Kingdom songs
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Kingdom Songs or Praise Songs are the religious songs used by Jehovah's Witnesses. Currently 225 songs are in common use. The orchestral arrangements of these songs are called Kingdom Melodies
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[edit] Background
In the beginning the Bible Students used many well-known songs and hymns. They also used well-known melodies to their own texts. These melodies were often works by many famous composers, including Ludwig van Beethoven and Joseph Haydn. Since then the practice of using music at their gatherings has gone through many developments. In the end of the 1930s they stopped practicing song as a fast element at the local meetings. In 1944 the practice was reintroduced, and from this moment on they put much more work in making the entire song collection characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses. The melodies and texts today have all been made by people who have been members of the congregation themselves.
[edit] Early song books
The first time they published a song book was in 1879, when Songs of the Bride was released. This was a collection of 144 songs. The next in line was Poems and Hymns of the Millennial Dawn from 1890, with 151 poems and 333 songs, of which most were well-known compositions. This was followed up with the 1. February number of The Watchtower in 1896, with 11 song texts written by members of the denomination. Yet another connection was released in 1900, with 81 songs, of which many were written by one single person. In 1905 a songbook was released, including the 333 songs published in 1890, with musical notations. This book came out in a number of other languages, mainly in a shortened version. In 1925 they published a book with songs that were especially made for children and youths. This was called Kingdom Hymns and was a collection of 80 songs. In 1928 they published the songbook Songs of Praise to Jehovah which included 337 songs, some new and some old. They tried to get more away from doctrines not representative for their faith.
[edit] Recent song books
The following song books have been published since the 1940s:
- Kingdom Service Song Book from 1944, including 62 songs.
- Songs to Jehovah's Praise from 1950, with 91 songs. The songs were about many different Biblical themes.
- Singing and Accompanying Yourselves with Music in Your Hearts from 1966. This consisted of 119 songs. Melodies that were found to be of origins outside the congregation were replaced.
- Sing Praises to Jehovah, the current song book, which includes 225 songs. It was released in English in 1984 and was introduced in other languages during the next years. Still two songs had the melodies changed. Various textual revisions also took place.
[edit] The songs
The 225 songs are written about all aspects of Christian service. All song titles are connected with a scripture.
The songs show a great variety, still being solemn by nature. The melodies are made for different expressions. Some are march-like, some are hymn-like. Some are more animated. The music is highly valued by Jehovah's Witnesses.
The names of the composers do not occur in the song book, in the same manner as the writers of their other publications are kept anonymous.
The Witnesses are taught to respect the songs as part of their worship. That means, for example, that the songs shall not be used for dancing, or adapted to pop and rock versions.
[edit] Uses
Normally three songs are sung at the congregational meetings. A meeting opens and closes with a song and a prayer, and the two sections of the meeting are parted by the singing of a song. Songs are chosen of which themes match the program of the meetings. Usually the songs opening the ministry school, the service meeting and the Watchtower study are chosen by the organization. The songs of the Watchtower study can be read in the issue of The Watchtower that is used, and the ones of the service meetings are written in the issues of Our Kingdom Ministry. The song of the public talk, on its hand, is normally chosen by the speaker himself. Songs are also used at assemblies and conventions, and sometimes at different happenings in Bethel.
Weddings of Jehovah's Witnesses typically employ music from relevant songs in Sing Praises to Jehovah rather than the traditional Bridal March. Funerals of Jehovah's Witnesses also often include the singing of an appropriate song.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Jehovah's Witnesses, Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, chapter 16
- Watchtower 1986, October 15
