Annunciation Sing-A-Long

An Editorial for Annunciation:What I love about this Annunciation Sing-Along (Link to video posted below):

1. Every word is pronounced clearly so that the ideas are understandable. Clarity of the words is the the most important thing in the singing of Christian music; even more important than the music. If every member of the choir is tone deaf and just reads the lyrics in a spoken voice that is preferable to singing perfect music but not pronouncing every vowel and consonant clearly. Thankfully, these are good singers and the music is beautiful, but it is their diction that is most beautiful.

2. WOW! Giant chunks of theology. CONTENT! CONTENT! CONTENT! This is my favorite thing about Orthodox Christian hymnody. (Actually, I like this about most pre-1900 hymnody. Even if written by heterodox there is enough to content in pre-1900 hymns to grapple with, and to see if it is true or false.)

3. Please, small choirs, your use of reverb or whatever that electronic effect you are using that you think makes you sound as though you are singing in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople or Christ the Savior in Moscow doesn’t. At best it makes you sound like you are being recorded by a an engineer who doesn’t know what he is doing. At worst it makes you seem deceptive. Recordings of liturgy should be true because the liturgy is in service of the Truth.

4. The speed is perfect. It’s not so slow as to be somnolent. It isn’t so fast that it is like the report of an M-60 machine gun. The words are distinct, not blended together. The ear has time to hear every word before it has to hear the next word. The brain has time to understand every word before it has to understand the next word. This is an important help in learning the theology of the lyrics. This choir nails it!

5. The words are right there in front of me. Something I know and utilize as a teacher is this: “Every time I read something, say something, hear something, or write something I make another copy of it in my brain.” Having an idea in my brain is the first step toward knowing it. From a pedagogical standpoint, having the lyrics before my eyes while hearing and singing along makes perfect sense. I love it!

6. The icons. They are like the perfect cream cheese frosting on a perfect carrot cake. What I can not comprehend with words and music is presented in images. Oh, the joy of seeing Mary put down her spindle for there will be no need to make vestments for the temple in Jerusalem, for God is coming to dwell among us and and not it temples made of stone.