John Wesley’s Directions for Singing
"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." —Psalm 150:6 Most of us, I would guess, may sometimes feel a little uncomfortable singing in church. Maybe the song is unfamiliar, maybe we are distracted by how good, or not-so-good the person behind us is. Maybe we're worried the person in front of us may be distracted by our voice. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote out "directions for singing" in an early hymnal, to help the early Methodists get past the uncomfortable awkwardness of corporate singing. His words to them may be of use to us. I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please. II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise, unlearn it as soon as you can. III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a single degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross