I've only heard Mennonites sing in person on two occasions, and both times, it was unforgettable. They are wrong in insisting that God should not be worshiped with musical instruments, but their error has had a happy result. They have become near expert in singing in harmony. The only word that I know to describe it is "stunning".
For many reasons I could never be a Mennonite theologically, but I must say that you have never heard singing until you have heard Mennonites sing. But the true sound of their singing seems to be difficult to capture adequately in a recording (perhaps because it is so multi-dimensional, like the difference between hearing an orchestra in person and on CD). The recordings uploaded by S. E. Samonte have come close to recapturing the sounds I remember. Here's Rock of Ages for your worship.
I am a Mennonite who certainly does not believe it's wrong to use instruments (Don't the psalms COMMAND us to use instruments?), but I do love four part harmony, and I am actually working on a CD right now. You can check it out at this link:
ReplyDeletehttp://kck.st/UceSF3
Thanks!
Absolutely beautiful music.
ReplyDeleteCan I get a CD of this Se Samonte singing?
ReplyDelete"The Beauty of Mennonite Singing" caught my eye as I was scrolling through your blog for the first time ever. I was raised in a Mennonite Brethren church in western Canada. Our church had a junior choir and a senior choir, so 4-part harmony was simply a given. I took it for granted. My experience as piano accompanist began at age 12 in the church, and continued on through my college years. Even though I've parted from Mennonite theology, I'm grateful for the exposure to beautiful, harmonious music.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing Mrs. Wahl! You were blessed to have training in such great music!
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