Music and Worship We have music in church because it facilitates worship, enables us to engage emotionally and provides space for God to work within us. Music can lift us to a higher plane, draw us closer to God and provide space for us to be able to hear what God is saying to us. It also enables us all to participate in worship, provides a place where we can offer ourselves to God (what the Bible calls a ‘sacrifice of praise’) and helps us to enjoy coming together to worship. It also shapes our identity as God’s people in this place and builds community, drawing us closer to one another as we make music together. Music is a draw for those on the edge of the church – it is a language all can speak (although perhaps with different accents!). Music can act as a lubricant to our worship. Through our hymns and songs we learn scripture and our theology is shaped. What we think about God often comes from the songs that we sing.
Music at St Mary’s Music at St Mary Magdalen is distinctive in its variety – a number of musical traditions are enjoyed, which is one of the things that draws people here. Our worship is Christ centred and rich, with most people appreciating the value of variety. A large number of people in the church share in making music for worship and they do so at a high level of competence.
The development of Music at St Mary’s We would like to see our music continue to encourage and enable us to encounter God in our worship. We long to see a growing focus on Christ combined with technical
competence and quality and sensitivity and spontaneity. We would like to see a growth in variety of music and styles both within and between services. We would like to see
greater support for our musicians, more contact between those who play music in our worship and perhaps a little more creativity and openness in the way that music is chosen for worship. While many in our church would like to see a little more representation of a particular style, there is a common sense of longing for a little more space and silence. Key words in describing our aspirations for music in worship are:
Music - an overview We benefit from a wide range of musical styles to support the various services - Organ and choir lead our Parish Communion services and Evensong. The more upbeat band has enriched the All Age Service with guitars, keyboard and singers under Jonathan Thompson’s leadership. Here the sound system has proved essential. An ensemble drawing on the gifts of many in our church continues to lead the Young Family Service.
The Choir, which has about 12 regular members, is supplemented by extras for major services, festivals, weddings and funerals.
We are very fortunate to have a wide range of musical talent and ability within our congregation and we hope to develop these further to give variety and depth to our worship.