Worship music in France

One of today's projects was to look for several French worship songs written by French songwriters that are being sung in churches today. Diana, one of the Wheaton students here this past summer, said that Wheaton's World Christian Fellowship will have a speaker in several weeks who works in Paris, so they wanted some "French music."

Since my initial arrival in France in 1988, I've been encouraged by the progress in the quality of the lyrics, music, and recordings of French Christian music. My wife thinks that some of the songs on the first tapes that I bought in France sound like a bunch of nuns singing. Back then, it was the best that was there. But now, it's pretty boring to listen to that music. However, that was part of the process in the development of music here, so I need to show a certain respect.

I sent words and music to 3 songs. The first is "A l'agneau de Dieu"/"To the Lamb of God" by Elisabeth Bourbouze. She is in the group FLAMME based in Toulouse. I've heard this and other songs of hers sung often at Belleville and other churches that I've been in. She and Fabienne Pons have written some classic worship songs that merit being translated into English and other languages.

The 2nd song is "Faisons Monter (un parfum de louange) / Let us lift up an aroma of praise" by Raphael Fernandez, who spoke at the Fonderie last March. I think he is based in Toulouse as well.

The 3rd is "Ton Nom Est Grand / Your Name is Great" by Nicolas Ternisien. Besides being a worship leader and composer, he also pastors the church in Dieppe that we work with at our Mission Radicale youth conferences each July.

At our church in Paris, we have several 20 somethings like Pierre DeKatow and Emmanuel Pelatan who write songs. Pierre will be releasing his first album this December. I love their songs.

Bryan Ost, who helps lead worship at our Mission Radicale events, also writes some great stuff. I look forward to the release of his next album.

Corinne LaFitte continues to write excellent songs. She and her husband are now part of our church and she helps disciple the worship team.

Francophiles David Durham (U.S.) Pat Berning (South Africa), Judith Robertson (U.K.)and the group EXO (composed of a South African, a Swiss, and an American) also have some songs that are sung in many churches.

At our church, we sing a number of songs that have been translated from English. This includes material from Michael W. Smith's "Worship" and "Worship Again" albums, Matt Redman, Twila Paris, Delirious (Martin Smith), Hillsong from Australia (Darlene Tschech and Ruben Morgan), Vineyard Music(especially Andy Park, Bryan Doerksen, and David Ruis), the Passion conferences (Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, and David Crowder), etc.

The pastor of one church that I worked with in the past didn't have worship music in their meetings because he felt that some of those in the congregation might move to somewhere else in France where they might not find a congregation, so they would have to worship without music. I agree that worship is much more than singing. However, singing is often an important part in the worship experience. Nowadays, I don't think that there are places in France where one can't find a congregation that doesn't have access to music.

From an ethnomusicological perspective, I'm not sure what "French music" is today. For music here has been colored by stylistic influences from other countries. Gospel music is popular here, as is rap music. There are groups like MasterMusic (gospel) and Rhema FEA (rap) that are composed of people living in France. Thus, music written by French people in France won't necessarily follow any one "French" style.

May God continue to raise up new musicians, vocalists, and song writers in France who can express adoration to God in new ways in France. May this be composed of a panoply of the different nations represented in France, particularly Paris