AT A recent service that I attended, one of the clergy accidentally muted her personal microphone. Realising that her voice was not being amplified, she raised it and slightly slowed her pace. Everything was perfectly comprehensible, although you had to listen a bit harder.
Sound amplification is a given in most churches these days. It brings obvious benefits, particularly to the hard of hearing. But sound systems have their problems. They can be labour-intensive, needing either sound desks or internet-dependent iPads, which require management. There is also the problem that microphones can give a false sense of security to readers and preachers, who often assume that their voices will be carried effectively without their also needing to speak up and out.
Sound-reinforcement is just that: reinforcement. It cannot effectively amplify speech that is barely audible to start with. When I left broadcasting and found myself preaching and leading worship regularly, I had to learn to project more and slow my speed. For years, I had depended on ideal studio conditions, staffed by sound specialists. Churches are big spaces, and the challenge is more complex. I still get it wrong, except when I find that there is no sound system at all, in which case I rely on long-ago school training in voice projection.
I find lip mics, adapted from the pop-music world, both uncomfortable and disorientating, especially those designed to be worn on the head like cages. The intimate sound that they produce is also at odds with what the congregation see, especially when the speaker is yards away at the altar or in the pulpit. This dissonance can make the whole service seem remote and “spacey”.
Clergy used to be mocked for adopting a sing-song voice, but, in terms of church acoustics, their instincts were right. Until relatively recently, much of the service was chanted, especially the Gospel, and sometimes the epistle, too. This was not some weird affectation: it simply enabled the Word to be heard. Cantors and other solo singers do not need microphones.
Those who regularly lead informal worship often rely on a hand-held microphone, which they wield themselves, enabling them to shift instantly from loud declamation to intense whisper. In such settings, possession of the mic conveys authority much more effectively than the clerical dress that they are unlikely to wear. But the rest of us have to work with the systems that we have.
For my money (and there is a lot of money involved in installing a half-decent system), an omni-directional microphone on the altar and directional ones in the pulpit, lectern, and wherever else they are needed produce a more natural sound, if properly used. Those preparing for ordination were once put through speech training to ensure that they enunciated appropriately. These days, a few sessions on the use of microphones might be time well spent.
