8. Repertoire
Children learn new things every day, and can be more open to new experiences than many adults. So while you will want to ensure that the music you choose is appropriate to the age and stage of development of your young musicians, there is no reason to compromise on the musical traditions and styles in use in your church.
Rather, you should with confidence present your living traditions as something of great value to pass on to a new generation.
Share the love of music
Respect what you do, and have the confidence to introduce it to your young people. Don’t make assumptions about what children ‘want’ or ‘like’ in music, and pander to it. The chances are, they don’t yet know that themselves. Whether Christian Rock, folk music, 1980s worship songs, contemporary anthems, Latin motets or plainsong are the bedrock of your music worship, let that be where you meet your young people, making it as accessible as you can, sharing your own love of it and helping to grow theirs for the future.
Choose age-appropriate repertoire
In every tradition there are simpler and more challenging examples of music. Don’t expect children to dive straight in with the most complex or demanding music. For singers, think about their vocal ranges and the stage at which their music reading skills have developed. For instrumentalists, consider keys they might play in more comfortably, rhythms that might come more naturally to their fingers, or supporting parts that are within their capability. Children love challenges, but they don’t like being left behind – they want a fair chance to keep up. Make the challenges achievable, and focus on the accessibility, quality and sincerity of the music you choose.
Give them the chance to lead
Children instinctively like to lead, as well as to participate. As their skills develop, create opportunities for them to show they can use them without adult participation. For example, in the choral tradition there are many examples of anthems or motets with unison verses or lines which could be sung by children alone – think of Wesley’s Lead me, Lord or Elgar’s Ave verum Corpus – and many contemporary composers write extensively for unison lines, especially upper voices. Give the first verse or lines to your young singers, and see their confidence grow and the whole church draw inspiration from their commitment to worship. Later, let them sing introits, anthems or motets, or play instrumental music, entirely on their own. Whatever your own traditions, find those spaces where adults can step back and let young people make their own offering.
Share repertoire across different groups
If you are working with children and young people across a range of settings – such as churches and schools – then share as much repertoire between them as you can. This will create opportunities for collaborations, and ready pathways between them. While church may initially be unfamiliar to many young people, if they discover music there that they know, they will instantly have a point of connection. For whole-school singing, consider what Hymnpact! has to offer. If you have choirs in schools and at church, they might come together in special services, for example at Christmas, concerts or other events, around a common repertoire.
More information and resources
RSCM Music Shop repertoire list for children and young people – Coming Soon!
For RSCM Members
Guidance Note – Choosing Suitable Repertoire
Sunday by Sunday Digital Back Issues
Free Music for RSCM Members
Music Score – A Prayer of St Ignatius by Barry Rose, Voices and Keyboard
Music Score – A Prayer of St Ignatius by Barry Rose, Voices Only
Music Score – An Irish Blessing from Hymnpact! Voices and Keyboard
Music Score – An Irish Blessing from Hymnpact! Voices Only
This setting of An Irish Blessing is taken from Hymnpact!
Music Score – The Choristers Prayer by Piers Maxim, Voices and Keyboard
Music Score – The Choristers Prayer by Piers Maxim, Voices Only
This setting of The Choristers Prayer is taken from: All Glorious Above: Music for Upper Voices