Sunday 6 January 2013

Dealing with Off-Beat People

Nice to have that outbreak of clapping-along during a couple of songs this morning. I mean, obviously it's not what you normally expect during the "Sanctus" from Berlioz's Requiem, but whatever.

However it has shown up that not all people are alike. I would say that most people clapped - correctly, as God intended - on the first and third beats of the bar. But some others - a very small minority, but very evident - were clapping on the second and fourth beats of the bar.

What to do about this? Obviously people who clap on the off-beats are God's people as well, but they are clearly different. The people who clap on the on-beats are complaining that the people who clap on the off-beats are putting them off.

Obviously we can't tell people who clap on the off-beat not to come to our Occasions. But equally clearly we can't have them confusing everyone else. I can only see one resolution. We're going to have to ask them not to clap.

5 comments :

  1. Love the syncopater, hate the syncopation, I always say.

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  2. Spend too much off-beat time in the wrong bars and anyone could end up with an odd clap.. :o

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  3. Introduce a samba rhythm. Give me a call and I'll do you a samba worship workshop session. I'll bring the kit with me - you'd like it. It's a "found" kit made from converted patio tubs, tin mugs, baking tins; makes an impressive noise when we all get going. After a few minutes no-one has a clue where any of the beats have gone...

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  4. Have a sympathetic thought for those who can only manage to clap at the right time by carefully watching the hands of those with a better sense of rhythm and mimicking their movement.

    And it is Not Fair to present such challenged individuals with something that requires them to clap of the off beat!

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  5. Get the Sunday School to conduct the clapping. They are much better at it anyway.

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