I woke up this Sunday morning thinking about church, and about singing in choir, when a stray thought snapped across my brain linking various data points and observations into a coherent whole:
Choirs are more egalitarian and inclusive than praise teams/praise bands, even though the music may be less “populist.”
I have been a church musician of one level or another for the past 40 years, I have sung or played at churches of various sizes, from small country churches, to mid-sized city churches, mega-churches, and moderate suburban/urban churches. I have seen high to low liturgy, strict classical music to pop-rock praise/worship music. I have been at churches when they made the transition from hymns and choir to praise teams/praise bands.
My observation is that when a church moves to a praise band they decrease the involvement of the congregation in the music ministry. Praise teams and praise bands are…
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