A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

colleges, Bible schools, and academies have been important training grounds for choir directors and song leaders. Many continued their studies, received Master's and Doctor's degrees in music, and are recognized teachers, conductors, performers, and composers in Canada, United States, and abroad. In addition, thousands of young people received inspiration from singing in the school choirs and oratorio choruses, which then filtered into the churches. Instrumental Music Instrumental music was a part of the early renewal movement within the Mennonite Brethren Church. Various types of instruments served as an accompaniment for congregational singing in Russia, as was mentioned earlier. The reed organ was probably the first keyboard instrument to be introduced into the church sanctuary, with only a few in use by the turn of the century. At times considerable tension arose in congregations when the reed organ and later the piano were introduced, because of their strong secular associations. Some song leaders were of the opinion that the use of a keyboard instrument lessened the enthusiasm for full participation in congregational singing. Neverthe- less, as reed organs and pianos were more commonly found in private homes, these instruments were eventually also accepted and appreciated as useful musical tools for worship services. The practical use of the piano was well adapted for the Sunday school. In the 1940's when electronic organs appeared on the market, they began to replace the reed organs in church sanctuaries, so that by the 1960's most churches had an electronic organ and a piano. Since no Mennonite Brethren college or Bible school had a pipe organ, limited awareness and interest in pipe organs developed. Only two have been installed in Mennonite Brethren churches, one in Canada and one in the United States. However, some new interest is being developed as mere organists are trained on pipe organs outside of Mennonite Brethren circles. The use of wind and stringed instruments has varied from church to church. Various churches did not allow the use of wind instruments but SINGING THE NEW SONG 251 did permit the use of stringed instruments such as guitars, mandolins, and violins. The first third of the twentieth century saw string orchestras appear in some communities; In recent years the use of instruments of all kinds has been approved. Within the last decade percussion instruments such as drums and tambourines have been employed especially with youth music. There has also been a significant increase in the use of guitars with electric amplification. Pioneers in Music Much credit must be given to leaders who fostered the musical aspects of Mennonite Brethren worship. Many gifted, self-taught choir directors and song leaders served local churches through the years. The following are some of the pioneers who made significant contributions to the nurture and development of music in the M