Layering Lyrics
One way that I like to simultaneously bring new songs to a congregation, and breath new life into an older well loved and well played song is by layering lyrics. The band I am currently leading is used to this sort of layering maneuver as they have multiple talented vocalists that can carry different parts and different lines simultaneously.
For an example of what I mean here is one of FBC’s favorites: Beautiful Thing - Gungor
Bridge:
You make me new, you are making me new
You make me new, you are making me new
Chorus:
You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us
Chorus (layered)
You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of the dust
(You make me new, you are making me new)
You make beautiful things, you make beautiful things out of us
(You make me new, you are making me new)
Here is an audio sample…
To use this layering technique to introduce a new song I like to find songs that are in the same key (I avoid key changes most of the time when doing new things)and that can flow in the same time signature and at the same speed. I always want to let it happen naturally, if you have to force the movement, it won’t be enjoyable for the band or the congregation and it won’t stick.
A few weeks back the sermon lined up with Matt Maher’s Christ is Risen, an older song that the congregation is familiar with, and I wanted to find a way to highlight the freedom theme in the song. To do this I added the chorus of Jesus Culture’s Break Every Chain as a bridge at the end of the song between two of Maher’s anthemic bridges.
Christ is Risen Bridge:
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light,
The glory of God has defeated the night!
Break Every Chain Chorus:
There is power in the name of Jesus,
There is power in the name of Jesus,
There is power in the name of Jesus,
To break every chain, break every chain, break every chain!
Layered:
O death, where is your sting?
(Break every chain, break every chain, break every chain)
O hell, where is your victory?
(Break every chain, break every chain, break every chain)
O church, come stand in the light,
(Break every chain, break every chain, break every chain)
The glory of God has defeated the night!
(Break every chain, break every chain, break every chain)
Here is an audio sample...
