Saturday, December 15, 2007

Rockin' Christmas Carols

So... Obviously as we're preparing for Christmas Eve, we're working on Christmas Carols. Here's the conclusion that I'm coming to. I used to really be into the whole "relevant" thing when it came to any type of music sung in the Church. So for the last 5 years I've constantly pushed to do our Christmas Carols with a modern twist. We did Audio Adrenaline's version of Little Drummer Boy, Matt Redman's take on O Come All Ye Faithful, Third Day's version of Do you hear what I hear and so on.

This year, we're doing Third Day's version of Joy to the World. As I'm working it, I'm finding myself simplifying it to the point of almost doing the original version all together, and it hits me... its a Christmas Carol. Christmas Carols are timeless. In fact, I think that people actually get frustrated when you try to modernize their favorite Christmas Carol for the sake of relevance. All year long people are waiting for Christmas time so that they can sing their favorite Christmas Carol and they show up to Church only to hear some crazy rock version of Silent Night that makes it almost unrecognizable and anything but singable.

What an idiot I've been... and all for the sake of relevance! Then again, maybe I'm just getting old.

What's your take on havin' a Rockin' Christmas?

1 comment:

Mike Dalton Bass Player said...

I love to do modern twist but I see what you are saying, they are timeless. Matters what setting you are trying to set, down home, Christmas on steriods, laid back jazz feel. It just matters what you want.