Words or No Words?

[churchyreal]

This question is addressed to choir directors, lead musicians/ministers of music, etc.

Do you let your choir members lead songs with their paper? Why or why not?

Do you let your choir members have words in the choir stand at church? Why or why not?

Just curious to hear perspectives.

I'll answer first 

Under my leadership I've been more lenient about letting choir members lead songs with their paper because, to me at the end of the day it doesn't matter as long as they can balance their paper and eye contact with the audience. Traditionally our choir directors and MOM did not allow choir leaders to sing with their papers.

As far as regular choir members, I'm pretty flexible but the norm is usually in our church that no choir members should sing with their papers.

[jrs81]

Generally, I don't.  I feel you can't effectively minister the song if you are looking at the paper.  I make sure that my directors and myself know the words in case anyone needs help.  We do practice with papers.

[churchyreal]

Generally, I don't.  I feel you can't effectively minister the song if you are looking at the paper.  I make sure that my directors and myself know the words in case anyone needs help.  We do practice with papers.

Cool! We try to promote less dependency on the paper is possible but if they truly need their papers, we'll like "whatever"....lol! The youth choir director has never been lenient about papers. She has always discouraged using papers, even when I was in the youth choir back in the day. She's a little more lenient but not much lenient.

[JoanHall]

I let lead singers use words, but I frown on it for the rest of the choir.  The reason I allow it for lead singers is partly because of the level of experience/confidence of our choir members, only a couple of them are natural-born soloists.

[churchyreal]

I let lead singers use words, but I frown on it for the rest of the choir.  The reason I allow it for lead singers is partly because of the level of experience/confidence of our choir members, only a couple of them are natural-born soloists.

Right and one thing that has happened since I've been playing for the choirs is that we have a lot of people now leading songs who don't have previous experience singing so it's kind of new for them.

I guess that's one positive legacy of my leadership for the music ministry 

[sjonathan02]

Only our First Lady sings with paper depending on the song. She has a difficult time counting the measures (cause we sing to tracks) so the paper helps her.

[JLLW]

I'd have them learn it with the paper in rehearsal and sing without the paper during worship services.  It just looks more professional and if the spirit takes over while they are singing and they get teary eyed how can they see the words and effectively minister with thier singing without getting lost for words because they can't see the paper?  Aim for a "spirit of excellence in worship."

[betnich]

Our Praise Team uses charts and lyrics on music stands. The words are also projected on a screen, but that's behind them so they can't see it. I have seen front/back double-screen setups in other churches and have suggested we look into that.

For our kids' choir we pass out words but try to make them simple enough so they can memorize. We are starting an adult Choir and will use paper for rehearsals, but try to wean them from that when singing in service.
I don't know how well that will work out, some are rank beginners...

[under13]

I think that they should memorize the words for choir songs. Most of these songs are easy and a choir reading the words to a simple song during a service looks stupid. Now if its a hymn that the whole congregation is singing, then I think its ok for them to read from the hymnal.

At my church the praise and worship team has a screen with the words on it. I dont think they rely on it though.

[sjonathan02]

Our Praise Team uses charts and lyrics on music stands. The words are also projected on a screen, but that's behind them so they can't see it. I have seen front/back double-screen setups in other churches and have suggested we look into that.

For our kids' choir we pass out words but try to make them simple enough so they can memorize. We are starting an adult Choir and will use paper for rehearsals, but try to wean them from that when singing in service.
I don't know how well that will work out, some are rank beginners...

Just feed the choir the words. If it's a song with a lot of words, give 'em paper; otherwise, feed them the words.

[jonesl78]

If my choir sings from a piece of paper:

a. I havent given them the proper time neccessay to memorize words

b. They have not used their time wisely in preparing to sing

c. Im picking songs that are above their level

[jrs81]

Sometimes having the words on the paper is a hinderance.  One of my soloists was singing her solo yesterday.  She had her paper and I didn't notice it and she still messed up the words.  She looked over at me and just smiled, because she knew she should not be using the paper anyway.

[betnich]

Sometimes having the words on the paper is a hinderance.  One of my soloists was singing her solo yesterday.  She had her paper and I didn't notice it and she still messed up the words.  She looked over at me and just smiled, because she knew she should not be using the paper anyway.

