Music technology in the liturgy

With the church being a dominant source of and inspiration for "classical" music throughout the ages, it is only appropriate that electronic music—with its musical and technological origins rooted in the classical realm—find its way back into the sacred. Most churches have benefited for years from electronic technology through their amplification and sound projection system. The musical benefits of electronics in the church are more apparent now, as seen in the digital pipe organ (in which new technology serves to preserve a traditional sound). More progressive communities even employ multimedia, such as large-screen projection of lyrics or visual effects in their celebrations. On a practical scale, electronics can play many roles in the church. This article focuses on the basics of using electronic music in liturgy.
 

A Short History of Electronic Music

But now fast-forward to the 21st century and place yourself in the middle of liturgical celebrations today. What relevance or place does all of this technology have in the church? Modern church music is indeed in full effect in all parishes and denominations, ranging from traditional choral hymnody to young adult contemporary music ensembles, and in each of these cases, electronic music can be useful. Let’s explore some practical applications.
 

"Aahs" and "Ughs" of electronic music in liturgy

A technical aah occurs when things work as they should and nothing goes wrong. (Don’t count on this always being the case!) A technical ugh is equipment failure at the most inopportune times (as tends to be the reality of working with electronic music equipment).
 

Frequently Asked Questions about electronic music systems

Keyboards and other "tone generators" merely reproduce sounds that are stored internally. Even a Casio keyboard with hundreds of sounds is still just a keyboard. Why? Because you can’t actually manipulate or change the sounds. On the other hand, a synthesizer can "synthesize" (create and manipulate) sound. You can tell a synth from a regular keyboard by the presence of an edit function; if there is sound edit capability, it’s a synth.

What is MIDI?

MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It’s the universal communication system that allows all electronic devices (computers, keyboards, samplers, etc.) to interact with each other regardless of the brand or model. Imagine how different life would be if Apple computers and IBMs were completely compatible from their inception. That’s the luxury the computer music world has always enjoyed — every device writes and speaks a common language for music production: MIDI!

Does a synthesizer always have keys?

No. It can be triggered by any other controller (any device with keys, a pitch bender, a modulation wheel, etc.) by using a simple MIDI controller setup. "Rack" modules usually offer the same capabilities as their keyboarded counterparts, only they have no ivories (or rather, "plastic ivories").
 

What is a sequencer?

Using a sequencer is like being in the recording studio. It’s any device that allows you to assemble an entire recording, layer by layer; each layer is known as a "track." A sequencer may be its own device or be built into your synth. ("Workstations" such as the Korg M1 were popular all-in-one synth/sequencers that allowed construction of songs.) The problem with built-in synth sequencers is that you are at the mercy of your device’s tiny LED display, which can quickly become tiresome to maneuver around in. Fortunately, sequencers are available as software programs for your computer; they enable the layering and construction of sequences but with the luxury of full-screen menus and powerful editing features. Whether software or built-in hardware, most sequencers operate like a cassette tape deck: punch a record button and just play away to create a new track. You can then stop, pause, rewind, and replay as needed (all digitally, of course) and use this process to add new tracks one by one (known as "over-dubbing").

What is the difference between digital and analog?

Real sound, such as that made by a human voice or a train horn, is analog — that is, made up of continuous sound waves. In order for real audio to be present in the electronic realm, analog sound must first be converted to digital information (bits and bytes — 1s and 0s, to be exact) for your computer or synth to acknowledge them. This is done through a process called "sampling." All digital audio is sampled. In fact, when you listen to your favorite CD, you are not hearing continuous sound; what you are hearing are tiny samples of the sound wave. It makes little difference to the human ear, however, as you are hearing 44,100 samples per second.
 
 

The original synthesizers were actually analog. They contained oscillators that created various continuous sound waves. By combining different oscillators and effects, the pioneers were able to recreate certain sounds. Today almost all sounds are digital, although newer synthesizers are reverting to older-style analog control knobs for such on-the-fly controls as attack, release, resonance, and cutoff, even though the sounds they manipulate are digital.

Using a synthesizer

• A patch is the equivalent of a stop on an organ — just another term for a particular sound, such as "Warm Pad #90." A sound bank contains several patches. For example, synthesizers usually have built-in banks ("internal" or "I-banks") that allow access to the many different sounds that come with your device. You usually encounter logical groupings of patches, such as standard orchestral sounds in one bank or all the space-age sounds in another bank, etc. You can also edit most sounds to customize them, and you would store them in some kind of "user" or "U-bank." If your synth has an external port for a sound card, cartridge, or disk, you can usually access sounds contained on them through some kind of "external" bank setting. Then your sound possibilities become endless!

