HOT NEWS

WORKSHOPS FOR THE JANUARY 

MULTI BENEFICE CONFERENCE

THE SONG OF THE PEOPLE

JANUARY 26TH 2013

KINGS CENTRE, OSNEY MEAD,  OXFORD

COST= £35

email: mpbconference@gmail.com  for booking form.

Music in Messy Church – Lucy Moore (Messy Church)

Choosing and leading songs in  a Messy Church can be a challenge: how do we pick songs suitable for all ages? What song words are appropriate for people who are just starting out on their faith journey? How do we accompany the songs? What crowd control do we need to put in place when the shakers come out? What is singing in worship for anyway? This workshop will give you a chance to share your Messy problems and solutions - and to make some music!

Working with what you’ve got – an over-arching theme of the following workshops:

Help, I need to choose music for Sunday – John Beckett and Liz Simpson

How we choose suitable hymns and songs for worship depends on many factors, not least 'do we have any musicians?'  This workshop is a practical guide to the process led by two parish priests in multi-parish ministry.   We'll look at what our choice is based upon, how to manage with no organist, and how to enlarge a repertoire.   It is a chance to share how difficult it can be, but also explores realistic ideas and solutions in the small church context.

Developing creative, interactive and engaging worship – Sam & Sara Hargreaves (engageworship)

We'll be thinking about how to draw out the creative gifts in your congregation, using other artforms and media than singing alone, and engage people in participatory worship which values their contributions.  Principles, lots of practical examples and space for questions and your ideas.

Working with instruments: using the musicians you have got – Mark Bick

This session will start with the principle that every church community, however small has the resources it needs to worship God. We will look at how people from different musical traditions can understand each other and learn to work together, how you can work creatively with seemingly odd combinations of instruments and how to create music that works with a particular emphasis on rhythm and texture (to use classical terms) or "groove" (to use the language of jazz, rock and pop genres).

Choral Resources for Smaller Settings – Jon Payne (RSCM)

Limitations of/possibilities for smaller choirs and their development

Identifying your musical resources and recruiting new choir members

Simple choral repertoire, with a focus on resources for Eucharistic services

Music as Mission: the development of community choirs and ‘outward-facing’ choral activities

How wide open is your church door? Engaging the parish and wider community with your church music

What’s the difference between an organist and a terrorist? – Peter Gunstone

This workshop, at the same time serious and humorous, firstly takes an in-depth but light-hearted look at the potentially fruitful, but often fraught relationships between clergy, musicians, and amongst musicians.  Then we will consider together how what can help to establish good working relationships and survey the potential springing to life in the desert that might follow should the Spirit bring order out of the chaos. Come with honesty, experiences to share, an open mind, perspective on the past, hope for the future, and a sense of humour!

Let the people sing! – Andrew Maries

How could you breathe some new life into your congregation’s singing?  Come and learn some skills for leading people in song and explore some fresh repertoire.

Not over my dead body! Wheezy squeeze-boxes and new-fangled gadgets; or what about using CDs/digital hymnals in worship?

A demonstration of ways of using technology to lead congregational worship. Mark Lee of Kevin Mayhew and Martin Phelps of Hymn Technology Ltd will be joining this workshop and there will be plenty of opportunity to experience singing with the technology, and some time for a 'hands on' trial.