I am our church’s live musician. (We have a “digital hymnal” that is programmed to play hymns when I don’t play.) I do the whole service on Boehm flute, but occasionally I do a prelude or something on whistle or Irish flute. For the 4th of July I did some marches on piccolo. Occasionally I’ll just play an Irish air during the offering. Nobody seems to mind if I stick in a trad tune with the hymns once and a while.
Hey to you whistle players out there who like to play worship music. Do you have any whistle makes that you especially like with this type of music, any that have a tone that you like with contemporary Christian worship?
It seems that most of ya’ll play in contemporary services. Since I listen to the radio a lot during work, I’m familiar with several of the tunes mentioned in previous posts.
At my church I am the organist and only musician. We use ,99% of the time, hymns out of either the 1982 Hymnal or the 1940 one(Episcopal)- No contemporary service here, mostly Rite I- which I must admit, I prefer to the modern Rite II.
On the odd occasion I will use low D,Bb or A during communion. The folks love it. It’s suprising how many of the tunes in there are adaptable to whistle. Particularly the tunes of Ralph Vaughn Williams, since they are old folk tunes that have only had religious lyrics added.
Last week, I did some IRTRAD tunes though- By the Side of the Rock for the communion hymn and for recessional- Dunmore Lasses and the Butterfly(played slow). It was the sunday after St. Pat’s day after all, even if it was Palm Sunday too!
I find that the best worship music is pure silence (“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10).
Music of any type seems to me to be a distraction, or something that fosters a ‘social club’ type of atomsphere at church, and is something to be avoided as a worship vehicle. That’s not to decry its value as entertainment, however.
I feel compelled to share a beautiful quote from Mother Teresa (from No Greater Love):
I could not disagree more. Church music can inspire, uplift and transcend. Music builds community in a way that silence never can. Gospel music in particular can energize in a way that silence never can.
Let me add that I was never one to meditate and sit in silence. Playing the whistle gets me to a similar place that many people reach in silent meditation–a transcendent plane. Inspiration music, on rare occasions, can also bring me to that place–a place of clarity.
Of course for those desiring silence, a Quaker meeting is a good place. Let those who desire it seek it.
- Bill
Oh, I love Gospel music. Especially Faith Hill. Her ‘Keep Walking On’ is so amazing.
I didn’t mean to imply that music couldn’t get a person to that place of which you speak–just that it can equally become a hinderance, and the music becomes more important than being touched by God, especially if you are the player of that music–worrying about the right notes and difficult songs, and if the crowd likes the tunes surely interferes with worshipping God. You cannot disagree with that.
Music can be a good thing in reaching God, but just as often, it seems, it isn’t.
I agree with Mother Teresa that in the silence of the heart, mind, and soul, God speaks to us. It’s easier to hear and we cannot get preoccupied and trapped in it like we can loud music and stage shows–the risk that’s there with music isn’t there with silence, especially extended silence.
Also, as a random bit of info, due to the missionary work over the last 150 or so years, most Friends meetings nowadays aren’t of the silent (unprogrammed) variety–they’re partially or fully programmed.
And I’ve sought. 
This is where WhOA comes in. Each whistle has its own unique sound … each appropriate in different ways at different times.
I’ve played a Burke low E (haunting), Burke C (sweet), O’Riordan (strong), Sindt (complex) and Clarke (gentle, breathy). But when it comes down to it, it’s the heart that matters, not the instrument. Having said that, though, it sure is enjoyable (and a privilege) to have a choice.
Lisa
There’s a lot to be said for that!
What a refreshing topic!
Silence can be golden, but I see that as when I need to listen. As for playing hymns on my whistles, that’s when I try to offer up 'Thanks" for the gift of music. A simplified reasoning, but I’m a simple-type person. As one of the hard-headed Baptist Walden mentioned, right now only the piano is used in church … maybe someday …
~Judy
It seems that most of ya’ll play in contemporary services.
No, I don’t. We only have one service, and it is most definately traditional. Many times when I play whistle, I will play an Irish air, and then work it into a church hymn (almost like a set). I mostly play whistle during Christmas time and in the summer when things usually get really boring in the world of church music (a.k.a. the 27th Sunday of Penacost thing). People really seem to like it when I pull out the whistle for a tune or two.
Ocassionally we sing this one hymn hymn put to the music of the Ash Grove. The tune is Welsh, if I’m not mistaken, but it’s still kinda cool.
