Pop-Mennonite:
The Exhibit Soundtrack (In
Dramatic Stereo/77 min) Edited & Produced by Don Michael
Swartzentruber
Hymns,
sermons and words were appropriated from cassette tapes (early 70's to mid 90's) from various church services. Some of the tapes
were old and in such poor condition that copying them to digital files was
their demise. The original track was split into stereo channels and edited,
sometimes heavily, to add clarity to the message. They were remastered into a
sometimes surreal soundtrack.
Now you can share the Pop-Mennonite CD with friends free on Youtube.
| Mennonite women's conference singing
"Spirit of the Living God" | Ivan Miller "Touch-Walk" |
John Mishler "Dear Christian Friends-I Thank God" | Earl
Swartzentruber "Do the will of the father" | Johnny Mills "Spirit"
| Del Swartzentruber "Brothers and Sisters" | Merle Embleton: Chorister "Wonderful the Matchless Grace
of Jesus" |
| Walter Beachy "Carnality" |
Elmer Jantzi "The Realm of Death" |
Myron Augsburger "Tozer" | Walter
Beachy "Sinless" |
Church Membership (0.24)
| John Mishler "Foreigner" |
Duane Swartzentruber "Mennonite Baby" | Jay Biggs
"Membership"| (excommunicated)
Circus Worship (0.38)
| John Mishler "Christian
Friends" | Clayton Swartzentruber "Entertainment"| Jay Biggs
"Circus Atmosphere"|
Congregation (0.45)
| John Mishler "Congregation" |
Convictions (3.04)
| Millard Bender: chorister Before
Jehovah's Awful Throne" | Luke Yoder "Lordship of Christ"|
Late Night Shows (0:28)
| Dr. Floyd Mast "Materialism",
"Late Night Shows and Videos" |
Eye for an Eye (2:24)
| Walter Beachy "Christian
Soldiers?" | Myron Augsburger "Eye for
an Eye" | Clayton Swartzentruber "American Flag" | Walter
Beachy "Enemies" | Willard Mayer "Great Opposition" |
Family Worship (3:40)
| Paul Swartzentruber "Busy
Schedule" | (siblings) Dean, Del and Jeana Swartzentruber sing
"Family" | Congregation |
Farming Community (1:09)
| Congregational men singing "Church
Hymnal" | Ken Miller "Community" | Dorcus Miller "This
Earth"|
Feminism (3:16)
| Congregational Woman "My Life for
Thee" | Betty Troyer "Women's Power"|
Heritage (3:29)
Myron Augsburger
"Is Menno Simmons in here?" | Eli Bontreger
"Jehovah God"| Congregational singing "God Himself is with
Us" |
Jewelry (1:28)
| Anonymous "Girls and Guys", "Wedding
Ring", "simplicity"|
Just as I am (1:14)
| Congregational singing "Just as I
Am" -slow tempo |
Justice for the Soul (3:25)
| John David Swartzentruber: chorister
"Be Still My Soul" | " Myron Augsburger
"Justice"
Life without Regret (2:31)
|John Mishler "Stand" | Merle Embleton: Chorister "All the Way My Savior Leads
Me" | Elmer Jantzi "Regret" |
Clayton Swartzentruber "Hebrew Story" | John David Swartzentruber
"Chariot Story" |
Mennonite Circle (3:50)
| Walter Beachy "Unmennonite"
| Myron Augsburger "Nondemonimational"
| Dwayne (reading words of Mark Swartzentruber) "General
Conference" | Myron Augsburger "God is
not Stuck" | Harvey Mast "Prayer" | Myron Augsburger "True Church Now" | Myron Augsburger "Amish or Mennonite?" | Mennonite
chant |
Mission Field (1:51)
| Earl Swartzentruber "" | Jay
Biggs "Kenyans" | Earl Swartzentruber "Humanitarian
Service", "No Deep Roots" |
Need Atonement (1:39)
| Willard Mayer "Prayer of
Atonement" (Same voice brought in as multiple tracks at different
pitch) |
Pledge to Peace (0:42)
| Daniel Swartzentruber "Pledge
Allegiance to God" | Clayton Swartzentruber "Prince of
Peace" |
|Walter Beachy "Felt like a
thief" | Ruth Embleton "Off Limits
Room" | Walter Beachy, "Restitution" |
Sanctified Imagination (1:09)
|Walter Beachy "Sanctified
Imagination" | Earl Swartzentruber "Keep your mind on God" |
Ivan Miller "What is God Like?" | Earl Swartzentruber
"Wondering Mind" |
Short Shorts (1:00)
| Jay Biggs "Members Meetings 89-90:
Short Shorts" | Lois Smoker "Flee Fornication" | Jay Biggs
"Members Meetings 89-90: In Town Wearing Shorts" | Paul
Swartzentruber "That was a girl Dad" |
The Kingdom (2:26)
| Greenwood Mennonite Church
congregational singing "Thin is the Kingdom" (audio track
reversal | forward)
The Music Lesson (1:24)
| Kevin Yoder: chorister "Count Your
Blessings: The Music Lesson"|
Unworldly (3:30)
|Walter Beachy "Täufenjager:
Baptist hunters" | Earl Swartzentruber "Isolationists" |
