Sandy Brown Jazz

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Someone once called Jazz ‘the Devil’s music' but the links between jazz and spirituality have been documented and discussed many times. The most common 'jazz' church experience is perhaps with Gospel music, but jazz of various kinds has been played in churches of different beliefs and denominations for years. Duke Ellington's music is but one example. However, I have not been aware of a regular celebration with jazz in chuch until Colin Clark wrote of Laxey Methodist Church in the Isle of Man. Colin had first been inspired when he heard Phil Mason's band playing at a church service at a Dove Holes Festival, about 20 years ago. Colin goes on to tell the story:

'Soon after came the period when the Isle of Man, where I have lived this last 30 years, had its own jazz festival, and each year the festival featured a Sunday morning  jazz church service. This took place each year at St. George’s Anglican Church; the vicar at the time was Rev. Brian Partington,  himself  knowledgeable and enthusiastic about jazz. Each year one or other of the visiting bands would lead the music, and it was always an enjoyable occasion. Then one year, which coincidentally happened to be the last year that the Isle of Man Festival took place, Rev. Brian had been replaced with a new vicar with no knowledge of jazz. He had arranged a service choosing from the normal Anglican repertoire of hymns, without consideration of whether they could be interpreted with a jazz slant. He then sent this play list off to the designated visiting band (which shall be nameless). He also arranged for a classical soprano to be the featured soloist.

Meanwhile, in England, the band had received a list of hymns of which they had never heard.  They did not read music, so reached the conclusion that there was nothing they could do about the situation, and thought no more about it. Comes the Sunday morning and it is apparent that unless the regular church organist can be quickly co-opted, there is no accompaniment for the chosen hymns. Luckily, he is found. Meanwhile our visiting band sit centre stage (or church equivalent), doing nothing but looking most uncomfortable. Except when they play a gospel song from their repertoire somewhere in the middle of the service. This fiasco was an embarrassment for all concerned, and its memory stuck in my mind.

So about ten years ago it occurred to me that there didn’t need to be a festival or a visiting band in order to have a meaningful jazz church service. I had been gigging since my teens, then giving me a 50 year track record (now 60 years +). I felt that I could not fail to do better than that recent travesty! My first job was to establish whether my own Church,  Laxey Methodist Church, would welcome a jazz service. Somewhat diffidently I put the suggestion to our Church Council, and was greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm with which the idea was accepted. I then had to find my band. At that point I was leading a five-piece band, playing a trad to mainstream repertoire with an unusual line up, comprising myself on alto, a clarinet and tenor player, electric guitar, electric upright bass and drums. The guitar player was not keen on the whole church thing, but fortunately one of the stalwarts of our church was (and is) a talented guitarist and singer, so she was co-opted.  I then co-opted a trombone player and a keyboard player, friends playing in other bands, and we had a seven-piece.

I then started looking for a format for the service - and appropriate music. The format of our services closely follows the regular Methodist format, with 5 hymns, 2 Bible readings, a sermon,  a soloist,  and two tranches of prayer. One innovation that has become a tradition over the years is that we do not say The Lord’s Prayer together, but listen and watch Mahalia Jackson at the 1958 Newport Festival (click here) - a performance that still moves me to tears every time I hear it. Our hymnsare all taken from one or other of the Hymn Books used in Methodist Services,  and we have tried many over the last 10 years, some of which have becomeperennials. Some favourites are Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory, Old Rugged Cross, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Send The Fire, Amazing Grace and Walk, Walk In The Light. In addition to the music within the service, we always play gospel songs for 15 minutes before the advertised service time, and finish with The Saints after the benediction.  The before-service period gives the band its best blow, and we try to encourage the congregation to arrive early for this. Some of our favourites for this section are Lord, Lord, Lord, Lonesome Road, Just A Closer Walk and We Shall Overcome.

I have also taken the initiative in inviting a preacher each year. For our first year I invited the Anglican preacher Rev. Brian Partington, who had successfully run the services in Douglas during Jazz Festivals. Since Methodism has itinerant preachers in charge of several Churches and Chapels, assisted by many lay preachers, it has been possible to have a different preacher each year. Some of them  having a knowledge of jazz, some totally without. All seem to have enjoyed the experience. Whilst not trying to influence the subject of their sermons, I have tended to point out the connection between the history of jazz music and the history of slavery, the civil rights movement and race relations.

One of the goals of my jazz services has been to try to get some different people into church. This in turn requires some effort put into marketing. Here we are probably fortunate in being in the confines of the Isle of Man. In addition to getting posters into various shops and other locations, we have been able to get free mentions on local radio, the local newspapers, a village newsletter and, in recent years, various websites. During the early years it was necessary for me to type up and copy an order of service featuring the words of the hymns, etc. Thankfully, in recent years the installation of a projector system has removed the necessity of this.

The annual Jazz Service has become a feature of our church year. If anyone else has an inclination to do something similar in their community, I would encourage you to do so. If I can be any help, please contact me through Sandy Brown Jazz - click here.

[Colin's experience is of a Christian, Methodist, jazz service. If you know of jazz taking place in other spiritual settings, please contact us and let us know. Ed]

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