As uncle to the same band member, I wonder the same thing!
Kieth Mitchell
Joe, that was as offensive as some of the old guard pamphlets. “Pound for Pound” CCM is bloated with wannabees and pretenders (ironic that I listed Stryper who many feel that way about) as much as it is truly inspirational artists, to an extent that a capella artists will never reach… You are correct that there are some very touching and moving lyrics in CCM, but to claim that nothing done a capella in the last 50 years has a correlating depth to it is as flawed as quoting Ephesians 5 and building a ecclesiology on what is not mentioned…
Dallas Holmes, Keith Green, John Michael Talbot (acoustic rocks!), the Carter Family (Mr. Carter was one of my teachers in HS)
Mr. Carter was more known for his group, The Chuck Wagon Gang.
sKen:
Let me clarify. The question of this Blog was “who burst the acapella bubble? I was answering why I think that so many have identified with CCM after only listening to Acapella for years. My family was one of Acapella and Keith Lancaster’s big supporters for decades. I can sing most of the Acapella songs from the 80s and 90s from memory; “Now were singing for the Lord and feeling mighty good, making music with our voices like we know all Christian should”. Wow it has been a long time since I heard that one. While our world was falling apart from the highest rates of abortion and divorce this is what Acapella was singing about.
This is what I said. Very few songs they sang were related to Christianity in the world in which we lived and live in now. Most of them were remakes of old hymns or other songs that sang the same old thing the same old way. I don’t believe that CCM has captured so many hearts that use to be Acapella only because they bang a drum and strum a guitar. I truly believe that much of CCM gives people greater meaning because it relates serious Christianity very specifically to culture in which we live. In the Songs of Faith and praise by Alton Howard most the new songs arranged in four part harmony were written and published by CCM artists first. I know many of the new songs from Zoe that are now arranged four part harmony; they are mostly originated with CCM artist also.
Please do not take offense. I was trying answer Mike’s question. I don’t know of anything truly acapella or Acapella written and produced in the last 50 years that has had a great impact on me, or our greater culture. Yes CCM has some fakes.
David: I am a huge fan of both the Carter Family and the Chuck Wagon Gang, and find it interesting that “Mr Carter” was one of your teachers. Are you referring to A.P Carter of the orgininal Carter Family? A.P died in 1960 at age 70. Perhaps your teacher was Dave Carter of the Chuck Wagon Gang. Dave died in 1963. If so, according to the following information from the CWG’s official website, Dave was not related to members of the orginal Carter family.
“Seventy-two years in any business is a long time, particularly in a musical group of any genre. Today, the Chuck Wagon Gang holds the distinction of being the oldest recording mixed gospel group still performing with ties to the original founding. By trade, the Carters were farmers, who migrated from place to place to pick cotton. The singing group came from humble beginnings in 1935, as the Carters found themselves in Lubbock, Texas, without enough money to buy medicine for a sick child, Effie. Dave Carter and two of his children, Lola and Ernest of his Carter Quartet (no relation to the Carter Family of Bristol, VA) arrived at radio station KFYO in Lubbock seeking live singing employment on radio in order to buy medicine for Effie. They landed the job, Effie soon re-joined them, and the Carter Quartet remained at the station for about a year.”
I love the music of both groups and am impressed that you “touched history” as a student of a true music pioneer. Blessings, Steve
Man, I’m late to the picnic, but this is a subject close to mrincredible’s heart. It was 1973 at a church camp in the mountains of Virginia. I had just finished 8th grade, and my camp counselor kept playing this tape over and over again. It infected my soul and planted seeds of institutional rebellion. I’ve spent the rest of my life trying to find or create what this song talks about. It has gotten me in so much trouble, but it still stirs me to the depths of my redeemed soul. The lyrics read:
Little country church on the edge of town,
Do do do do do do do (original, ain’t it?).
People coming everyday from miles around
For meetings and for Sunday school.
And it’s very plain to see
It’s not the way it used to be.
Preacher ain’t talkin’ ’bout religion no more
He just wants to praise the Lord.
People ain’t as stuffy as they were before
They just want to praise the Lord.
And it’s very plain to see
It’s not the way it used to be.
They’re talkin’ ’bout revival and the need for love,
That little church has come alive.
Workin’ with each other for the common good,
Puttin’ all the past aside.
Long hair, short hair, some coats and ties,
People finally coming around.
Looking past the hair straight into the eyes,
People finally coming around.
And it’s very plain to see
It’s not the way it used to be.
Of course, the song is “Little Country Church” by LoveSong, one of the original groups of the Jesus Movement. Chuck Girard wrote it in 1971, if you can believe it. The reality expressed in these lyrics is still needed today! Maybe more than ever! I just want to praise the Lord, too! My tribe still has issues with that!
I have so enjoyed reading through this!
I remember my first exposure to Acappella in about ‘86 or ‘87 at a Lipscomb event (middle or high school.) I bought their tape “More Than Conquerors”. That tape was my only exposure to Christian music except songbooks/hymnals/school choral music until 1990 — Stryper. Not for me; sorry, rockers.
In 1991 I went to college; the first week there I sang with the UCSC’s singers, mostly Acappella songs. Rob Cox did the rhythm bass, and while I initially didn’t see the point of that, I got over it. (Little did I know I would marry Rob before I turned 20 — and get to work with Keith Lancaster down the road.) Summer of ‘92 my college roommate listened to Amy Grant all the time (the horrors!!) and it began to grow on me. “The Collection” was the CD she played all the time — the song that got me said “all I ever have to be is what you made me.”
It was all downhill from there!
I too grew up in with singing totally a capella music in church. I even went thru a period of feeling that I could not even go around a group of people who were singing with an instument, because I could not keep my heart from singing with them, even though my lips never moved, and I thought that was sinful. Thank you, Lord, for helping me to see that you want sincere, heart-felt worship, and the means is not so important. I still love a cappella music, and AVB’s “Roll That Stone Away” will have me out of my chair and clapping my hands in not time. But, while I am not of an age to enjoy christian”rock” music, there is still a lot of christian music that I can sing along with and be perfectly comfortable.
If you ever get a chance to listen to The Statler Brothers recording of “Amazing Grace” (now I’m really showing my age), listen thru to the end. There is an instumental ending that will give you chill bumps, as beautiful as anything you will hear on this earth.
Lest we deviate and forget, the only person to be pleased or satisfied in worship is God. Not me, not the person across the isle and not anyone else. As human beings made by God, He has given us his word to live by. To sing acapella just because the teachings God’s word says so, is obviously wrong (If you love me, keep my commands - paraphrased from the book of John) however no where does the scripture teach that only the intent of the heart is what matters to God. Our actions, out of love for him, are just as important as the intent of our hearts. We should all step back and make doubly sure that the evidence of our love (our actions and our love for each other) is shown in the keeping of his word.
hi, andar here, i just read your post. i like very much. agree to you, sir.
I always liked “The Lord’s Prayer” by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Sung backwards, even better.