new tunes, reluctant congreg

[aloewenthal <aloewenthal...>]

My congregation is mostly young families, but service attendance is not
huge. Most people don't come to services regularly, and a few do.

The regular attendees (myself included) generally enjoy an occassional new
tune to be introduced. It keeps the experience a little fresher and
increases our repertoire.

On the other hand, people who come irregularly tend to get irritated at new
tunes, because many feel they are just beginning to get the hang of the
usual tunes.

I would like to change a few of our current tunes.

Besides the "nursery rhyme" category where the tune doesn't seem to fit the
mood of the prayer, I've also noticed a few other cases:
        - We sing a very minor, ponderous tune for Mi Chamocha; it seems
like it should be jubilant.
        - We sing a light, bouncy tune for Psalm 29, which is all about
G-d's mighty voice shattering the cedars and convulsing all the deer;
shouldn't this have some grand, roaring tune?


Richard Wolpoe wrote:

>Indeed.  and Minhog is also a powerful tool.  I've worked with
>congregations of elderly people for about 20 years, and the last thing they
>want to know is that they've bee doing it worong all these years (even if
>they have!)  And they do not like change.  They notice when I wear a new
>tie, and I dare not introduce a new congregational melody or they will fall
>into sullen silnce (solos are ok if they like them).
>
>A younger congregation would be or could be different...
>


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