[Choir] Text, lyrics and melody

[Stephen Finner]

I thank Lani for starting this conversation.  However, friend, don't call
yourself names like "whiny" That text just doesn't scan.

Once a year, I faciliated a discussion with my small choir (never more than
10) about the music we had sung.  What worked, what didn't, what did you
like, love hate  etc.  What text spoke to you and what did you want to
ignore.   Not looking for answers of course, looking for experience and
understanding which might guide me in my programming.

As a composer, arranger, conductor etc, I know that text and melody once
composed and set are an organic whole.  We can analyze and discuss them
separately.  We can sing one and recite the other.  But once composed and
set, they are the song, the cantata, the whole.

And I advise not being afraid to have strong feelings about one, the other,
or both.  You are the voice of both the composer and the author of the
text.  Speak up when you are moved to do so.  And care about it.   When you
say "I'm just sing the melody.  I don't care about the words".  Think wnat
you are saying to the creator of those words who may be dead hundreds of
years.   "I don't care about you.  I don't value your creation"

I find I understand the music better and perform it better if I learn about
both the melody and the text.  Who composed it when and why?  Who wrote
that text when and why?  I often listen to different performances of the
piece to get a better understanding of both.  And as you can appreciate I
am sure, understanding as much about the text as I can is central if I am
setting it.

And given Donia's careful meticulous planning of rehearsals, I always learn
more about both.

However, a lot of that is technical and more important is "how do both the
words and music affect me?"  "How do they speak to my theology, my belief,
my faith?

This season we have sung Ave Verrum Corpus.   It is a beautiful melody but
singing it for me is jarring and not affirming of my faith beause of the
lyrics, plain and simple.  Below is a popular translation.   It is classic
Trinitarian salvationaist Christian theology.  I reject it with every fibre
of my being.   I contrast it with "Sing Gently" , "Spirit of Life"   "I
Don't Feel No Ways Tired"  and the list goes on.

I agree completely that it is important, if not mandatory to share the text
with the congregation visually and that includes translation when we are
not singing in English.  I don't think this needs much, if any discussion.
Let's just do it.   We have produced some excellent slides and know how to
do it.

So for what it is worth, these are my thoughts.

Hail,true body
born of the Virgin Mary,
Who truly suffered, sacrificed
on the Cross for man,
Whose pierced side overflowed
with water* and blood,
Be for us a foretaste**
In the test of death.




Stephen L. Finner, Ph.D.
finnerstephen at gmail.com
(802) 598-4317 (cell)    (802) 461-2528 (home-wifi)
27 Highland Avenue,  Apartment 3
Barre, Vermont 05641

Director of Music, UU Congregation of  Washington VT (summer congregation)
Minister of Music Emeritus, St. Johnsbury Vermont UU Congregation
(he, him, his)
"There must always remain in everyone's life some room for the singing of
angels"   Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman
"May you know the joy of living sometimes comes with pain lived through"
Steve Finner (1998)
"Nothing stays the same after we find the God within"  Sr. Joan Chittister
O.S.B.
And just in case you were wondering "Faith without works is dead" James 2:26
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