Baptists entertain in diverse ways

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33067, 7 November 1972, Page 15

Baptists entertain in diverse ways

“Kaleidoscope,” the Satur-day-night fare for those attending the 1972 Baptist Union Assembly in Christchurch, had a near-capacity audience in the James Hay Theatre. The show was ably compered by the Rev. A. MacLeod and directed by Mr G. E. Jansen, and items were provided by the assembly choirs, youth chorus, Oxford Terrace Baptist choir, Dunedin dance group and students from the Christchurch Teachers’ College secondary division. A rather long-winded dramatic skit on church affairs was produced by Muriel Ormrod. Being such an occasional affair, the performances themselves call for little comment. All numbers were competently done-—from the straight choral pieces to the frenetic gyrations of the chorus in “Godspell”—and all were equally well received. On the other hand, the

issues raised by a concert showing trends in church music range far beyond the scope of this review. There will always be controversy over whether church music should be distinguished by a particular tone or whether it should be as up to date as possible so that, musically, we worship God with the same means and in the same idiom as our transistors idolise love, sex, violence, disorder and rebellious “heroes.” But it can be said in passing that if any of Saturday night’s audience thought “Godspell” was particularly avant garde or daring, they should remember that it is merely a descendant of the Mvstery Plays of the Middle Ages and that its pop idiom merely echoes Luther’s famous remark “Why should the Devil have all the good tunes?” The only difference is that nowadays good tunes are pretty well extinct. —B.W.P.