Performance or Play mode will only allow you to play one patch at a time. This will suffice for most live-performance needs. However, when used with an internal or external sequencer, multi-timbral (sometimes just called "multi") mode allows you to use the synth as a generator for many sounds at once.

• Channels are the communication link for MIDI signals. Think of a MIDI setup in terms of cell-phone or radio transmissions: in order to communicate, the broadcaster and the receiver must be on the same channel. MIDI channels work the same way and are especially important in multi mode because different channels carry different patches. Most devices have eight, 16 or 32 (and soon to be more) channels.

• Polyphony is simply the number of notes your device can output at any given time. "Sixty-four-note polyphony" means that your device can generate a maximum of 64 notes simultaneously on all channels combined.

 

Within a Mass, a pre-programmed prelude or meditation might allow the organist to make it up to the balcony in time for the next piece.

Using  electronic sounds in liturgy

• Think about your performance. If you will use "traditional" sounds from your synth (woodwinds, brass, strings, etc.), then you need to be conscious of standard orchestration practices (such as the range and register of the particular instrument). First of all, make sure the sound is convincing. Then think and perform as an instrumentalist would. For example, do not try to play bass notes on a flute patch or try long sustained notes using a harpsichord sound. Rather, become like the performer of that instrument: "bow" like string player, "attack" like a brass player, and space notes (breathe) like a woodwind player.

• Be an ensemble player. Keyboardists, avoid the temptation of many who discover and become enchanted with the string or "fantasy-bell" sound on their synth for the first time and then proceed to play rampant block chords in the high register (à la Little Richard). This is not an effective use of the synthesizer. Take a hint from pop music and listen to the song "Fields of Gold" by Sting. Notice how the string pads are right in the mid-range register and are rather soft: They’re vital to the texture but unobtrusive. (Sometimes the role of electronic music is not to be noticed.) Just as a viola section glues the high and low sounds of an orchestra together, so must any "pads." Unless the synth is used as the solo accompaniment instrument, a synth performer is merely another member of the entire ensemble. It is imperative to think as such; often the temptation is to see the synth as another piano and the resulting effect is a bad imitation of Ferrante and Teicher. Synth players, if you are not the main accompanist, do not compete with that role; avoid chords and heavy "piano" playing and instead focus on single melody lines, descants, bass, or percussion. Use the synth creatively to fill in any gaps in your ensemble. Remember that the overall effect of the ensemble must be unified in order to inspire and lead the assembly. If you’re daring enough to use non-traditional sounds (such as "Sweep pad," "Atmosphere," "Shakuchi," etc.), test them out beforehand and use them with caution. Be aware of volume, blend, and final output through the speaker with respect to the music, the ensemble, and your acoustical space. Think creatively, but never compromise worship.

• Make our jobs easier. Composers, synthesizers and sequencers can come in very handy in every step of the creative process, whether it is to hear how something will sound or to create performance music specifically for the electronic medium. Choir directors, a pre-programmed accompaniment can facilitate a rehearsal in the absence of an accompanist. Individually programmed choral parts can also help in sectional training. Within a Mass, a pre-programmed prelude or meditation might allow the organist to make it up to the balcony in time for the next piece. As a teaching tool, programming one part of a choral prelude on the synth might allow a beginning student to play the other voice on the organ or piano. Contemporary ensembles: a rhythm track might add the cohesiveness you need to make each performance tight.

• Above all, respect the liturgy. Shoot for the aahs and avoid the ughs. Be mindful of enhancing and encouraging prayer through song. Know the liturgy and know your role as minister. Remember that sometimes more is not better. On the technical side, troubleshoot everything beforehand. Just because "it worked fine yesterday" doesn’t mean it will today. In a studio, you can always reset everything and start over, but problems three minutes before Mass can be cause for panic. Have back-up plans, but don’t be afraid to take chances. The (virtual) sky’s the limit. Good luck, and pray that every time is an aah!

Peter M. Kolar is editor of Hispanic Music and Publications for World Library Publications / J.S. Paluch Company. He is also music director at Holy Cross/IHM Parish in Chicago. In his MIDI studio he has produced everything from classical to dance-pop music.
 

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