Interactive Church Music Player
May 16, 2004 8:06 AM Subscribe
Interactive Church Music Player The LDS Church has created a cool new tool for exploring its hymnbooks: a Flash application that not only shows the sheet music, but allows transposition, tempo changes, part selection, and all kinds of other nifty things.
I'm neither Mormon nor a musician but I think this is incredibly cool. Very nice post oissubke!
posted by djeo at 8:40 AM on May 16, 2004
posted by djeo at 8:40 AM on May 16, 2004
Yes indeedy, a wonderful post. That is seriously cool.
posted by JanetLand at 9:34 AM on May 16, 2004
posted by JanetLand at 9:34 AM on May 16, 2004
Thanks, oi-boy.
Great tool... I'm the chorister for our congregation, and this will come in really handy!
And talk about incredible use of flash technology... look at all you can do with the song: parts, words, print, change tempos... very very cool.
posted by silusGROK at 10:19 AM on May 16, 2004
Great tool... I'm the chorister for our congregation, and this will come in really handy!
And talk about incredible use of flash technology... look at all you can do with the song: parts, words, print, change tempos... very very cool.
posted by silusGROK at 10:19 AM on May 16, 2004
Neat... are LDS hymns different to other churches' hymns, though? Or do most Christians just use the same ones?
posted by reklaw at 10:29 AM on May 16, 2004
posted by reklaw at 10:29 AM on May 16, 2004
I would imagine that a lot of the hymns would be familiar to many church-goers out there (Rock of Ages, #111; A Mighty Fortress is Our God, #68; I Stand All Amazed, #193)... A handful are standards with a couple of words changed (How Great Thou Art — hymn #86 — for example says "Consider all the worlds* thy hands have made | I see the stars, I hear the rolling* thunder", whereas the original words were "works" and "mighty")... and then there are a few that are decidedly Mormon (Come, Come, Ye Saints, #30 was written during the trek west to Salt Lake City as a salve for the weary pioneers).
Over all, though, I'm guessing that this would be a great resource for a lot of different congregational choristers.
posted by silusGROK at 10:41 AM on May 16, 2004
Over all, though, I'm guessing that this would be a great resource for a lot of different congregational choristers.
posted by silusGROK at 10:41 AM on May 16, 2004
That's really awesome. Now it just needs a button to insert random new-agey piano accompaniment and you've got my church of employment.
As silusGROK says, most of these hymns will be familiar across denominations, though with some changes in the words. Selection of music during the mass/service settings (Holy Holy, Kyrie, Eucharistic set - the stuff that's the same week after week) is what tends to separate the denominations the most; each uses music differently, due largely to the ways in which they ritualize the service.
Your exposure to service music will also vary depending on the church's preference for more modern composers. Marty Haugen, for example, is a contemporary composer that is very popular (and in my experience, almost exclusive) in the Roman Catholic mass.
The LDS interactive example seems to have stuff from at least the 60s, so it isn't just all the public-domain warhorses. I find it surprising the written parts are online so nicely - church and choral music is notorious for having somewhat threatening "DO NOT PHOTOCOPY (ever)" notices all over the place.
posted by Sangre Azul at 11:16 AM on May 16, 2004
As silusGROK says, most of these hymns will be familiar across denominations, though with some changes in the words. Selection of music during the mass/service settings (Holy Holy, Kyrie, Eucharistic set - the stuff that's the same week after week) is what tends to separate the denominations the most; each uses music differently, due largely to the ways in which they ritualize the service.
Your exposure to service music will also vary depending on the church's preference for more modern composers. Marty Haugen, for example, is a contemporary composer that is very popular (and in my experience, almost exclusive) in the Roman Catholic mass.
The LDS interactive example seems to have stuff from at least the 60s, so it isn't just all the public-domain warhorses. I find it surprising the written parts are online so nicely - church and choral music is notorious for having somewhat threatening "DO NOT PHOTOCOPY (ever)" notices all over the place.
posted by Sangre Azul at 11:16 AM on May 16, 2004
Forgot to mention that this is also a really cool tool for anyone learning the piano - free access to loads of simple 4-part pieces.
posted by Sangre Azul at 11:21 AM on May 16, 2004
posted by Sangre Azul at 11:21 AM on May 16, 2004
Two thoughts: "Come, Come, Ye Saints" -- always wanted to hear that one; now I'll get my chance. Also, I hope someday somebody will do this for the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) and With One Voice ,which are widely used in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
posted by alumshubby at 12:55 PM on May 16, 2004
posted by alumshubby at 12:55 PM on May 16, 2004
Don't forget to check out the free MP3 downloads for non-midi versions of the music (I think you can also hear these with one of the radio buttons on the interactive one).
posted by oissubke at 2:47 PM on May 16, 2004
posted by oissubke at 2:47 PM on May 16, 2004
Awesome link, oissubke! I thank you, and my mother, a church organist, thanks you.
posted by Lynsey at 11:06 PM on May 16, 2004
posted by Lynsey at 11:06 PM on May 16, 2004
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posted by oissubke at 8:07 AM on May 16, 2004