THE CHANGING PLACE OF THE SINGER

If you sing on a worship team today, you may stand on a platform, hold a microphone, sing through a sound system and have a congregation looking towards you. Everything from the lighting, cameras, professional sound systems, full band presentation and enviornment can feel close to performance. The relationship between singers, musical leaders and the gathered people has changed considerably throughout biblical and Church history. Understanding some of that history can help us recognise that the tension between worship, leadership, participation and visibility actually isn't something new or something modern worship singers imagine. Romans 15 gives us a helpful reason to look back:

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us…”
— Romans 15:4

Before there was a Temple or an organised Levitical music ministry, we already see God's people singing together. After Israel crosses the Red Sea, Moses and the Israelites sing, declaring what God has done. Miriam then leads the women with tambourines, dancing and a sung response.

“Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord…”
— Exodus 15:1

“Then Miriam the prophet… took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them…”
— Exodus 15:20–21

  • WHO CARRIED THE SINGING? The people themselves, with identifiable people such as Moses and Miriam providing leadership.

  • WHAT WAS THE ROLE? To respond to and declare what God had done.

  • WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE? The song belonged to the gathered people themselves, with identifiable people providing leadership within their shared response.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHERS US? Singing can belong to the whole gathered community while particular people provide leadership.

The Temple

During David's reign, particular Levites are appointed to musical service. There are leaders, singers and instrumentalists, with responsibilities associated with praise, thanksgiving, remembrance and proclamation.

“David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments…”
— 1 Chronicles 15:16

“He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol, thank, and praise the Lord…”
— 1 Chronicles 16:4

Within this structure we encounter Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, the sons of Korah and generations of musicians associated with particular responsibilities.

“All of them were trained and skilled in music for the Lord…”
— 1 Chronicles 25:7

This organised musical service doesn't disappear after David. We see singers and musicians functioning within Temple worship under later kings and again following exile as Temple worship is restored.

During Hezekiah's restoration:

“The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded.”
— 2 Chronicles 29:28

And after exile:

“The Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.”
— Nehemiah 12:27

  • WHO CARRIED THE SINGING? Designated, trained singers and musicians, including particular Levitical families and musical leaders.

  • WHAT WAS THEIR ROLE? To fulfil entrusted musical responsibilities within Israel's worship — including praise, thanksgiving, remembrance and proclamation.

  • WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE? The wider assembly continued to participate in the worship of Israel while particular people carried specialised musical responsibilities.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHES US?‍ ‍Being entrusted with a particular musical responsibility can require skill, preparation and organisation. Different people can fulfil different functions within something the whole community is doing together. Specialised musical responsibility does not necessarily disconnect the musicians from the worship of the wider community.

The Synagoue

Alongside the Temple, the synagogue provided another important setting for Jewish gathering. Its emphasis on Scripture, teaching, prayer and communal response created a different environment from the sacrificial and highly organised musical service of the Temple.

  • WHO USED THE VOICE? Readers, prayer leaders and members of the gathered community used the human voice within Scripture, prayer and communal response.

  • WHAT WAS THE ROLE? The voice served the hearing and responding community, particularly through Scripture and prayer.

  • WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE? They were gathered much more closely around the Word, prayer and communal response.

The Temple and synagogue existed within the same broad biblical world while creating quite different environments.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHES US? When the context of gathering changes, the way God's people use music and voice can change with it. there is not one musical environment required for faithful worship. The purpose and context of the gathering help shape how the voice is used.

The Home

Jesus lived and worshipped within the Jewish world of Temple and synagogue. But after the Last Supper, the Gospels give us something beautifully simple:

“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
— Matthew 26:30

Jesus and His disciples sang together with no particular designated singers, leaders or platform.

Following Jesus' death and resurrection, early Christian communities commonly gathered in homes and other relatively small settings. Their gatherings centred around Scripture and teaching, prayer, fellowship, breaking bread and contributions from within the gathered community.

“When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction…”
— 1 Corinthians 14:26

And rather than establishing a specialised New Testament office of worship singer, Paul addresses singing to the believing community:

“Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.”
— Ephesians 5:19

“Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
— Colossians 3:16

  • WHO CARRIED THE SINGING? The gathered believers. Individuals could bring a hymn or other contribution, but singing is addressed to the Christian community rather than assigned specialised group of singers.

  • WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF SINGING? something was happening in two directions:

    • VERTICAL — TO GOD
      Praise, thanksgiving and worship were directed towards God.

