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MUSIC AT CENTRAL CHURCH

Preamble
Christianity is a singing faith. From the beginning, psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs have been an expression of the faith, the hope and the joy of Gods people. The
Bible tells us that at the dawn of creation the morning stars sang together... (Job 38:7).
From that day forward it has been the custom of Gods people to lift their voices in songs
of praise.
Liturgy is the work of the people, indeed, worship is the work of the people. The
sound of a congregation lifting its collective voice in praise of God is close to the heart of
all worship. In this voice, the Word of God is proclaimed and the faith, the prayers and the
aspirations of Gods people are given expression.
Consistent with the Reformed tradition, we believe that the music of the
congregation in song is the primary music that expresses our faith and our worship. All
other forms of musical expression, instrumental, choral, solo or musical background, are
secondary and supplementary to the voice of the congregation.
The congregation of Central Presbyterian Church is not laggard in singing. Many of
our members bring good voices to the effort and nearly all are willing to life their voices in
the praise of God.
We believe that we should build on the concept of the congregation as the primary
maker of music. The music of our worship is the song of Gods people.
Everyone can sing. Christians of all sorts, with and without talent, have a song to
sing. All must be given an opportunity and encouragement to offer their song.
The song of the Christian community is
a song of praise
a song of prayer
a song of joy
a song of sorrow
a song of proclamation
a song of Gods story
a song that reaches out
a song of evangelism
a song that binds the community together in its singing

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a song of Gods gracious goodness.

The Peoples Song should never be less than the best that is possible. All are
encouraged to participate fully
.
Believing that the heart of the music program at Central Presbyterian Church is the
song of the people, we offer this report in the context of providing for the best possible
enhancement of The Peoples Song. It will contain elements that relate directly to the
singing of the congregation, some that relate to the service of the congregation at worship
and some that are outside the context of worship. Certain aspects are short range and
immediate, others that are very long range in nature. But the underlying concept for
every part of this proposal is that The Peoples Song may be pleasing to God.
I.

A BASIS FOR MUSIC IN THE CHURCH

WE BELIEVE that worship is an expression of our faith in our life,

mirroring
our goals of discipleship, service and inclusiveness.
WE BELIEVE that music is an expression of our faith in which we are
all
responsible participantscongregation and choir alike
WE BELIEVE that music reflects our commitments to life and our
experiences
as a community of faith.
WE BELIEVE, therefore, that music is a tool for drawing people
together in
Community and for moving them toward a renewed commitment to
justice
and love.
II.

THE ROLE OF MUSIC AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

A.

Music enhances and aids WORSHIP

Music pours forth from God, filling the creation and the church with the
voice of God. As the people of God meet to worship, music becomes a part of
our response to the presence of God in prayer, praise, proclamation and
thanksgiving.

B.

Music enhances and aids COMMUNICATION

From the highest joy to the sorrow that knows no words, music
communicates truth, meaning and power. It supports and underscores the
words of the pastors.

C.

Music enhances and aids CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

From the first note of the Prelude through the last note of the Postlude,

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the music of Worship is the accompaniment to the peoples preparation for

Service. The church cannot keep it music within its walls. As our music
memorializes and proclaims Gods Word, the worshiping people go forth to
share. The Community responds. We (Central Church) open our doors to that
response and the Community becomes one with us.

D.

Music enhances and aids COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Music reaches individuals who may come into the congregation. In
inviting community music groups to perform at Central in services and
special events, and in providing space for community music groups to meet,
we support the arts for the benefit of the whole community.

III.

COMPONENTS OF MUSIC AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

.A

The congregation
The central component of music at Central Presbyterian Church
is the congregation itself. This is the worshiping people of God who
regularly gather at the corner of Fourth and Kentucky. Music is part of
their lives as individuals and as part of the community which is the
congregation, and is a part of the life of that body as they sing, hear,
perform and invite others to share in this essential element of our life
together.

.B

The Choir

.C

Director of Music
The Director of Music functions as the primary staff person for the
overall music program of Central Presbyterian Church and serves as
the primary choir director and organist for church services and
activities. This person works with the pastors; serves as one of the
staff persons to the Worship Committee of the Session; recruits and
provides assistance to volunteer choir members; selects and
supervises all other paid musicians working at Central Church;
proposes and coordinates the musical portions of the community
outreach program.

.D

Professional Musicians
Professional musicians are hired either on an occasional
basis or to serve continuously as needed. The primary purpose of such

The choir is the primary adult choral body which serves

Central Church through its central responsibility to assist and lead
worship. It is expected to be a choral body of skill, commitment and
grace as it serves the congregation on a regular basis on Sunday
mornings and at special services throughout the year. We see a choir
of volunteer and paid choir members.

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employment is to augment the capability of the volunteers in the

music program at Central Presbyterian Church to provide the highest
quality music for church events. These will include section leaders and
other participants in the choir, instrumentalists for special services,
and other individuals as needed.

