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Heady brew of passion music
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Last week's performance by the Vineyard Band drew a motley crowd of fans and worshippers.
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VINEYARD IS a rapidly growing church movement in different parts of the globe, including India, and is drawing people from every sector of society — from the professionals to the poor who, according to the spokespersons of the movement, "are so desperately in need of God's love and healing".
Rock music is known, rather ambitiously, as "the international language". All around the world, young people love rock `n' roll. Also, English is spoken in many parts of the world. When you combine the wide appeal of rock with the global acceptance of the English language, the net result is a wide open door for English-speaking worship leaders of the Vineyard Church who play contemporary music. Vineyard churches have adopted worship songs originating from Western countries and their target group is young English-speaking people.
Vineyard church leaders claim that in India, their evangelistic impact of their worship has `astounded' them. "India is in the midst of a cultural revolution. Values and influences from the West are pouring into the country through CNN, MTV and other such media. There is a ravenous hunger for live rock music." Worship through contemporary music is an essential ingredient in cross-cultural ministry. It opens and softens hearts and makes the worshippers ready to receive the word of God and prayer. "It is like a cool drink of water on a sweltering day."
Vineyard songs originated in middle-class America in the 1980s. The Vineyard Band is a rock band comprising different musicians who, ostensibly, have come together to explore the freedom of musical expression in worship.
However, the songs that they play are from the Vineyard collection, though the music is altered according to their personal taste.
The band has accompanied international worship leaders and has performed at over 25 concerts in the past two years in various parts of India like Shillong, Hyderabad, Goa, Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai.
Band leader Swaroop is their vocalist who also plays the acoustic guitar. Smitha and Preethi sing background vocals and accompany the band with light percussion. Lead guitarist Conrad was with the hard rock band Bonesaw.
Drummer Mark Williams has been with band for two years and is "crazy" about Vineyard Music.
On the bass guitar is Praveen George.
The band performed live at Guru Nanak Bhavan last week to a packed hall of worshippers. It was a coming together of classic rock fusing with Indian instruments before an audience that comprised both the young and the old. The band played most of their original compositions in rock, hard rock, and progressive rock format. A touch of Hindustani music — thanks to the flute and tabla — added zest to the flavour.
Far from being a performance, the Vineyard Band entranced the audience with a live worship session and a collective energy and `passion' bound the worshippers together.
Speaking on their music, Swaroop had this to say: "Our style is a mix of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Dave Mathew, and Carpenters. It's more of rock `n' roll — progressive rock, jazz, contemporary hymns, and classical choruses. Today's generation no longer appreciates traditional music. Rock, jazz and heavy metal suit them better."
The lyrics were traditional and they were all essentially Christian.
"But they are not aimed at conversion. Religion is not an issue for us. It is just a sheer passion for the music that keeps this band going."
N.B.
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