Thread creep alert! (Hopefully acceptable)

My $.02

There seem to be a goodly number of choir members present here. I am still puzzling over Joe's claim to know of a Parish Council that wanted choir directors to "encourage the congregation to sing."

Let me offer the view from the congregation.

While reading through this thread I was reminded of a problem I always had when I was a member of a church congregation. The songs were always in keys that I found impossible to sing. Since I wasn't a member of the choir and had no musical training, all I could to do was TRY to sing the melody. I always ended up singing half the song in a bad falsetto and the other half in a worse basso profundo. No fun for me or the people near me. I, of course, thought it was my problem. When I reached (nominal) adulthood I occasionally mentioned the problem to other "folk" singers in my acquaintance. I learned that it was a common problem. Finally I asked a choir member (NOT a congregation member) about it. Sure, she explained, the songs are keyed so the sopranos can sing the melody. Finally the light dawned. I was having problems because I wasn't supposed to be singing anyway.

So my point is that if you want the congregation to sing, you've gotta pick stuff they know AND sing it in a key within the range of normal human beings.

My admittedly very subjective feeling based upon my own very limited experience is that most choirs and choir directors would prefer that the congregation simply listen and admire their performance. I am certainly not saying this is true of any of the participants in this thread. My guess is that most choirs and choir directors secretly regret that applause is not deemed appropriate during church services.

But wait, there's more. I grew up thinking that that's the way things was sposed to be. However....

I was raised Presbyterian, but my wife spent serious time in an Old Regular Baptist congregation. No choir. No instruments. Congregational singing in unison. In each congregation several people were deemed song leaders. Song leaders included both men and women and they took turns starting the songs and lining them out. The song leaders were not chosen because of their voices. My wife admits that this arrangement is much more "congregation-friendly" if less musically sophisticated. However the results (at least to my ear) can be strangely and hauntingly beautiful.