The Hymn Society recognizes that, while much is still unknown regarding COVID-19 and the science still seems to be changing rapidly, current consensus generally advises against congregational or choral singing. On Tuesday, June 16, members and friends of The Hymn Society gathered to discuss various possibilities regarding how we can worship differently during this time. We have gathered many of their responses and compiled them here. Both the recording of that session and the document we compiled are available here. We encourage you to utilize any and all of them, as you see what may work well in your particular congregation.
Click here to view the recording
Other ways to create sound outside of congregational or choral singing
- Live music: Percussion/rhythm instruments
- Percussion choir playing along to pre-recorded music.
- Instruments could be shared with parishioners (perhaps assigned for a period of time to keep from passing germs) to accompany live or pre-recorded music (in addition to or in place of body percussion).
- Make and bring your own rhythm instruments so we aren’t cleaning things–think membrane, wood, ring, scrap/shake (bowls, Tupperware, popcorn in tube, wine glass, washboard, wooden spoons, lid, pans, etc.)
- Put drummers in four corners of sanctuary for “surround sound”
- Arrhythmic percussion – singing bowls, rain sticks, windchimes, etc. to create sonic tapestry during prayer/as prayer
- Random bell playing
- Layer percussion in a congregation: have one side keep the beat while the other plays the rhythm, then allow sides to switch
- Live music: Other instruments
- Play chorale preludes or instrumental prelude while people read the hymn.
- Play the hymn with different registrations to enliven the text of each stanza while people read.
- Classical music played while a Psalm is read or recited
- Have one home unit (individual, couple, family, housemates) lead the hymn while others listen (or sing from home if online). This can also help connect members of the congregation with each other, rather than seeing the same leaders each week, and has less risk of it becoming a “performance,” which could happen if usual song leaders are used.
- Walk through idea – having stations at a large park. Musicians at each station or someone doing movement at a station. This could also be a public witness of our faith.
- Recording individual sound tracks to compile together into a hymn video or audio for use in church
- Invite congregation members to submit videos of hymn singing at home, instrumental arrangements, and vintage recordings of family hymn singing. A woman at St Jacob’s Mennonite church submitted a 60-year-old recording of her husband singing in a Mennonite male quartet. It was in response to an invitation from Pastor Mark Diller Harder (HSUSC) to submit recordings. He has received enough videos for a year of on-line worship.
- Sitting in silence. This could also be a way to start something new and work from there.
Other expressions of worship
- ASL/Hand motions
- ASL interpreters – check out ASLpro.com
- Try Taizé
- Teach the congregation ASL to use during the refrain of an instrumental or recorded hymn, or as a response during a Psalm sung by a cantor
- Teach adults and children ASL at the same time. Teaching the children first may send the message that adults are joining in to a children’s activity.
- Crossing arms over your chest as though embracing a child
- Book: Religious Signing by Elaine Costello
- Worshiping God using Sign Language by Karen Shaw
- Also Hymns for Signing (American Sign Language)
- The hymn “God be with you till we meet again” uses that phrase many times throughout. The ASL signing for this phrase is easily grasped, and could be a meaningful addition to corporate prayer.
- Use gathering time before worship to teach movements if you don’t want to interrupt the flow of worship
- If you’re still doing online only, have motions for a song that you direct at children. We noted that children, even those who can sit through normal worship, cannot sit still for Zoom worship. Perhaps offer a song for them with like 3 hand motions and invite them to turn on their video so everyone can see.
- Other forms of movement
- Dance – assembly moving rather than watching
- Wood Lake publisher is a source of books with movement written included. The books are for children, but could be for all ages. https://www.seasonsonline.ca/
- Be careful not to brand movement as a “children’s thing”
- Having young people, or children, move or clap can be a way in to encourage others to follow. Joining in with a child is easier than when an adult initiates the action.
- Seeing how others engage with movement could inspire them to try.
- The book “The Spirit Moves” includes step-by-step instructions for movements to accompany the spoken eucharistic liturgy (i.e. the Sursum Corda and Sanctus), as well as a number of other songs. While some directions include touching, they can be adapted for a time of physical distancing.
- See Musikgarten.org God’s Children Sing curriculum incorporating music and movement for the young child, and good resource for persons of all ages in worship https://musikgarten.org/gods-children-sing, https://www.musikgarten.org/category/sacred, https://musikgarten.org/workshop-webinar/gods-children-sing
- Use four different patterns of energy- Thrust, Shape, Swing, Hang
- Tactus
- Reading hymns
- Turn to the hymn and read it together in silence. So often we sing and just belt it out without really internalizing the poetry.
- Have someone read a hymn from a microphone so we can enjoy the poetry.
- Praying with hymn texts
- A great example of how this could work was shown in the Google Doodle for Juneteenth. Take a look! https://youtu.be/GNEPwwv56DY
- Could take a cue from African American worship settings in which there is spoken or implied permission to participate in the way one chooses to, not all doing the same thing. While Anglo-Americans are used to everyone doing something together or nobody at all, it gets easier over time. Learn from other cultures! One thing that could help is having everyone close their eyes. Even just swaying helps with this.
- Have someone share (or record if online) their background and experience with a hymn
- Someone’s congregation is doing YouTube videos highlighting one hymn at a time and they’re trying to get through the whole hymnal.
- Keep using Projection technology – keep doing the composite singing and play in the sanctuary on video! (Good way to have people embrace projection technology in worship if they don’t have it)