    • HORIZONTAL — TO ONE ANOTHER
      Truth was sung, heard, remembered, declared and shared among the gathered Church.

  • WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE? They were not separated into performers and audience, they were the gathered Church.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHES US? Christian singing belongs within the shared life of the gathered Church. We sing to God and with and among one another.

The Church Building

As Christianity developed and moved increasingly into public life, its physical environment changed again. Christians moved from many relatively small gatherings into increasingly large and purpose-built church spaces. Worship became increasingly formalised in many traditions, and over subsequent centuries clergy, cantors, monastic communities and trained choirs carried substantial portions of the sung liturgy.

  • WHAT CARRIED THE SINGING? Designated and sometimes highly trained singers, cantors, clergy and choirs carried particular musical responsibilities.

  • WHAT WAS THEIR ROLE? To sing Psalms, prayers and liturgical texts, with developed musical traditions such as chant and later polyphony.

  • WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE? The congregation remained the gathered Church, although in many contexts their direct musical participation became more limited than it would later be in many Protestant traditions.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHES US? The space and structure of a gathering can change the relationship between designated singers and the congregation. As particular singers carried more specialised musical responsibilities, the congregation's direct musical participation could also change.

The Reformation Church - The congregation's voice returns to prominence

Different Reformers hold different convictions about music, but in many Protestant traditions congregational singing receives renewed emphasis. Scripture and worship increasingly use the language of ordinary people, and congregations are given songs they can sing themselves. Martin Luther embraces congregational hymns alongside choirs, harmony and instruments. John Calvin takes a more restrained approach, strongly emphasising congregational Psalm singing.

  • WHO CARRIED THE SINGING? Increasingly, the congregation, while musical leaders, choirs and musicians continued in different forms depending on the tradition.

  • WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF MUSICAL LEADERSHIP? To provide music through which ordinary believers could sing Scripture, doctrine, prayer and praise together.

  • WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE? The congregation's own voice again becomes a particularly prominent part of the musical expression.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHES US? What a church believes about worship helps shape the role it gives to singers and the congregation. Even Reformers who shared many theological convictions reached different conclusions about music. Musical practice is therefore often an expression of deeper convictions about what the Church is doing when it gathers. Different theological convictions produce different musical practices — something that continues today.

The Revival and Evangelical Gatherings - Song leaders help large groups sing

Through hymn movements, evangelical revivals, camp meetings and Great Awakenings, the environment changes again. Gatherings may take place in churches, halls, tents or outdoor spaces and include very large numbers of people. Hymn writers, musicians and song leaders provide memorable, accessible songs that large groups can sing together.

  • WHO CARRIED THE SINGING? The gathered people, facilitated increasingly by recognisable song leaders, choirs and musicians.

  • WHAT WAS THE LEADERS ROLE? to help large groups sing together, while songs carried Scripture, doctrine, testimony, praise and evangelistic response.

  • WHERE WERE THE PEOPLE? The congregation or gathered crowd remained a strongly audible participant. This is another important development towards the modern idea of a person visibly leading congregational song.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHES US? A visible leader can serve participation rather than replace it. The song leader has a particular responsibility precisely because other people are meant to participate. Visibility and leadership do not automatically turn the gathered people into an audience.

The Contemporary Platform - The singer becomes highly audible and visible

Pentecostal and revival traditions bring strong emphasis in many churches to participation, spontaneous response, testimony and physical expression. Then the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and 1970s brings the musical language of contemporary popular culture into Christian gatherings. Singers with guitars and small bands lead accessible contemporary songs.

Over time came:

  • Stages.

  • Microphones.

  • Amplification.

  • Bands.

  • Large gatherings.

  • Recorded worship music.

And eventually:

  • Worship leaders.

  • Backing vocalists.

  • Musical directors.

  • In-ear monitors.

  • Click and tracks.

  • Professional audio and lighting.

  • Livestreams and cameras.

The contemporary worship singer can therefore occupy a position of high audibility and visibility.

  • WHO CARRIES THE SINGING? Depending on the church, worship leaders, backing vocalists, choirs, bands and the congregation may all contribute in different ways.

  • WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE SINGER? To fulfil the particular vocal and musical responsibility entrusted to them while helping facilitate the shared singing and worship of their local church.

  • WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE? They are still the gathered Church.

  • WHAT THIS TEACHES US? This is where our historical journey becomes important. Christians have been navigating these questions in different forms for generations. What is a reality, is that the contemporary worship singer is someone in the gathered Church community who has been entrusted with an unusually audible and visible role, and singing with the gathered church in song.