6 minute read
When we sing together
Deborah Sloan looks at the power of collective singing.
Have you ever heard of James B. Partridge? No, neither had I until he started popping up everywhere. He’s become a bit of a phenomenon over the last year, appearing on BBC’s Breakfast and The One Show. He’s featured in The Times, been discussed at length on ITV’s This Morning and Loose Women and performed at Glastonbury. He’s all over social media. But it wasn’t until I saw an article in the online Christian magazine Seen & Unseen that I began to pay attention to what James was doing. ‘Sing it out with James Partridge’s joyous assembly. Bad days get better when we sing together’ was its title.
Natalie Garrett, who wrote the article, had gone along to one of James’ sellout shows on his ‘Primary School Assembly Bangers’ tour to see what all the fuss was about. At this concert, she had joined with hundreds of others, “belting out the words” to some well-loved classics like This Little Light of Mine, Give Me Oil in My Lamp and He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. The idea for the shows had come about during the pandemic when James, a primary school teacher, wanted to bring some joy into the lives of his pupils and their parents. He began posting videos on YouTube for them to sing along to. But it was when he shared what he called his ‘Top 10 Assembly Songs’ on TikTok that things went viral. Having hosted singalong livestreams during the lockdowns, James then decided to continue these in a real-world context.
There’s no doubt James is tapping into something, but is it just the opportunity to indulge in a wistful throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s? Or is it something more? When he asked the audience to choose a favourite song for the finale, the clear winner was Graham Kendrick’s Shine Jesus Shine. No one was checking, but it was likely many of those attending hadn’t been near a church recently and although James grew up going to church, he doesn’t describe himself as religious. He puts the success of his fairly niche events down to “nostalgia in a time when life feels dicey”. He also emphasises that people are yearning for “something that’s more simple, more human and connected”, explaining he’s careful not to encourage people to dwell on the past. He wants them to recognise what they’re doing in the present. “When you’re all singing from literally the same hymn sheet, you’re breathing at the same time, your hearts are kind of beating at the same time. You’re getting in sync with other people,” he says.
We are regularly reminded that as we sing, we join with the choirs of heaven.
It seems what James is doing is reminding people of the powerful sense of belonging that comes from singing with others. Whilst there are many individual benefits to “belting out words” – it boosts mood, reduces stress, builds confidence and even strengthens the immune system – when we sing collectively, something more happens.
Christians experience this ‘something more’ every Sunday as they gather to sing together as part of their worship. The Bible commands us to sing. “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,” says Ephesians 5:19. Singing is mentioned more than 400 times in Scripture. After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites burst into spontaneous song. The Psalms are a songbook about the Christian walk. Miriam, Hannah, Deborah and Mary all use song to acknowledge God’s deliverance.
As Christians meet corporately across the world, they do not all sing the same songs. Some are still enjoying Shine Jesus Shine. Others have moved on to Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me. But although the lyrics and melodies are constantly changing, the songs are always sung with the same purpose – to connect to an unchanging God, praising him for who he is, giving thanks for what he has done, asking for his guidance and protection. We are regularly reminded that as we sing, we join with the choirs of heaven. This is a glimpse of the kingdom of God here on earth. And let’s not forget what James B. Partridge said. We are also connecting with those around us. We are witnessing to each other. Singing is a shared spiritual encounter with a living God. Each voice matters. Our presence matters. When we create a unified sound as a congregation, we are emphasising our unity in Christ.
Songs…are a vital means of communicating and connecting us to biblical truths.
“How music changes through the years,” sang one famous popstar and it only takes a quick google to discover just how much Christian singing has changed over the centuries, moving from the chants of the early church to today’s Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) with its rising mainstream popularity. Throughout history, however, the church has often wrestled with adding new elements into existing traditions. Once heavily resisted, instruments had to be gradually introduced into Christian ‘singing’ and when the Reformers wanted to make Christian teachings more accessible to the ‘common people’, they had to overcome accusations of being worldly when writing hymns to well-known folk tunes. There is some evidence to suggest that a cultural leaning-in when it comes to music has been necessary for the church’s survival. For example, revivals such as the ‘Jesus Revolution’ were also accompanied by notable shifts in musical styles.
“By way of epilogue,” said Natalie, “as we all poured out of the theatre, and towards our cars, I heard a gaggle of strangers-become-friends skipping across the carpark singing – send forth your word, Lord, and let there be light”. The singing did not end when people left the building. This was good, Natalie felt. There was something in this, perhaps something the church could learn from and respond to. Songs, it seems are a vital means of communicating and connecting us to biblical truths. And in a time when life feels dicey, isn’t it encouraging that those attending James B. Partridge’s concerts are leaving with the Word of God impressed upon them?
