LP LII--Hillsong and Yeomen of the Guard

On my last Sunday in London, I decided to attend the Hillsong service again. Having worshiped in several high church Anglican cathedrals, two Baptist churches, two smaller Anglican churches, and one Methodist church, I wanted to experience the vital, contemporary energy of Hillsong once again. The service is located in the Dominion Theatre which is where We Will Rock You is performed every night except Sundays. On the circle level (1st balcony) lobby is a montage of pictures of Freddie Mercury from childhood until his untimely death in 1991. In front of the theatre is a large gold statue of Freddie in one his most famous poses.

But this day was not about Freddie, it was about the Lord. Sitting in the stalls (bottom section) near the front, I was met with recorded music at a high decibel level. The sound was incredible, replete with woofers, sub-woofers, and mountains of speakers surrounding the stage. Plenty of monitors on the stage to help the performers were mixed well at the massive sound board located in the back. The dark room was in contrast to the joy from the people at the connection points. These are spots all around the theatre where workers meet people with friendliness and help them to their seats or show them books, pamphlets, cds, dvds, and other material. Everyone was very warm to each other and joy seemed to emanate around the room.

At 9:30 on the dot, the praise team ran on stage and began to sing. We jumped to our feet and the place began to rock. Wondering if I were the oldest in the room, it was with a comforting surprise that I saw many older adults in the congregation. The different races were well-represented and a precursory glance revealed a wide range of income levels from nearly destitute to wealthy. As most events in London, income level was not obvious and not important. The praise team consisted of 7 singers, a drummer, 2 keyboards, 1 bass guitar, and 2 guitars. Each singer and player was at a professional level and the hard-hitting drummer and bass player held the group together as well as any rock concert I have experienced. And it was a rock concert, through and through. We jumped, we shook, we moved in rhythm, we sang, we clapped, and had a great time. I could not hear myself sing nor anyone around me due to the volume level, but everyone was participating in glorious expression of joyful music.

After about 30 minutes of music, we took a few minutes to pray, followed by a dance group on stage working to raise money for charity. The preacher spoke on building a relationship with God through prayer, conduct, and commitment to Biblical truths. It was a strong sermon with Biblical references and avoidance of uncomfortable themes. I have yet to hear in London anything about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and believe that the concept is not taught nor even thought about in London. Rather the people have a higher, loftier view of God and tend toward social justice and compassion in their theology through a Biblical historical framework.

We ended the service with another song and left feeling charged up to be better people and to serve the Lord in our community. Was it church the way I grew up? No. Was it church the way St. Paul's Cathedral was experiencing church? Not at all. Were the people worshiping collectively and individually? Absolutely. Does God like it? Not sure, but it is growing and definitely exciting. While I have friends who enjoy rock concerts, they certainly would not want one in the worship of the Lord. But others believe that if the music reaches the people and expresses Godly truth, then not only is it fine to use rock music, it is actually preferred. Philosophically and maybe theologically style is related partly to what it means to be Evangelical and to fulfill the Great Commission. Some may say, however, that being evangelical does not mean throwing away tradition and artistic excellence. Others will insist it means to use today's resources to reach people in a variety of ways. The arguments rage on and likely always will.

Did I miss the choir, the organ, the hymns? Absolutely and part of me wishes Hillsong could try some of those things and that they would actually reach more people in the process. My artistic side wonders about not doing great literature from the past and my musical ear would like more harmony and even textual interest in the songs. Was I emotionally and physically moved by the experience? Absolutely and I felt that energy in me that comes from rock music and muscular pulsation of emotions that everyone experiences. In other words, I understand why Hillsong is growing, why it has gone worldwide, and why people like it. It was fun and meaningful. Maybe, like Carl Jung postulated, we do have a dual nature and it is manifested in our musical preferences, and this is why I can worship effectively at St. Paul's Cathedral one week and worship effectively at Hillsong the next. Ah, the joys of London in its eclecticism that pervades all of life in and out of the church.

After that raw display of unbridled muscular emotion and a nice lunch of roast pork, potatoes, green beans, carrots, all topped off with a small berry custard, I hopped on a bus to see if I could get a ticket to Yeomen of the Guard. Not a Gilbert and Sullivan fan (I really hate Pirates of Penzance and dislike most of The Mikado), it was with a few misgivings that I attended the event. On the other hand, I have a begrudging respect for Arthur Sullivan's music particularly his tuneful melodies. Truthfully, Yeomen is one of my favorite operettas with a great story, intriguing setting, and fun but powerful music. After all, who does not like "I Have a Song to Sing-O"?

I was able to get a ticket in a nice seat on the side, near the stage. The performance was all great from the orchestra to the choir to the acting and finally the singing of the soloists. This wonderful performance at Royal Festival Hall was a staged version without elaborate sets but in costume and acted out. The outstanding orchestra and choir did a sensitive job of accompanying and enhancing the events on the front of the stage. The comical story with hints of anguish and disappointment was presented with musical restraint but also great British expression. Sitting with a view of the conductor, I noticed one place where a cello came in early. The conductor glared at him for a minute until he finally broke into a smile. My suspicion was that the conductor had given a slight motion that caused the early entrance. I was strangely comforted by the mistake, even professionals are not perfect, and left the performance thinking about my own musicianship and the mistakes that somehow make us better over time.

It was quite a day and deserved to be concluded with a dinner of Thai food that was a red curry sauce over duck served with gentle vegetables and steamed rice. Delicious in all respects, I will miss the suave taste of duck that is found in most Asian restaurants in London.