Church musician plans fresh and deeper hell in Church music

Fresh concepts instead of resignation

Church musician: We have to find a new, authentic style.  

What music should be played in the church - old masters or pop praise? For Franz Danksagmüller, neither is a solution. In the interview, the organ professor talks about the search for a new musical language for church services.

It is still an integral part of church services, and concerts still take place regularly in many communities. But does church music have a future? What sounds do we need to inspire people today?

   

His music would keep any right-minded people away from Church forever.

Franz Danksagmüller talks about this in an interview. He is professor of organ and improvisation at the Lübeck University of Music. A conference on the future of church music will take place there at the beginning of October, which Danksagmüller is helping to organize.

Question: Professor Danksagmüller, church music – that’s what most people associate with sedate organ sounds and dusty chorales. Rightly so?

Danksagmüller: This cliché is no coincidence. Church music has partly remained in the past. Things used to be completely different. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the organist was someone who created new music. Nobody would have thought of playing a piece from the last century for a special occasion. When a wedding took place in the Netherlands in the 17th century, the bride's father went to the church musician and asked him to compose a piece. I think we have to go back there.

Question: How should we imagine modern church music? Is there more than organ and chorale singing?

Danksagmüller: There has to be more. However, I don't have a patent recipe. The big question in training centers should not be how to play Bach correctly, but rather how to address people correctly. I can well understand those who no longer want an organ or old chorales, but rather something new. But simply offering gospel, pop or jazz in church instead cannot be the solution.

Question: Why not?

Danksagmüller: Outside the church there are musicians who do it much more authentically and professionally. Church music would be ridiculous. I think we have to bring both worlds together. If you want to become a church musician today, you have to get to know both current pop styles and historical music during your studies. We have to find a new, authentic style.

The organ (still) plays the main role in church music.

Question: What are the current trends?

Danksagmüller: A big trend is to adopt the music of free churches, i.e. praise songs, but also music influenced by pop and jazz. A smaller trend is classical contemporary music. Examples include the Sankt Peter art station in Cologne and the Martinskirche in Kassel, where art and liturgy are brought together. The biggest trend is still to simply play historical music, for example by Bach or Schütz. Nothing against these composers. But I think it's too short-sighted not to go any further. We have to find a current, original and authentic sound language again.

Question: The number of people attending church services is decreasing. Does church music have a future?

Danksagmüller: I often ask myself this question. But I don't want to give up, I want to try to explore new concepts. This is exactly what our symposium should be about. Theologians are also in demand as our partners. You have to go deeper again and offer the people in the church something that they don't hear at party conferences or read in the newspaper. If churches no longer serve as cultural carriers, many artists will lose their livelihoods. The churches offer an infrastructure that makes concerts possible in the area. We can't build that many concert halls to replace that. In addition, an important spiritual dimension would be lost.

Question: Is enough being done to attract young church musicians?

Danksagmüller: The fact is: we have too many vacancies and too few applicants. The majority of cantors train young people. Ultimately, each and every one of them has to ask themselves whether they could do more. We also need to improve the image of the profession and working conditions. On the one hand, there are still too many jobs on the market that involve too many tasks and are not adequately compensated. On the other hand, many people are not aware that, despite all the difficulties, the church is a safer employer. A church musician is often a largely self-sufficient music manager and has a lot of freedom.

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