Song Review: Vineyard Worship “Sing His Name Live”
- Sing His Name; we are called to sing Jesus’s name with that same kind of expectation – with the faith that Jesus will act on our behalf, in our hearts, and in our lives.
Life moves at an increasingly frenetic pace, leaving us with little time or even the energy to pause and refocus. No wonder the newest release from Vineyard Worship, Sing His Name, is such an essential addition to our repertoire of worship music right now.
We need a song so captivating that it motivates us to hit pause so we can refocus on the who and what that really matters: Jesus.
WHO IS VINEYARD WORSHIP?
Vineyard Worship creates music for the modern worshipping community to connect with God. They work to build community among worship leaders and train them to lead. And when they find a song that works within their community of churches, Vineyard makes it accessible to other churches, sharing the pieces that work the best.
But overall, Vineyard works toward inspiring the worship community to connect with Jesus. Vineyard Worship not only creates amazing music; they are a community whose hearts are hungry to connect with Christ.
MUSIC AND PRODUCTION
Sing His Name is a beautiful, captivating worship song from the upcoming album This Joy- Live from Vineyard Worship, which will be released in September 2023.
This live recording reflects the style of a pop worship ballad, with the instruments and vocal styles you would expect to find on most worship teams: piano, guitars, keyboards, and drums.
Stylistically, the music and lyrics support each other well and create a special opportunity for the worshipper to connect with Jesus. And I always appreciate a well-mixed song where the lyrics are easy to hear within the context of the rest of the music.
THEME
There is a lot of theology that we can unpack in this simple song. Vineyard Worship intended Sing His Name to be a song that helps the worshipping community connect with the transforming power of Jesus Christ. It focuses on the power and presence of Jesus, no matter our circumstances. Let’s take a look.
With one voice we sing in worship and in wonder
Saying You alone are unlike any other
Hear our praises as we welcome you together
Jesus
I have always believed that Jesus never forces us to choose him; instead, he looks for us to seek Him. So I love how the opening stanza of Sing His Name gathers the church together to welcome Jesus.
In the next stanza, the song reminds us that we don’t need to be afraid or hold back because there is a name that echoes over all creation. In Philippians 2:9, Paul says that Jesus is the name above all names. And in the Old Testament, we know that God’s characteristics are revealed in hs various names – Healer, Strong Tower, The Lord Will Provide, The Lord My Shepherd, etc.
In other words, we can know God by God’s name. So we can equate Jesus’ name with who he is: he is the name above all names. He is more powerful than any situation, person, or problem that exists in our lives. Therefore, we don’t need to be afraid,
Another line in this song that speaks volumes is this:
Sing His name with expectation for the God of our salvation is among us.
In Hebrews 11, the author, traditionally thought to be Paul, writes about people who acted in faith throughout history. In other words, this faith chapter talks about people who acted in expectation of what God was about to do. It shows us how God values and rewards our faith!
So, in Sing His Name, we are called to sing Jesus’s name with that same kind of expectation – with the faith that Jesus will act on our behalf, in our hearts, and in our lives. But going even further, not only can we depend on Jesus, but we can depend on the fact that he is among us, as we know hm by his other name, Emmanuel (God with us).
Ultimately, when we use this song in worship, we’re looking at the idea that we gather together as the church to welcome Jesus into our lives and worshipping him with the expectation and faith that He is who he says he is: the name of above all names, the power over every circumstance. And he is with us.
STYLE
Sing His Name opens with a short, soft, and peaceful introduction and solo stanza, giving us some space to breathe and consider the lyrics of the song. The overall style is a typical Vineyard Worship music ballad– strongly rooted in pop music with piano, keyboard, some light acoustic guitar, and worship drums.
The song ramps up slightly as the stanzas repeat, heightening the sense of expectation and worship as the song builds.
I love the musical play on words – as we meditate on Jesus as the name above all names, we’re also singing his name as the highest notes in the melody and the high point of the entire song.
ACCESSIBILITY
Vineyard Worship is exceptionally gifted at creating accessible songs that are crafted for the typical church to use in worship.
Sing His Name is pitched in the Key of C, and the melody falls within a one-octave register. This is an easily accessible range for most churches, and with just a few chords in its stanzas, it’s easy enough to transpose up or down a few steps if you need to.
None of the rhythms or chord structures are overly complex, which will free your worship team to communicate through their music and voices, rather than being overly focused on hitting all the right notes. You don’t necessarily need a full band for this arrangement, either – it wouldn’t hurt to try this piece ‘unplugged’ as it were, with just an acoustic piano or acoustic guitar behind it.
When you use this song in a worship service, you can help your worshippers stay engaged by creating the same sort of flow in the music. Start quietly and calmly, building up the intensity to the apex of the song, just like our belief in Jesus builds as we worship.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Sing His Name is a beautiful song that helps us welcome Jesus into our worship time. Vineyard made sure this song was easily accessible without making it sound elementary. As the song builds in intensity, so does our awareness that the most powerful name in the universe is right here, among us. Sing His Name invites us to meditate and to believe.
MORE
I love the emphasis on worshipping Jesus, the name above all names, with expectation and faith, knowing that he is among us.
LESS
Don’t let the song fizzle out during worship – keep the intensity building throughout the music to keep worshippers mentally engaged.
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