Getting ready for our Easter Celebration Concert on Sunday night. The set list has been changed around with the order bounced back and forth and this way or that way. Songs put in, songs put out and then back in.
The core of the set list was built around the song Happy Day in the hopes that this would be the crescendo highlight of the set pointing to the real excited hope of Christ being alive and that we should rejoice in this. I have been listening to this song for several months getting it ingrained in my head and soul.
Questions like: should this lead off the set or be midway? How about ending with it? How true should we be to the arrangement? loomed in my mind as I juggled the set list. I go to a small independent Baptist church in the country that has between 20-50 regular attenders most of whom are older with a preference to Southern Gospel style of music or traditional hymns. This song would be bold and aggressive to the norm of what they are used to worship and singing with but it has a great message.
I think that we should perform it. We have myself on acoustic electric, a keyboardist, an electric guitar, bass, electric drums, cajon, and four vocalists (one lead). It was suggested that we drop it from the set list and perform it later in the month with the idea that people attending might not have this kind of song in mind for what they are expecting to hear at Easter. We have been going back and forth between what kind of music we should be performing. Our songs have been very balanced and catering to the different styles of musical taste in our audience and to our band performance desires.
I am fine with taking the song out of the set. I won’t cause diversion unnecessarily in our church over a song. I am disappointed though not to be playing it. I would to figure out a way to have it so that we could add it in. I am real to the fact that it won’t work this time around. Maybe next Easter?
What strikes me as a bit funny: Our Baptist church wouldn’t handle this song well, but an old England Anglican church would embrace this so well. How do you decide what should or should not be played? Is this an issue for you? Do you wrestle with the songs that you should play?
GOD is who I play for. GOD is who I am worshiping and singing to. GOD is who this song is for.
The debate goes on.
When I stand, in that place
Free at last, meeting face to face
I am Yours Jesus You are mine
Endless joy, perfect peace
Earthly pain finally will cease
Celebrate Jesus is alive
He’s alive
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