There is a time and place for both silence and audible worship. I enjoy both.
Don’t forget that we are instructed to “make a joyful noise” as well as “be still…” Without the ability to worship with our voices and music I do think the very stones would cry out.
At the Methodist church my wife and I used to be members of, I played “Be Thou My Vision” at a few traditional services (like many of you). At the contemporary service (which I still play at, even though I’m no longer a member), one tune the comes to mind is “In Christ Alone,” which is a contemporary song, but very celtic in feel. Seem like there was one other contemporary tune I played whistle on - there was a whistle on the recording as well. It was a “River” song…“River is Here” maybe?
We now belong to a Lutheran church, and many tunes played in the contemporary service (and that’s a very relative term at this Lutheran church - no drum sets or electric guitars - the praise band is a piano and cello) are traditional celtic. I recognized “The River Is Wide” and “Star Of The County Down,” though they had different words for the service. The organist/music director is a very cool guy, and I’ll probably be playing some whistle there too…
Innisheer/Slane (Be thou my vision) works quite nicely like this, I reckon.
I know some words to the Ash Grove, but I don’t think they’d got down too well in a church. 
I love “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, “Be Thou My Vision”, and “Holy, Holy, Holy” all played on my high d Burke.
Also, there is a link from Mack Hoover’s website, with lots of praise tunes for whistle, especially Christmas music:
http://home.bresnan.net/~mackhoover/praise.htm
I have found a lot of stuff on the various websites listed there.
I didn’t mean to imply that music couldn’t get a person to that place of which you speak–just that it can equally become a hinderance, and the music becomes more important than being touched by God, especially if you are the player of that music–worrying about the right notes and difficult songs, and if the crowd likes the tunes surely interferes with worshipping God. You cannot disagree with that.
I do dissagree with that. When given the choice of playing something that I can almost do in my sleep or playing something that challenges me, I always do the challenging tune, on organ usually,or whistle occasionally. The work required to be able to properly give the music as my “offering” is, in a way, part of my worship. Just tonight at our Good Friday service I played a hymn that was a real challenge for me. Hearing the music combined with the voices of the congregation singing that hymn was moving. When I’m playing I get lost in it, not worrying or wondering whether it pleases the crowd. If I felt my music was a hinderance to my worship, a distraction, or a block to anyone elses, then I’d quit.
For me, the music in my church is of prime importance to my worship. We recently did a chanted evensong service(all plainsong) during Lent. It was otherworldly and very inspiring. Intrestingly we had a number of older folks from the neighboring Catholic church that said they came because they miss that aspect now in their own church. That same service, if only read, would have lost much of it’s strength, for me.
I mostly play whistle during Christmas time and in the summer when things usually get really boring in the world of church music (a.k.a. the 27th Sunday of Penacost thing). People really seem to like it when I pull out the whistle for a tune or two.
Good to hear someone else suffers from the really long “green” season! 
I too usually play some whistle tunes during that time. I also will throw in some Baptist tunes some Sundays or even stuff like “Wade in the Water” or “Steal Away” to liven things up.
I played in church last night - I accompanied a small singing group doing Sydney Carter’s It was on a Friday morning. I didn’t get things thrown at me, so I suppose it was alright! I do find playing in public very nerve-wracking though.
On the question of music in worship, it is true that it can be a distraction both to the musician and the congregation. But that is true of every element of worship. We just have a great propensity to be distracted! But music adds so much to worship. It is a language that seems to speak straight to the spirit and can take us places mere words cannot.
That’s not really true of silence. That’s what the silence is for–to build up a person’s “resistance” to distraction and worldly concerns in order to allow her or him to get closer to God and to listen to the still, small voice of God which resides in each of us He created.
Before I found silence (and it’s the case–a person has to actively search for it and cultivate it), I would have agreed with your position, but in the silence of the mind and heart, God speaks and it’s many times easier to hear (and more beautiful, in my opinion) than God speaking along with guitars and organs and flutes and voices and drums going on, or any person preaching.
That’s not to say that music doesn’t have it’s place and can’t be helpful in worship, though. It can be for some people and sometimes is–but the risks are there too and they’re not there, at least not in the same way or same magnitude, with inner and outer silence.
After visiting Bill’s website, I’ve decided to become a Quaker.
Hey, I resemble that remark
I will use it as an opportunity to plug it again, in case anyone else wants to become a Quaker:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/9/billchinmusic.htm