Will

“We have convinced church leaders and music ministers that classical choral styles are unattractive to the younger crowd, that so-called ‘seekers’ will be—what’s the American term?—turned off by a Mendelssohn psalm or a hymn arranged for choral singing. At the same time we have allowed such music to flourish in secular environments and liberal churches where its spiritual effect is negligible. Many evangelical music ministers now consider it a fact beyond question that radio styles, driven to popularity by clever marketing schemes, are the way to penetrate the hearts of those attending church. Repetitive phrases and a beat that encourages clapping are taken as sure signs of our Enemy working in the hearts of the congregation.”
― T.G. Brown, The Wormwood Archive

“I constantly warn my assistants to guard against worship environments in which people can hear the voices of other audience members. That is why one of the most wonderful achievements of our time is the combination of sophisticated instrumentation and voice amplification. We have elevated accompaniment to an art form, added attractive worship teams, and created a worship atmosphere in which no one need hear her own voice or that of her neighbor. The entire audience—for now it has become an audience, not a congregation—can now lip synch their praise, with confidence that our Enemy will hear, and approve of the worship being offered onstage.”
― T.G. Brown, The Wormwood Archive

“As Ellena Mayer talked about how everyone had mistreated her and discriminated against her for being a woman and a talented genetic designer, I classed her as the type of woman who doesn’t understand everyone who is unusually brilliant is “discriminated against” for the simple fact of being different from the common herd, and therefore both resented, and suspicious.”
― Sarah A. Hoyt, No Man's Land: Volume 3

“As you know, real musicians (and the performers must keep reminding themselves that they are indeed real musicians) don’t like to play familiar songs repeatedly. They intensely dislike overused arrangements for hymns and praise songs; they need a challenge, and this means new songs added each week, songs that have ever more sophisticated arrangement and accompaniment. Over time fewer and fewer audience members are able to give voice to the songs.”
― T.G. Brown, The Wormwood Archive