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August 27, 2024

Over-Amplification Is Destroying Congregational Singing

Categories: Hymnody Music

For years, I’ve endured a disturbing trend at churches; it has weakened the congregational singing (among other things), and has consequently weakened church life and vitality. Over-amplification of people, instruments and media is doing us much more harm, than good.

Over-amplification in our churches is causing several problems:
– Over-dependence on microphones has caused voices to become weaker;
– Our eardrums are constantly under attack from unnatural levels of sound;
– Our nerves are irritated by long durations of unnatural noise;
– Contrary to popular belief, people sing less when there is too much noise in a small space;
– We don’t get to hear the congregation truly… we hear an unnatural blend of sound.

It can be easily proved (and demonstrated) that many of our church buildings and spaces do not require the amplification that we furnish them with. Before our electronic gadgets, persons could easily (and effortlessly) fill large spaces with natural sound.

Consider a style of singing that has been preserved over the last few centuries, mostly unchanged. Shape singing or Sacred Harp singing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Harp) still persists today, and shows how human beings can fill a space completely with just their own voices.

505 Cleansing Fountain
Reba Del Windom leading 505 CLEANSING FOUNTAIN at Southwest Texas Convention, April 2012, Bethel PB Church, McMahan TX

(I’m simply positing here that this type of unamplified singing can fill most regular-sized churches with sound, fully. Notes: no microphones, no speakers, no equalization. Also note the positive energy levels.)

There are many spiritual losses that we have incurred as a church for engaging this modern practice of over-amplification, and a list of them would be outside the scope of this article. But permit me to mention just one spiritual loss: We have lost the ability to hear human (vocal) harmony. Over-amplification makes it difficult to hear human harmony… is there any wonder that harmony is not present among humans today? We stopped hearing it, and consequently stopped feeling it.

The solution is a simple one: Stop using amplification in our churches, unless it is necessary. Returning to natural singing will immediately improve the congregational singing experience.

Here’s a challenge: For one of the congregational songs at your church, conduct it as if electricity was cut… just for that one song. Listen to the difference… it will be quite instructive.

Here’s another challenge: Go to a park, or other natural space, away from unnatural noise, and other people. Listen carefully to how sounds interact with each other. It is as it has been for thousands of years: there is no need for amplification.

As Jeremiah 6:16 suggests: “Ask for the ancient paths… where the good way is.” The good way for congregational singing is the correct, natural production of human sound.