As most of you know, a major focal point of this blog is the intersection of ancient and modern in worship, with a particular eye toward dialogue between mainstream modern worship and historic hymnody. Several months back, I highlighted a preview of the album, Love Divine, which, as a compilation project of mainstream modern worship leaders singing re-tuned texts of Charles Wesley, is a significant achievement toward the end of the coming together of these two worlds.
All About Our New Album, Without Our Aid
Without Our Aid is the second full-length release of Zac Hicks + Cherry Creek Worship, out of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Denver, CO. Their debut album, The Glad Sound, was their first hymns project, released in 2009, and between that time and the present, Zac has contributed to three other compilation projects with Cardiphonia: The Psalms of Ascents (March 2010) , Hymns of Faith: Songs for the Apostles’ Creed(October 2010), and Pentecost Songs (June 2011).
VISION
Without Our Aid is an experiment in songwriting for the sake of building bridges between two current camps in modern church music—the so-called “hymns/rehymn movement” and mainstream modern evangelical worship. The album’s aim is to combine the energy and vitality of the modern worship sound (made most popular by groups like Passion and Hillsong), with the depth, theology, and historical connectedness of Christian hymnody across time. From a songwriting perspective, the two do not easily go together: hymns are usually written in through-composed verses, while modern worship songs tend to have three and sometimes even four unique sections (verses, choruses, bridges, and “surprise” refrains or endings). Though hymn purists might decry the liberties taken in bending and arranging the original hymn-texts, and though modern worship connoisseurs may consider the texts too verbose and archaic, our passion for greater growth and unity convinces us that Without Our Aid is a unique and worthwhile project.
STYLE & PRODUCTION
The goal of Without Our Aid was to create an album which sounded live in order to capture that more tangible “moment” of corporate worship. It is not a live album in the true sense, mostly because our current setting does not have the bandwidth to be able to pull off a live recording. However, the recording was pieced together in the “live” setting of our reverberant, 900-seat, traditional sanctuary, employing ambient mic techniques for all the major instruments. A backing choir of approximately 20-30 voices sang through the album multiple times; those sessions ended up being powerful times of worship themselves. Stylistically, Without Our Aid is best characterized as a “modern arena-worship” record—big drums, driving electric guitars, layered synths, crowd noise, and a live “congregational” sound.
FREE Pre-Release Song from Our New Album – Get it Now!
FREE PRE-RELEASE SONG
FROM WITHOUT OUR AID (9/13/11)
Hello, Readership. In an effort to drum up support for our new album, Without Our Aid, we’re asking you to pass this link along to anyone and everyone you know (tweet it, FB it, email it). We’re giving away one of our best songs on the album, “Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus,” absolutely free…we just ask that you tell others about it.
“Hail” is probably the best all-in-one representation of the musical, philosophical, and theological aim of the Without Our Aid. It has a live feel, energetic rhythm, great drumming, layered electrics, modern worship-styled vocal melodies, and unbeatable lyrics (I can brag, because I didn’t write them).
GO GET THE SONG HERE (this link will only be available until Tuesday, September 13, so get it while you can!).
Five Reasons Why Contemporary Worship Should Embrace Liturgy
Alex Mejias from High Street Hymns shares why churches characterized by contemporary worship should engage in liturgical music: 1. Liturgical music is biblical.2. Liturgical music helps us retell the Gospel-story.3. Liturgical music connects us to the Historic Church.4. Liturgical music connects us to the Global Church.5. Liturgical songs complement contemporary worship songs. Read the whole post! It’s worth it.
Song Reflection: “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
In preparation for the release of our album, Without Our Aid, on September 13, 2011, we’ve begun a series of posts reflecting on the hymns incorporated into the project. For those who worship in more liturgically-oriented contexts, you’re probably familiar with the fact that the Christian “new year” doesn’t line up with our calendar’s new year. Our new year happens a month earlier than January 1, when we begin the season of Advent. Advent is a season of hope, fostering … Read More
Ten New Albums Indicative of Positive Shifts in Modern Worship
When I began cataloguing the growth of the hymns movement several years ago, I had no idea that its growth would be this rapid. Even using just one metric for growth and expansion—the production of albums—the number of artists and churches setting old hymn-texts to new music is much greater than it was five years ago.
Review of Fragments of Grace, by City Hymns
In the early days of the hymn resurgence among young (largely evangelical) Christians, only a handful of groups were making records. Red Mountain Music was one of those entities.
A Documentary Every Modern Worship Leader Should See
In days of old, church music leaders studied in seminaries and colleges, receiving degrees like Master of Church Music (MCM) and Master of Sacred Music (MSM). Part of their curriculum was a thorough study of music history, with particular attention to the history of the music which shaped their field of traditional church music.
The Opiate Mass: Innovations in Church Music
Vol. 1: Make a SoundThis blog, in case you didn’t know, is especially interested in cataloguing trends among young Christians who are seeking creatively to wed the historic Christian faith with modern expression in worship and music. The Opiate Mass is a fantastic example of this, and yet they are doing more than providing a packaged expression of ancient-future worship. They are pursuing innovation in church music. The Opiate Mass isn’t quite a band. It isn’t quite a concert-experience. It … Read More
Review of The Water and the Blood, by Sojourn Music
The folks at Sojourn Music continue to lead modern church music down a different path. Each album seems to be more aggressively their own, pushing outward the narrow boundaries of contemporary/modern worship by experimenting with new and old sounds and styles. The Water and the Blood was produced with a different set of values than the industry standard—in analog, as a whole, and with a vinyl option. Producer Mike Cosper explains, While still reflective of a variety of moods and … Read More