Exploring Emotional Range in Your Arrangements

Let me tell you a secret.

Ready? Here it comes.

*whispers: You can perform a song different from how it was originally composed or recorded.

Scandalous, right? After all, modern worship practice relies on reproducing “the record,” all for a couple of broad reasons:

• Ease of teaching—the parts can be replicated or simplified.

• Familiarity—your musicians likely listen to these records a lot, so it’s easy for them to follow particular stylistic conventions.

BUT—you can deviate from the norm, as long as it’s done in good taste (meaning, it’s accessible to your audience) and fits within legal boundaries (compliant with copyright law, regarding lyrics and some melodic content).

To do this, you need to adopt a view that explores the emotional range of a worship song, melodically, harmonically, lyrically, dynamically—all of this is malleable, for better or worse.

And to explore those emotional ranges…

You need to understand the continuum of techniques that artists, writers, and composers have used to achieve truly special works.

The Text-Music Relationship Continuum

A continuum is simply a range of criteria. You could also think of a “spectrum,” like the color spectrum with light or pigments.

In the relationship between text and music, this continuum highlights various ranges between contrast, alignment, blending, and integration. In other words, do the text and music fit together, reflecting similar values? Or, are they ironically opposed?

Here are the major categories that are used:

1. Extreme contrast: This is where we can juxtapose two distinctly different elements of text and music to create a sense of irony, intentional contradiction, or even humor. An example would be lyrics such as, “heaven,” “peace,” and “never ending,” being juxtaposed with frantic, rushed tempos and stylings. It can also mean introducing stylistic elements that lie outside the norm of how a song usually performed.

2. Partial contrast: The text and music aren’t totally opposed to each other, but there’s still enough contrast to pique the listener’s interest. An example of this would be singing of “joyous rapture,” but placing the melody in a low register. You could also use lyrical density with sparse accompaniment, or vice versa.

3. Balanced: This is where the text and music typically parallel each other. Happy, joyful lyrics are reflected with major modes, melodies reflect natural speech patterns—both of these are examples of a balanced approach.

4. Close alignment: The music takes a more literal approach to reflecting the text. An example of this would be word painting(i.e., an ascending melody to reflect the word “rising up”). You could also use literal dynamics, playing softly on words like “resting,” or “quiet,” or getting louder on phrases like “rising up.”

5. Fusion: In this setting, the text and music are inseparable from their meaning as they are shown/sung/played. In a worship music context, this is where the text and music amplify theological contexts, like a dynamic swell on a phrase like, “…Holy Spirit moving here…” The overall musical environment unmistakably and unironically reflects the emotional meaning of the text.

6. Full syncretism: This is where several elements, such as instrumentation, cross-cultural components, and genre are fully merged to create a wholly unique experience that vividly depicts the theological themes present in the lyrics, as well as amplifying the elements seen in the “close alignment” and “fusion” parts of the continuum.

Examples In Action

To give you an idea of how this continuum is explored by artists, here are some examples:

Extreme contrast: “O Come O Come Emmanuel” by Skillet

The addition of “djent” metal elements (especially in the breakdown at 3:03) strikes a vivid juxtaposition from what one would normally hear in a typical arrangement. It defies cultural expectations from the mainstream, but appeals to many listeners who have an affinity for heavier types of music.

Partial contrast: “The Creed” by Rich Mullins

This one is interesting. The lyrics are literally the Apostles’ Creed, which aren’t really poetic in and of themselves. The music is driving and rhythmically complex, and the melody assigned to the ancient text is highly syncopated. Not a wholly jarring juxtaposition, but enough of a contrast thematically with the lyrics and the overall feel of the musical arrangement.

Balanced: “Goodness of God” performed by CeCe Winans

Almost any arrangement of this song can reflect the theme of lyrics, maintaining a strong balance. In this rendition, the testimonial aspect of the lyrics is balanced with ample tonal expression, instrumental intensity, and textural layering.

Close alignment: “Ev’ry Valley” from Messiah by George Frederic Handel

This aria from the Baroque era uses word painting to great effect: long melismas (i.e., LOTS of notes) on “exalted”; rising and falling melody on “mountain and hill made low” (0:59); angular contour switching to a single sustained note on “crooked straight” (1:04).

Fusion: “Heart Of Worship” by Matt Redman

The musical setting of the lyrics fuses well with their overall theme, where heart posture in worship means more than how well worship is performed, at least from a wordly point of view.

Full syncretism: “Promises” by Maverick City Music

Here, we have a full blend of gospel, CCM, ambient, and other stylistic elements that create something wholly unique—almost defining a new style.

Things To Consider

Remember what I said at the beginning about your changes/interpretation needing to be accessible for your audience?

You have to strike a balance between novelty and familiarity. Too much novelty feels obtrusive, and too much familiarity can become bland over time.

Another thing I see is gravitation to particular stylistic conventions as “go-to’s” that end up being more like “crutches.” This is typically found in tempo placements, sequencing of dynamic contrasts between sections, orchestration on the build-ups of sections (i.e., a bridge repeated three times, using tom-toms and pulsing 16th notes over each repetition in greater intensity), etc.

Sometimes, your go-to interpretation may be a reflection of old habits/sensibilities that need to be challenged. Slow a song down 10–15 clicks to see how the vocal phrasing lies within the groove. Or, speed it up—the effects will determine how the rest of the arrangement takes shape. If you typically build up to a big chorus at the beginning of a song, particularly after a verse, try a drop-out when you get the chorus; the sudden shift will invite the listener in for an even better/bigger drop-in when you bring the groove back.

These things are all subjective, but generally, there is a collective agreement as to what works and what doesn’t. Play around with them, and see what you can do!

Be blessed 👊✌️