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Ten Tactics For The Strategic Use Of Hymns In Contemporary Worship

1. Use a key index. Newer hymnals have one, but for older hymnals you may have to make one. It is worth the time. Hymns, like contemporary songs, need to flow from key to key in ways that make musical as well as thematic sense.

2. Use hymns as openers. Whether as a call to worship or as an invocation, the beginning of a service is a good place to use a hymn. Since this song stands alone, there are no flow problems. I suggest that the key be well chosen so the next song flows from the key of the opener, even if someone prays in between.

3. Use hymns as closers. Hymns can be great wrap-up songs. Ending with something familiar is always strong. Thematic links can be made with contemporary songs if you flow out of a new song into an old song that says the same thing.

4. Use the same hymn as both the opener and closer. Have you discovered the power of the reprise? The significant repeat of a song can be most effective when the worship set has a theme. Many of my orchestrations of hymns are designed to be used as openers or closers. With Holy, Holy, Holy and All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name at the opening, I use the introduction and keep the tempo brisk. As a closing, I skip the introduction, do the first stanza slow and rubato, and add tempo and full orchestra on the second stanza. It flows, builds, and wraps things up with a great sense of recapitulation.

5. Announce more than one page number. Stopping the worship to call out page numbers interrupts the flow of worship. When using more than one hymn, I announce the two page numbers and ask the people to hold the second as we sing the first.

6. Vary the orchestration of each stanza. Don’t let the accompaniment of the hymns be boring. Vary the instrumentation. I do this by section: first stanza–all; second stanza–woodwinds and strings; third stanza–brass and percussion; fourth stanza–organ; fifth stanza–all, etc. Other variations include: rhythm section, piano only, orchestra without rhythm section, and a cappella.

7. Vary the tempo of certain stanzas. For many hymns, a broader, majestic last stanza is effective. If one of four stanzas has a contrasting message, match that message with an altered tempo. With Come Thou Almighty King, the third stanza is a prayer to the Holy Spirit, "Come Holy Comforter…." This is effective when done slower than the other stanzas. The slower tempo brings out the meaning of the prayer and the return to a faster pace for the last stanza, "To the Great One in Three…." is most effective.

Feel free not to do all the stanzas. Use the ones that carry the theme or are otherwise appropriate for your congregation. Don’t always sing stanzas one, two, and four.

8. Use contemporized arrangements. This can be overdone. The hymn must still be singable by the congregation and recognizable as a traditional song, otherwise it fails to be congregational. But the accompaniment can and should be updated. It can be as simple as adding a snare drum cadence or using rhythm section with organ, modulating to a higher key for the last stanza, or using full orchestration. Everything should be done so the music brings out the meaning of the words, not to show off our musicianship. Key changes should not pitch the song out of congregational range. This is one of the hidden dangers of using choral arrangements as congregational song.

9. Use a hymn as a monthly or seasonal theme. Hymns carry themes from week to week very well. If the hymn has both stanzas and a refrain, use a different stanza each week. I have used Angels From the Realms of Glory as a theme for the whole Christmas season. The refrain, "Come and worship, come and worship…" was used at a different time in the song set each week, while a different stanza was used as a call to worship each week.

10. Project the words for use in the body of a song set. I generally use hymns at the beginning of a song set because I like the congregation to use hymnals. However, when I work a hymn into the body of the song set or use it as a finale, I project the words for the congregation. Once they have put the books down, picking them up again destroys the flow of worship.

Stephen Phifer is worship and arts pastor, Suncoast Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Florida.