April 6, 2010

let everything that has breath praise the Lord

If you know me at all, you know I have a strong dislike of "Contemporary Christian Music." Its production value is usually lame. Its style is at least five years behind. Its system is no different than the big studios. Its artists are pretty and busty and unless they are really really good, there isn't an ugo among them. But mostly, I dislike CCM because it is lazy; its metaphors are lazy, the repetition is lazy, if you are going to praise God then you darn well better do it to the best of your God given abilities.

There are some exceptions. Just about any CC song based on a Psalm falls into my exception category. The Psalms were written to be sung. They were written with to be sung with strong emotion. They were not written to be plainsong to death or chanted by a tired, slovenly music director or read in somber unison by a parish eager to move onto the the sermon.

Psalm 150 can not be read with sadness. Psalm 150 can not be sung as a dirge. Psalm 150 tells you that as it begins with Hallelujah! and ends with "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

This might prove both sides to my point, but here's a CCM attempt to live into Psalm 150.

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