.E

Cantor (animatur)
The cantor provides leadership in preparing the congregation for the
service, including introduction to new or altered music or to particular
forms of liturgy with which the congregation may be unfamiliar. During
the service the cantor can assist in such ways as the singing of psalms,
leading the congregation in sung responses, etc.
Our Report

The words of the Preamble are taken, unchanged, from the 1993 report The
Peoples Song prepared by a special committee of Central Presbyterian Church. We took
this report as the beginning point for our work. First, we looked closely at it, the
assumptions it carried, the proposals it offered, and the conclusions it reached. Then we
listened to the congregation. And then we looked again at the report.
Our conclusion is that the report is still valid for us in 2005. What then do we have
to offer as our vision for the next 10-15 years?
Our contribution to Central Presbyterian Church and its session and congregation
comes in the form of enrichment, enhancement or deepening of the patterns and
conclusion of the earlier paper.
First of all, we report that the congregation as a whole is supportive of the music
program and activities of Central Church. We had a variety of responses from dont
change a thing to lets have a lot more ___________, but we did not hear from anyone
that they did not like the music at Central and that it should change. We heard advocates
of more traditional music, gospel music and more contemporary up-beat music, but never
did we hear that they wanted it instead of or to replace what we have now. Generally, the
comments were lets keep what we have and add ___________.
What are some of the things they/you want to add?
1.
a.

Youth Education in Worship and Leadership

Begin program with present children and expand it as needed;
b.
A graded or feeder choir series of age-specific choirs,
i.e. preschool, lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school,
high school choirs;
c.
These choirs would prepare children for the next choir and
begin their leadership in worship at an early age;
d.
The music and activities would be specific to the age
group and enhance both their Christian education and their knowledge
of and participation in worship;
e.
Would need to have qualified leaders for directors and
accompanists, but also individuals who would provide support services.

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Ideally, we would see a paid director for each choir, an accompanist

who could serve more than one choir, and a parent and teen support
person for each choir;
f.
Participation in worship could be periodic and could provide
growth experiences for both youth and adults;
g.
Possible venue for formal music training for individuals on
a volunteer basis.
2.

Instrumentalists
a.
Continue the use of instrumentalists to enhance special services and to
accompany the choir for special events;
b.
Encourage the congregation to include giving to the special fund for
musicians (now called the James G. Ritchey Fund for Musicians in
Worship);
c.
Use such instruments as guitar, woodwinds, percussion instruments on
a more frequent basis;
d.
Continue use of both organ and piano. There were those who wanted
to hear more of the piano, and others who thought the same about the
organ;
e.
Incorporation of members of the congregation who have instrumental
skills but who do not wish to sing in the choir into the worship
leadership of the congregation;
f.
Creation of small instrumental ensembles (brass choir, guitar group,
etc.) made up of members of the congregation;
g.
Use of such organizations as the Voices of Kentuckiana and the River
City Drum Corps to provide music leadership for some of our services
and events;
h.
Development of hand bell choirs for various age groups.

3.

Hymns
Perhaps because we asked questions about hymns, we had a lot of responses
in listening sessions, notes from bulletin inserts and elsewhere about the
hymns. This congregation is clearly interested in what, why and how we sing
together.
a.
Continue the careful integration of music and word that
now characterizes our worship experiences;
b.
Continue the cultural and ethnic diversity among the hymns that we
sing while each time taking measures to educate the congregation as
to their content and how they fit within the context of theology at
Central Presbyterian Church;
c.
Provide for continued experiences that lead us through a variety of
different types and historical periods of hymnody.

4.

Special Services and Musical Events

a.
Add to the annual calendar hymn sings where the music would be
chosen on the basis of familiarity and style, rather than necessarily on
basis of content. This would be a way that we could sing hymns that
are familiar to our childhood, but have a theology that we as a
congregation no longer embrace, e.g. Old Rugged Cross, In the
Garden etc.;

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b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
5.

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Hosting community musical events and recitals;

Continuing such events as the Jazz Service;
Initiating a Taize service on a periodic basis, perhaps in the chapel and
on a multi-congregational basis;
Consideration of events from various musical traditions, e.g. Gospel
Service, Evening of Chant, Music from Around the World, Music from
the Early Church;
Congregational or community talent shows;
Hosting or developing musical dramas.

Adult Choir
a.
Continue to build volunteer membership;
b.
Continue to use paid singers as part of the ensemble;
c.
Schedule special musically unique events every 4-6 weeks;
d.
Schedule multiple (3) major choral presentations annually;
e.
Incorporate soloists, duets, trios, etc. more frequently;
f.
Increase variety in selection of music, perhaps with
emphasis on more contemporary and/or upbeat music;
g.
Widen variety of culturally diverse music;
h.
Sanctuary choir loft enlargement to accommodate 40-50 singers;

Specific responses from listening groups, bulletin comments and all other sources
are detailed on the attached appendix.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Key Conclusions
As we did our work, it was clear that some concerns carried greater weight than others.
As a result, we present the following as our key conclusions for your consideration.
1.

