Notes on an a capella tradition

As a member of a non-a capella tradition, I have made some observations of how the a capella tradition works at a church service here in Tanzania, or at least at SMMUCo.

First, before church begins, there is no organ prelude. Instead, of those who gather early in the sanctuary, one person calls out a hymn number, waits for others to look it up, and then he or she throws himself into the hymn. There is no vocal searching for a good singable key with “hmm, hmm, hmm.” The others fall into harmony as easily as swinging the arms while walking.

During the liturgy, the pastor leads the antiphonal singing in the same way, no testing out notes, no tiptoeing in, just lead onward with confidence. At SMMUCo, there’s a woman who adds harmony to the pastor’s part. If I tried to do that, there’d be that wispy first-verse-harmony, where I’m singing and learning where the notes are. No, she nails every note despite the fact that she is the only one adding harmony and the whole room is listening. As far as I can tell, she didn’t ask to do it, the pastor didn’t tell her to do it, and he didn’t tell her to stop. It happens magically and wonderfully.

In the chapel at SMMUCo, a student has brought his own electric piano, and he accompanies the church service. This is when the a capella tradition clearly stands out. No one expects this accompanist to introduce the hymn. Hymns begin the same way without accompaniment: the pastor sounds the first three notes and the rest fall in swinging with harmony. It is the accompanist who tests out the notes on the keyboard, searching for the key that was magically chosen by the pastor. After happening upon a key, the accompanist follows along.

In the Western tradition, if there’s any slight disagreement between the accompanist and congregation, the congregationlike dutiful foot soldiersfollow the organ or piano. Not here. The odd note sounded by the piano throws off no one. The congregation sticks very firmly to the first key chosen, and the accompanist sticks to his key a half-step away, and the two stomp in parallel jarring lines. Through all five or seven verses.

This is hard to do. It is one more reason to admire those of the a capella tradition.