Eutychus and His Kin: May 17, 1985

Why Don’t Singers Sing?

I went to a Christian concert the other night. I haven’t really been to that many lately, and shortly after the concert began I remembered why. After singing her most popular songs and some new ones, the singer started to talk.

Now, a brief testimony or exhortation might have been nice. But she wanted to talk. Maybe she’d share a brief word of encouragement or a concise presentation of the gospel. Nope. Another anecdote about what happened “the other day on the bus between here and Albuquerque, and how our crazy sound man Chet—you all don’t know Chet? Stand up and take a bow, Chet.… Chet has a mule named Merle that … Well, anyway, where was I? It had some spiritual point …”

And the next 20 minutes we spent in her own personal Twilight Zone, in search of a bridge into the next song.

I left that concert committed to helping her and singers everywhere who have the compulsion to talk during concerts. And I think there is a way to do it.

I’m beginning small, with only the artists I’ve personally heard in this transgression. There can’t be more than 150 of them. I am inviting them to hear a very famous preacher friend of mine, who is known for his wise teaching and could counsel them in this area.

A five-minute message is all that would be necessary, I’m sure. He is a skilled orator, and it would not take long for him to make his point. And then, of course, I would insist that they hear him sing.

EUTYCHUS

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