CINCINNATICHRISTIANUNIVERSITY
WORLD MUSIC WORSHIP ENSEMBLE Fall 2009
COURSE PLANS
T 3:30-5:30pm 0 creditsDr. Ken E. Read
Description, Purpose, and Rationale for the Course:
Non-Credit Ensembles:
The following ensembles are offered on a rotation basis each year. Membership is dependent on an audition and/or the director’s approval.
PMW 045wWorld Music Worship Ensemble
A non-credit ensemble made up of both instrumentalists and vocalists. Open to all students, though participation will vary based on preparation and skill. Repertoire consists mostly of ethnic worship music. The group performs in chapels and weekend tours.
Increasingly, the musical world is changing as cultures and their musics collide and blend. Any thorough preparation for worship leadership in the church of tomorrow must include hands-on exposure to the music of other ethnicities. What’s more, perhaps the best way to understand another culture, and therefore to pray for the people of that culture, is to understand that culture’s music.
Course Objectives:
Our objective is to learn from and create music that blends contemporary Christian music and historical music of other cultures. We want to create worship experiences that communicate in a heart language that may not be our own. We want to intercede on behalf of those people, whose music we study and play. We want to demonstrate some models of multi-cultural worship for churches.
Instructional Objectives:
The student who successfully participates in World Music Worship Ensemble will accomplish these objectives:
- Improvisation and composition. We will largely be working in forms of music that do not use Western notation, and which require some degree of group collaborative creation.
- Rudimentary mastery of new styles. We will listen to multiple pieces of music, attempt to acquire the musical style of that genre, and then master the performance of that song.
- Worship leading skills. We will focus on putting these songs into the functional context of leading worship, not so much performance. So, students will face the challenge of engaging others to participate in the music and to use that music for worship.
- Communicate in other musical languages. We will spend time assimilating other musics, and then spend even more energy in cross-cultural communication.
- Teamwork and cooperation. Since this is a cooperative venture, it will require more of a mutual collaboration than most ensembles do.
Course Procedures:
Our repertoire will consist mostly of head arrangements and ethnic music from around the world. We will meet for two hours each week, with the goal of assimilating one piece of music in a particular style in each rehearsal. Some listening examples will be distributed ahead of time. During the rehearsal time, we will assign roles and rough in the music. Then all members are expected to practice and master their parts during the week between rehearsals. By the end of October, we want to have accomplished a worship set or two.
Required Resources:
Bible.
Folder and music will be provided.
Tentative Agenda:
1: Mystery of Faith (chant)
2: Our Father (African shout chorus)
3: Ah Holy Jesus (India)
4: Sweet Mystery (Bluegrass)
5: The Final Word (Jamaica)
6: The End of the Book (Native American)
7: All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises (collaborative)
8: Marvelous Light (Collaborative)
9: Mighty to Save (collaborative)
10: Center (collaborative)
11: The Love of One (Celtic)
12: What I Heard (World Music and FX)
13: Your Love is Deep (collaborative)
14: [group choice]
Tentative Performances:
Sept 17 CHAPEL
Oct 1 CHAPEL
Oct 30-Nov 1 Outreach Tour
Christmas Dinner Theater?
Dec 3 CHAPEL