Lovin' on Jesus by Ruth Lester; Lim Swee Hong;

Author:Ruth, Lester; Lim, Swee Hong;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Published: 2017-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

THE AUSTRALIAN INVASION

The second source that shaped American contemporary worship song since the 1990s has been the music from Hillsong Church in Australia.8 Established in 1983, this Pentecostal church came to the world’s limelight through its music recording efforts in the 1990s. By the early 2000s, it dominated the contemporary worship soundscape not only in Australia and America but also around the world. That emergence as a global name brand of contemporary worship music occurred during the tenures of Geoff Bullock (1985–1995) and then Darlene Zschech (1995–2007) as Hillsong’s music directors. Under Bullock, for example, a total of six albums were produced. Particularly well known was the song, “The Power of Your Love” (1992).9

This song became the title track for an album released in 1992, the first of many live worship recordings that Hillsong Church has released over the years. However, it was not the first recording effort of the church; that honor belonged to two studio albums: Spirit and Truth (1988) and Show Your Glory (1990).10 The Power of Your Love album consisted of sixteen songs composed primarily by Bullock and rendered by the music team at Hillsong.

What was immediately striking in this album was the centrality of the full fervor rock-music character in their fast-paced music set. Hard-drumming and distorted-sounding electric guitars had prominent roles in driving the Hillsong worship experience. This musical quality stood in dramatic contrast from the production efforts of Maranatha! Music that shaped their projects toward a mild rock groove or the rich sonorous orchestral texture in Hosanna! Music (see chapter 4). So it is not surprising then that with Hillsong’s focus of ministering to youths and young adults, its robust rock-music style became its signature. This was further accentuated in and through the Hillsong United (youth-focused) album series when it was launched in 1998.

In examining the live worship Hillsong album, The Power of Your Love, for its tempo map, it is possible to identify musical sets by relating the various sections to the tempo of the songs. Jubilant praise corresponds with quick tempo of bpm 170 and above. Indeed, the first six songs of the album The Power of Your Love appear to follow this guideline. Its fast pace and pulsating rhythm hold this section together. Introspective worship would bear a moderate tempo of bpm 100 or lower. Not surprising, we also find a group of songs having this characteristics present in the album.

Clearly, the tempo of the recorded live congregational performance of these songs was a key element in demarcating musical sets for the album. As such, the live album was not merely a collection of individual songs but a model demonstrating how the select songs could be sequenced for worship.

Commenting on the tempo range of the music created between 1996 and 2007 under Darlene Zschech’s tenure, Tanya Riches, a songwriter and worship leader associated with Hillsong, provides helpful background information on Hillsong’s early performance practices. In her research, she noted that there are four tempo sets that are aligned to their

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