Youth in Worship
One of the elements that rose clearly to the top of our responses was that of youth
participation n worship. The committee met with the leader of the childrens choir
programs from Highland Presbyterian Church. It is our thought that the exact form
of this endeavor may take any of several shapes, but is critical to the life of the
congregation.

Personnel
Adding to the music program will have limited success without increasing the
personnel capacity. Any new efforts will need volunteer leadership, direction and
coordination or an increase in paid hours for the churchs Director of Music.

3.

Facilities
The primary concerns that rose to our attention include:
a.
The need for a larger choir loft. If our choir is to grow, it is imperative
that the choir loft be expanded to hold at least 40 singers;
b.
We clearly must have an expanded sound system that not only
accommodates input from more locations as the worship is lead from more
areas and needs to provide service to more participants;
c.
A more comprehensive sound system;
d.
Upgraded rehearsal space.

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Use of Paid Singers

The congregation overwhelmingly responded that they like what is currently
happening with the music program at Central and want more of it. It is this task
forces assessment that maintenance of current programming levels and quality
along with implementation of new activities would be impossible without the paid
section leaders in the choir. To that end, it is our recommendation (see below) that
the paid positions be maintained.
Implementation

As a group, the committee would like to make the following recommendations for
consideration by the Session.
A.

Undertake a congregation-wide worship education endeavor

1.
Introduce youth to the elements, meaning and leadership of
congregational worship;
2.
Develop a conscious program of childrens participation in and
leadership of worship;
3.
Assist the congregation to understand the elements of this report and
their necessary budgetary impact;
4.
Encourage individual giving to the Musicians in Worship fund.

B.

Find a means for church members to take an active role in planning the worship life
of the congregation.
1.
Increase lay participation in worship leadership;
2.
Increase lay participation in the detailed worship planning on a
seasonal/periodic basis;
3.
Take the lead in selecting and inviting preachers including those who use
media other than simply the spoken word;
4.
Increase participation of the congregation in supporting the special music
fund to provide for additional selected artists to contribute to worship
services.

C.

Carry our experience beyond our walls into the community.

1.
Consider the weekly streaming of our worship service both live and in
archival form on our website.
a.
Available for the home-bound to participate on a timely or
chosen basis in our worship;
b.
Example to other congregations of worship in a More Light
Church.
2.
Develop small ensembles (vocal and instrumental) to visit other
churches and provide leadership for other events;
3.
Development of a CD by our choir.

D.

Maintain at high quality level we now have.

1.
Maintain the piano and organ for optimum performance;
2.
Consider addition of harpsichord to musical instruments of the church;

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3.
Consider addition of a small tracker pipe organ in the Chapel which
could be used, if desired, for teaching organ;
4.
Purchase handbell set to allow development of handbell choirs;
5.
Extend the Skinner organ umbilical cord to permit the console to be
moved to any place on the chancel;
6.
Consider addition of selected ranks to the Skinner organ;
7.
Improve the quality of the space for rehearsal;
8.
Increase the size of the choir loft to accommodate at least 40 persons.
E.
Incorporate
need provides.
1.
2.
3.
F.

into planning of the congregation, additional music staff as budget and

Full-time Director of Music;
Addition of childrens choir directors and/or accompanists;
Addition of administrative assistance for music program.

Install expanded sound system in the sanctuary

1.
Provide a better and more comprehensive sound system than we now have,
that will provide better coverage of elements of the service as they take
place in various places in the sanctuary with more participants;
2.
Provide control from within the sanctuary itself by active operator during
services;
3.
Support the streaming of our worship services on the internet.

G.

Maintain paid singers as members of Adult Choir

Provide skill to support continuing the present high level of musical quality and
repertoire.

A Note from the Committee

These hopes and dreams for the future of the music program at Central will need to be
considered in the context of the hopes and dreams for other aspects of Centrals future.
The comments and recommendations we have made do not take into account any
particular expectations for congregational growth at Central. We are very aware that as
downtown Louisville grows and expands and as the Old Louisville area continues its rebirth
and accommodation to the expanding University of Louisville campus, the presently visible
growth patterns may change dramatically. We may have more, or (God forbid) even fewer
children. The adult (households with few or no children) downtown population may
expand dramatically with higher levels of income and greater involvement in the arts. We
believe that what we have said here will be a basis for adaptation to whatever the future
brings, but in every case will increase the mission of the church to provide a vital and
dynamic voice in our area celebrating our differences and reaching out to others with
God's peace and love. As members and friends of the congregation we are committed to
an expression of our faith that includes, as full parts of the faith community, old, young,
female, male, persons with disabilities, and persons of all cultures, races, nations and
sexual orientations.
Molly Atkinson, DiAne Boese, Ann Downs, Robb
Gwaltney, Eileene MacFalls, Jeff Sodowsky, David

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Wheeler; Guy Younce, Mark Baridon, Ann Deibert,

ex officio