Alexander Publishing

Writing and Performing Christian Music: God’s Plan & Purpose for the Church
ISBN-13: 9780939067770
Paperback, 156 pps, $16.95

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What’s Inside
Writing and Performing Christian Music: God’s Plan & Purpose for the Church, is for songwriters, worship leaders, musicians, composers, church leadership, radio station programmers, and record company executives.

It’s the first book to answer the question, “What is Christian music?” through researching each use of the Hebrew and Greek words for song, praise and worship. The result is a practical guide giving you direction on lyric content, writing effective lyrics, 22 types of Biblical songs by content (including traditional love songs), and performance considerations. Also reviewed is the position of worship leader from the Temple to New Testament times, why Joseph is the worship leader’s role model, how the music department was structured including roles, duties and responsibilities. This is a doing book, not a theory book.

Foreword - TV composer Robert Kral (Angel, Miracles and Superman: Doomsday).

Introduction - Dr. William L. Hooper, former Dean, School of Church Music, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Table of Contents:
What Is Christian Music?
God’s Organizational Model for the Church - The Ekklesia
The First Formal Purposing of Song
The Prophetic Song
How God Uses Music to Edify
22 Types of Biblical Songs by Content
Thanks, and the Three Types of Praise Songs
Eight More Types of Biblical Songs
Biblical Techniques of Lyric Writing
Standards and Performance Practices in Paul’s Model for the Church
Music Leadership and the Large Church
Basic Performance Considerations
Wisdom’s Role
Picking Music for the Western Church Service

REVIEWS

Worship Leader Magazine (March/April 2008)
Writing & Performing Christian Music is a book for the local worship leader, because you aren’t a professional recording artist (and that’s a good thing). But even industry heavy-hitters would benefit from reading a commentary on worship songwriting, and its importance in the Church. The book is comprehensive, covering everything from basic performance techniques to the biblical intentions of music. But instead of focusing on rhyming patterns and rhythm, Alexander provides biblical examples of how God wants to be praised. It’s a refreshing perspective. One chapter includes over 20 types of worship songs found in the Bible and how they can be adapted into modern contexts. Another has Biblical translations for every possible word pertaining to praise and worship. Peter Alexander tackles worship songwriting from the ground-up, providing the Biblical building blocks for worship leading.

The idea for the book emerged from Alexander’s own pursuit of knowledge regarding all things praise. It’s this question-and-answer approach that makes Writing & Performing Christian Music so accessible –you’re engaged in the worship dialogue. The book is interactive with instructions for applying and connecting with each of the topics fully. Writing & Performing Christian Music is the perfect read for both aspiring songwriter and seasoned worship leader; it provides a stimulating discussion that will undoubtedly mold your service of worship. So sit down and with a guitar and notebook, and prepare to be schooled.

Pastor Bayless Conley, Founding Pastor, Cottonwood Christian Center
Featured on Answers BC on Sunday’s on TBN
Author, Praise With Understanding
I have found Peter Alexander’s teaching on music and worship to be thoroughly Biblical, inspiring and practical. Through his writing we are given a comprehensive look at what the scriptures (both Old and New Testament) have to say about music, song writing and worship. I heartily recommend this book to Pastors, worship leaders, musicians or anyone with a hunger to understand how to apply Biblical principles to modern day worship.

Gerrit Gustafson, songwriter (Only by Grace, Mighty is Our God), worship teacher (worshipschools.com) and author (The Adventure of Worship) Songwriters and artists thrive on creativity, and an essential component of creativity is being able to view what everyone else is looking at from a fresh perspective. For all of us who desperately need fresh, God-inspired perspective, Peter Alexander has done a great service. Addressing the very complex subject of Christian music, Peter Alexander combines a hefty analytical ability with the conviction that God is the ultimate Creator and the Bible, the narrative of His unfolding creativity, to offer a new way of looking at how Christians do music. Finding clues where you may think you have already explored, and connecting dots between what may still remain unconnected in your thinking, Peter gives a view of music that is driven by mission and sustained by character. Eager to have your own creativity stimulated? Open these pages.

Sally Morgenthaler, Author, Worship Evangelism
If you’re stuck in the two-crayon world of hymns and choruses, you’re about to get a really big upgrade. This is a veritable encyclopedia on biblical songs: their origins, uses, and amazing potential for today’s worshiping church. Depth and faithfulness in technicolor. I’ve never seen anything like what’s been created here. May God bless this loving and comprehensive work as it resources the Davids of the new millennium.

Author of Writing and Performing Christian Music
Peter Lawrence Alexander is an award winning journalist. He’s an accomplished songwriter, composer and orchestrator and the first Christian to have many of his music books endorsed by winners of the Academy®, Grammy®, Emmy® and G.A.N.G. Awards. Mr. Alexander’s books include: Applied Professional Harmony, Professional Orchestration™, How Ravel Orchestrated: Mother Goose Suite, The Instant Composer: Counterpoint by Fux, and Writing for Strings™. His historical fiction works for book and stage include The Road of Blood: The Untold Story of The Good Samaritan, and The Unfaithful Wife: The Story of Hosea and Gomer