Very true...

[churchyreal]

Sometimes having the words on the paper is a hinderance.  One of my soloists was singing her solo yesterday.  She had her paper and I didn't notice it and she still messed up the words.  She looked over at me and just smiled, because she knew she should not be using the paper anyway.

So is your issue people having papers point blank or having them and being too dependent on the papers?

[sjonathan02]

So is your issue people having papers point blank or having them and being too dependent on the papers?

That's kinda six in one hand, half a dozen on the other.


Papers are confining. It's like reading sheet music. If you get stuck with ONLY what's on the page how can one flow and allow the Spirit to use them?

And, if you've sung the song more than a few times and one is STILL using paper?!?!? 


BTJM.

[jgause2]

I only agree with using papers during rehearsal, not during Sunday Worship (unless its a hymn...then i might consider.) My rule of thumb is, if they don't the words, then I'm not even going to sing it on Sunday until they do.  

Sunday is the time for us to minister to the hears and souls of the congregation, not focus on what words come next, or what notes come next.  That's our time to proclaim the goodness of Jesus, or preach the Gospel, or encourage the congregation, or whatever. I also feel that it keeps them into the songs...when you begin to let the spirit move, and they see your excitement, it gets them excited...its less likely to be that way, if one is too fixed on the words of the song.  Let rehearsal be for that...and come on Sunday ready to minister the word effectively.

[sjonathan02]

I only agree with using papers during rehearsal, not during Sunday Worship (unless its a hymn...then i might consider.) My rule of thumb is, if they don't the words, then I'm not even going to sing it on Sunday until they do.  

Sunday is the time for us to minister to the hears and souls of the congregation, not focus on what words come next, or what notes come next.  That's our time to proclaim the goodness of Jesus, or preach the Gospel, or encourage the congregation, or whatever. I also feel that it keeps them into the songs...when you begin to let the spirit move, and they see your excitement, it gets them excited...its less likely to be that way, if one is too fixed on the words of the song.  Let rehearsal be for that...and come on Sunday ready to minister the word effectively.

This.

[Spiritfingaz]

When I first started as an MOM, I inherited a choir that lived and died by the sheet, so gradually over time, I began teaching songs in rehearsal without the sheet and met a lot of negativity and stubborness and "we can't do this."  Slowly but surely they began to get with the system, but it was a gradual process.  I do believe it opened the door for them to internalize the song and easier to worship once the fear and discomfort of not having the sheet left.  My piano teacher once talked to me about being in ministry without a crutch and I apply it to this situation.  We have things that we used that can either be a crutch or an aid.  If the sheet is a crutch, then I think MOMs should develop a system to get their choirs off the crutches, if its an aid, then use it accordingly without interfering with worship.

On another note, if we did chorale music, since some could sight-sing, I would allow sheet music, but we would place it in black folders for professionalism and uniformity.

[LaylaMonroe]

If my choir sings from a piece of paper:

a. I havent given them the proper time neccessay to memorize words

b. They have not used their time wisely in preparing to sing

c. Im picking songs that are above their level

I only agree with using papers during rehearsal, not during Sunday Worship (unless its a hymn...then i might consider.) My rule of thumb is, if they don't the words, then I'm not even going to sing it on Sunday until they do. 

Sunday is the time for us to minister to the hears and souls of the congregation, not focus on what words come next, or what notes come next.  That's our time to proclaim the goodness of Jesus, or preach the Gospel, or encourage the congregation, or whatever. I also feel that it keeps them into the songs...when you begin to let the spirit move, and they see your excitement, it gets them excited...its less likely to be that way, if one is too fixed on the words of the song.  Let rehearsal be for that...and come on Sunday ready to minister the word effectively.

I'm with those two.

3+ decades in church and choirs and praise teams, and I've never used a paper or been a part of a music ministry that allows papers (with one brief exception of my short stint at my grandmother's Baptist church, which allowed us to use hymnals for the Hymn of the Morning).

I'm opposed to paper in rehearsal, paper in service, paper anywhere for any reason. If you need lyrics to sing, then you haven't learned the song yet and are not ready to sing it.

[DirectingOrganist]

Nope, we spend too much time in rehearsal to be standing up there with papers.