Walter Beachy "God First"," Cultural Issues" |
| Earl Swartzentruber "He'll Take
the Snake Out of it and Give it back to You" |
Wisdom (2:22)
| Elmer Jantzi
"Ignorance is Not Bliss" | Dorcus Miller "Mennonite
wisdom" | Elmer Jantzi "Everything is
Meaningless" |
Women's Issues (3:12)
|Congregational women "I Would be
True" | David Showalter "I Feel Sorry for any Woman who Wants to
be a Man", "Function" | Jay Biggs "Why do woman
standout?", "Convictions for the Vail" | Myron Augsburger "Binding and Loosing" |
Amen (2:21)
|Earl Swartzentruber "Empty
Benches" | GMS Chorus "Amen" with Dean and Don
Swartzentruber, (1981)| Auditorium after church|
REVIEWS
"I thoroughly enjoyed the CD. I think it is very interesting in that it
gives an insiders view
into the religious background that gives rise to much of your work. It would
be interesting to be a fly on the wall at an exhibit to see and hear folks
reaction to the CD as they view the art."-Mansfield, Ohio.
"... 'Originally, my
intentions were to appropriate Mennonite congregational singing for the
background of Pop-Mennonite exhibits' said Swartzentruber, but over time 'the
project evolved into something much larger, and in my opinion, just as
expressive as the two-dimensional work.' ...The incorporation of audio into
such a surrealistic collection of art gives the exhibit, as a whole, the
rudder needed to steer onlookers into each piece. 'I view all the voices on
the project as sacred manifestations of spiritual practitioners,' said
Swartzentruber. 'While some may feel the work [has] been edited to make jest
or to project a dark tone to the Mennonite faith, this was not my intention
when making this soundtrack, or any of the artwork. This sound track gives
opportunity for practicing Mennonites to preach to their 'outsider' audience.
As one who grew up in, but has since moved away from the Mennonite church, I
find the work nostalgic, inspirational, and a tremendous source for
critiquing my own worldview.' -the Sounding Board "Thanks for the
soundtrack. It was a desired Christmas gift requested by my husband.
Naturally we have spent hours listening followed by intense dialog since
Christmas! You asked for my thoughts... What a novel idea to use audio along
with visual art to evoke greater passion from the viewer/listener. This has
been my experience without viewing the art in my home! I am struck with
several things
1. Given my old Mennonite background (recently am "converting" to
Church of the Brethren), at times while listening to the soundtrack I laughed
hysterically and at times I was simply angry, remembering vividly the
patriarchal role that dominated my past. Listening to the entire soundtrack I
felt like a child in church when I didn't understand something that was being
said or impatient with the service- slowness of song, boring preacher, how I
used to hang onto funny phrases...
2. We just don't get worship, do we - I didn't realize before that so much of
our worship is words; talk, talk, talk - when do we just listen? I think we
have much to learn from meditation.
3. I feel sad that the Spirit was silenced so early in the service.
4. You manage to get the women in there too with their tough love threatening
to cut us off... There are many other mini sermons throughout the soundtrack.
These are just a few that I found profound. I am thankful for my past and
still love to reconnect from time to time, marveling each time at the clear
roles for men and women and clear boundaries of that community. Thanks for
providing an avenue for dialog, tears, and laughter. My husband says it was
the best gift.
- Respectfully, Betty Yoder (Ft. Wayne, IN)
LINKS TO MENNONITE MUSIC: Anabaptist Books: CDs by A Capella Harmony Quartet, Magnolia Melodies,
Pilgrim Chorus, Sharon Singers, Sunshine Valley Quartet, The Mennonite Hour
Singers, The Mountain Anthems, Voice of Praise Heritage Music: Collection of Mennonite group music Audiotapes.com: "United States Church Records: Mennonite and
Amish" Mennonite Archives of
Ontario: Oral History: Sound
recordings gathered by the Mennonite Archives Gospel Echoes: Mennonite music ministry to prisons.
The Sharon Singers, a Mennonite Choir, provide beautiful non-instrumental
singing.
