Church of England: Hymnals without music

[PloverWing]

I was travelling overseas recently, and on a Sunday morning I worshipped with a Church of England parish. Most of the hymnals had only words, with no music. A very few hymnals had words and melody, but no harmony. If there were any hymnals in the building with the standard 4-part harmony that American hymnals have, the organist and choir must've had them hidden away. I'm pretty good at sight-singing, but only if I have the music to read from, so my singing was kind of fumbly as I tried to listen and sing along. I noticed that the general congregational singing was soft and un-confident, and I wondered if they were similarly handicapped by not having music.

So, my question: For those of you in England, is this standard for Church of England parishes -- hymnals with words and no music? If so, do English congregations already know all the tunes and sing along joyfully from memory, or is English congregational singing a mumble of guesswork?

 

[Naomi4Christ]

The little red Anglican hymnary is words only.

We project our words onto a big screen, so words only.

I really don't think that many people are proficient in sight singing for the score to be useful, nor do we expect the congregation to be harmonising.

I think providing score is very intimidating tbh. It shouts that you need to have a certain level of education to be welcome.

 

[PloverWing]

I guess it depends on what you're used to. In American churches that use hymns and hymnals, the hymnals normally have 4-part harmony for most or all of the hymns. This is true across many denominations: Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, generic Evangelical, even Quaker. I've been singing from hymnals like this since I was a toddler. Obviously, I couldn't sight-sing when I was three, but over time I learned to see the rhythms and the general shape of the melody, then the exact melody, then sometimes the harmony lines, and so on. I figured most people who grew up in Christian churches had this experience, gradually learning how to read the music.

The majority of my friends have some kind of musical background from school: they were in their school band, or orchestra, or chorus/choir, or maybe they took piano lessons. That probably skews my perception; I suppose there must be lots of people who don't read music at all, and for whom the musical notation is meaningless. I do see the point about not wanting to exclude people who haven't had access to music education.

 

[PloverWing]

To be complete, I'll add that within the last 2 or 3 decades, a lot of American churches have moved away from hymns and instead use simpler praise songs, with the words projected on a screen and no sheet music provided for the congregation. I haven't seen this much in Episcopal churches, but I see it in the non-liturgical churches: Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, non-denominational. Maybe some of the motivation for this is what you said: not wanting to exclude people who don't have classical music training.

 

[Paidiske]

I've heard the arguments both ways. Here it's very common to provide a melody line, but not the harmony parts, and it's also very common to provide words with no music. I prefer a melody line if I don't know a hymn or song, but then, I can read music, so I find it helpful. I can definitely understand why it would be intimidating if you didn't!

 

[Dave-W]

Here it's very common to provide a melody line,

If you have chord names/symbols. that would be called a "Lead Sheet."

I can read music, so I find it helpful. I can definitely understand why it would be intimidating if you didn't!

Ignorance (like not knowing how to read music) can be fixed.

 

[Dave-W]

To be complete, I'll add that within the last 2 or 3 decades, a lot of American churches have moved away from hymns and instead use simpler praise songs,

That started in the late 1960s (Jesus movement) and really caught hold in the Catholic Charismatic renewal groups.

 

[Albion]

Question: For those of you in England, is this standard for Church of England parishes -- hymnals with words and no music? If so, do English congregations already know all the tunes and sing along joyfully from memory, or is English congregational singing a mumble of guesswork?

FWIW, I encountered the same thing (words only) while traveling in Canada. The hymnals were hardbound books but somewhat faded and worn, which I took to mean that they were what the church normally used, not some new experiment in worship or anything like that.

 

[Dave-W]

So, my question: For those of you in England, is this standard for Church of England parishes -- hymnals with words and no music?

I might suggest another reason: copyright royalties. It is my understanding that the words and the music can be copyrighted separately, so the royalty charges per book might be higher (at least in some jurisdictions) if the music is included.

 

[Paidiske]

Ignorance (like not knowing how to read music) can be fixed.

Well, yes, but of all the things I might think urgent when someone is new to church, teaching them to read music is probably not terribly high on the list...

 

[Dave-W]

Well, yes, but of all the things I might think urgent when someone is new to church, teaching them to read music is probably not terribly high on the list...

Yeah - I do get that. Besides, IMO it is not YOUR responsibility, as a congregational leader. It should be on the public school system.

 

[Padres1969]

The little red Anglican hymnary is words only.

We project our words onto a big screen, so words only.

I really don't think that many people are proficient in sight singing for the score to be useful, nor do we expect the congregation to be harmonising.

I think providing score is very intimidating tbh. It shouts that you need to have a certain level of education to be welcome.

Yeah when I first read the OP it took me a minute to understand what they were asking I'm sorry to say. I've no clue how to read music, so the words are the only thing I need in the hymnal. In fact I find that the layout of most hymnals that include the music actually hinder my ability to follow along with the song since I'm only reading the words.

 

[PloverWing]

So I guess the Bubble I live in is a Musician's Bubble. When I visit a church of another denomination or in another country, I assume that a lot of the hymns/songs will be unfamiliar to me. But that's okay; as long as I have the sheet music, I can read it and sing along. It's something like the Prayer Book itself: I don't know the exact words of the liturgy in Canada, England, etc., but if you give me the Prayer Book, I can read along and join in. For me, in my Bubble, not letting me see the sheet music is like not letting me see the Prayer Book; it makes me more of a spectator and less of a participant.

But, yes, I live in a bubble. So, thanks for letting me see what the world looks like outside my bubble.

 

[Paidiske]

Yeah - I do get that. Besides, IMO it is not YOUR responsibility, as a congregational leader. It should be on the public school system.

That's an interesting perspective. I'm happy for music to be offered as an elective (and I definitely got a lot out of doing it as one), but I'm not sure I'd think a person inadequately educated by the state if they came out of school unable to read music. (When I think about the pressures on the curriculum, and the things which already suffer, again, there are many things I'd consider waaay more important).

 

[Dave-W]

(When I think about the pressures on the curriculum, and the things which already suffer, again, there are many things I'd consider waaay more important).

You mean like math? Studies have shown OVER AND OVER again how much better grade schoolers do in math and science if they have basic music education. (instrumental music that is)

 

[gordonhooker]

Well, yes, but of all the things I might think urgent when someone is new to church, teaching them to read music is probably not terribly high on the list...

And nor should it be....

 

[mark46]

I might suggest another reason: copyright royalties. It is my understanding that the words and the music can be copyrighted separately, so the royalty charges per book might be higher (at least in some jurisdictions) if the music is included.

In the US, churches belong to an organization whereby they are allowed to use hymns and music (but no copying is allowed).

Copyright License - The church copyright license by CCLI

 

[mark46]

In our church, most services use the screen/wall where words are projected.

 

[Dave-W]

In the US, churches belong to an organization whereby they are allowed to use hymns and music (but no copying is allowed).
Copyright License - The church copyright license by CCLI

I have done the CCLI reporting for 2 different congregations about 15 years apart. And a LOT of US congregations (especially small unaffiliated) do not belong to CCLI.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

In the US, churches belong to an organization whereby they are allowed to use hymns and music (but no copying is allowed).

Copyright License - The church copyright license by CCLI

The CCLI does not apply to hymn books.