Musical Diversity Rocks at Roxbury, Mass.

By Randall R. Rice, Director of Music Ministries and Liturgy

What involves a Tibetan gong, Triton synthesizer, timpani, rock percussion drum set, Celtic drum, bongos, djembe drums, hand bells, tambourines, shakers, violin, flute, trumpets, electric bass, a 140-year-old Mechanical Action Hook-Hastings organ, harpsichord, a Hammond organ, a baby grand Henry Miller piano, and, oh yes, a Praise Team?

And where would you hear African American Spirituals, Gregorian Chant, a Finnish Agnus Dei, Gospel Songs, Worship & Praise, music from a Caribbean Mass, an “a la samba” mass, the chants of taize or the Iona Community, music from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya,, Asia, United States, Australia, Europe, Nigeria, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, among others, from the earliest history of the Church, and our Jewish roots, to the latest publications of the present sung and played side by side?

This is what happens in liturgy and music each week (though not all at the same time) at Resurrection Lutheran Church, Roxbury, Mass., at their 10 a.m. Sunday Liturgy (and during the week for various other liturgies). This eclectic approach has evolved and continues to evolve over quite a few years of planning, prayer and study. Ten years ago, there were two liturgies, an early morning “Gospel” Mass, and a later traditional LBW style liturgy. Both liturgies utilized some of the best of both traditions, as our parish has a long tradition of being “High Church” in its approach to music and worship. 

An intentional study was undertaken, involving retreats, experience, study and experimentation toward a blended style of worship utilizing both styles of music in one liturgy. What we found is that though many might say we were an African American Lutheran congregation, we were in fact a multicultural expression of our faith. Two key elements emerged: 1) that the Praise Team was and is a “leader of congregational song” and not performance slanted, and that 2) the Historic Black Church (HBC) had much to offer us as a liturgical church. 

In the HBC, there often is no prelude, but rather a “gathering,” where the music starts, and, slowly, the entire congregation gathers in song. This was added to the liturgy in the “Gathering Liturgy,” where songs are sung in the very beginning of the liturgy, based on the lectionary readings of the day, drawing upon the traditions of the great spirituals, revival songs, gospel, contemporary, worship and praise from as many cultures as possible. This allows for a few advantages, variety of expression, use of non-traditional instruments, but also creates a welcoming community for anyone who walks through the doors. All the songs are usually easily learned and can and do involve some non-traditional “Lutheran” elements, such as hand-clapping, swaying, rocking, amens, or simply a “joyful noise”. The classic African “call and response” format is a favorite, where the Praise Team “calls to the congregation” and the congregation “responds.”

Another key element is to try to think “outside’ the traditional box and explore other hymnals and traditions to find music, sometimes blurring the border between sacred and secular, but always being true to the biblical basis for text and words and the historic “ordo” of the Mass. 

Instrumental music is used to lead or teach. The traditional prelude is placed before the opening hymn, following the confession. It usually is based on the tune for the opening hymn, which can be as traditional as “A Mighty Fortress” or as non-traditional as the South African call and response of “Amen, we praise your name” Amen, siakudumisa, or the classic Nigerian invocation of the spirit in “Come, O Holy Spirit, Come”, wa wa wa Emimimo. So, an opening hymn could be accompanied by full organ and brass, timpani or drummed in procession, with the best instrument – the voice of the congregation – providing the lead. Music can and should be sung in many languages, and, when possible, translations are provided. It is not a question of either/or but both, together. 

Another element used is, again, thinking outside the box when approaching music. Lament, often expressed in the psalms, doesn’t necessarily mean “sad” or “doleful” or the use of a minor key, in musical expression. So, while a psalm of lament, such as Psalm 137, may read as a plea, it can be expressed in Reggae as it is in the This Far by Faith hymnal, sung in traditional Jamaican style. These can and do co-exist with each other.

The Gospel Alleluia offers wonderful opportunities for variety of cultural expression. It can be as ancient as a Gregorian Mode, or as current as the spiritual “Lead us to the Water” mass of Kenzia or the Spanish “Resucito/Alleluia.” The first example can be sung with no instruments, the second can be sung with simply a piano, or as elaborate as piano, bass, percussion and brass, and the third can utilize a Tibetan Gong, handbells. trumpets and the simple hand-clapping of the people to keep the rhythm. Every culture has an “Alleluia;” it is a common expression of exultation, and one needs only to find them, to sing them. And we express it in as many ways as we can. And for those “lenten times” of no alleluia, we go to South Africa to sing our Hosannas with “Sanna Sannanin,” two simple words, easily learned, requiring no book, but does require and encourages hand clapping! This, then, translates into our opening processional song for Palm Sunday, as we wind our way to the main sanctuary, accompanied only by a couple of African Drums, tambourines, and hand clapping.

The hymn of the day, the chief hymn of the Lutheran liturgy, always speaks to the gospel reading and the sermon. It needs to be thematically/ biblically based, but not based in one culture. We might answer the sermon concerning the widow’s mite, with the wonderful rhythms of our Spanish friends with “Toma, oh Dios, mi vuluntad” (“Take My Life, That I May Be”), or the grand style of “Now Thank We All Our God;” both can and do express our thanksgiving.

Our diversity is lectionary based, not culturally based, so it is always the readings of the day that dictate the songs. It is not a matter of having or using culturally based songs for its own sake, but for enhancement of the Word.

Resurrection is blessed with having access to one of the great schools for music, the Berklee College of Music (formerly School of Jazz), where very talented (and usually starving) musicians come share their talents with us. Each of their unique gifts can be used in worship. They come from Argentina, Spain, Russia, Italy and Mexico – to name a few countries and bring us their gifts of jazz, contemporary style and learn to appreciate our gifts of the classic Western Church tradition. They help us sing God’s praises in Latin, Hebrew, Spanish, Korean and Finnish, as well as English.

But it is all based on what Bach wrote on his music centuries ago, and a basic premise and understanding of the Reformers of the Church, “Soli Deo Gloria” – “to God be the glory.”