Sword & Trowel 2015: Issue 1
mechanisms employed to convince the audience of the singer’s sincerity are arguably a form of deception.’ (Janet K Halfyard)
This kind of ‘deception’ can be
heard in the close mic-ed recordings of Passion artists such as Kristian Stanfill whose very limited har- monic and rhythmic material also creates quite a hypnotic effect in its near-static development. The of- ficial description of a recent Christy Nockels album stated that the –
‘production places the focus on Christy’s incredible voice at the fo- cus. Well-respected in the industry as a “singer’s singer”, she has a gift for imbuing each lyric with an au- thenticity and emotional integrity that resonates with the listener.’ (Passion website)
Note that the lyrics are described not as having authenticity and integ- rity but being imbued with these. A cursory listen to the material reveals breathy, forced vocals, ‘ooh’ and ‘uh’ suffixes often being added to words. A great deal of melisma is employed at times. Some words such as ‘ Alleluia’ become totally broken and fragmented. Nearly all the slower songs have a predictable build to anthemic choruses with full band ac- companiment.
No doubt Nockels is a very able
singer, with a strong tone. But the style is so soloistic that it is totally at odds with the requirements for congregational worship. In this music, any corporate sense of com- ing together as a people to address Almighty God is discarded. With this template, when the instrumental- ists do drop out for the mandatory
a cappella section, everyone ‘wor- ships’ in this very subjective, personal style for the whole time. The vocal style trains people to sing in their own way, and as individuals, rather than with the people of God. The now disbanded David Crow- der Band’s music again uses the close mic-ed intimate vocal technique, which is also mirrored by the gui- tar. There are often times when an acoustic guitar is played on a crystal clear recording, so that one hears the distinctive scratching noise of fingers moving over the fret board (so called ‘fret noise’). This backs up the intimate vocals by bringing the instrument into sharp focus, to the end that when the songs reach their electronically frenzied triple-guitar climax, the senses have been softened and drawn in so that the impact is all the more overpowering. It’s as though someone has whispered to you for sixty seconds and then yelled directly into your ear. The theatricality of this technique is wholly at odds with dig- nified, sincere worship.
Shane & Shane use similar tech- niques in their song ‘Though You Slay Me’, in which they blend audio samples from a sermon by John Piper with a very visceral bass drum thud and close mic-ing. The limited ability of the guitarists is evident from their use of simplistic chord shapes and a capo, which seems to be the lingua franca for CCM guitarists. No doubt this type of folksy sim- plicity would be defended with the arguments of having a broad appeal and accessibility, but really it seems to be a veil for a lack of genuine spiritual content in the words. It appeals to the
page 18 A Musician’s Perspective on Contemporary Christian Music
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