Worship Sound Spaces unites specialists from architecture, acoustic engineering and the social sciences to encourage closer analysis of the sound environments within places of worship. Gathering a wide range of case studies set in Europe, Asia, North America, the Middle East and Africa, the book presents investigations into Muslim, Christian and Hindu spaces. These diverse cultural contexts demonstrate the composite nature of designing and experiencing places of worship. Beginning with a historical overview of the three primary indicators in acoustic design of religious buildings, reverberation, intelligibility and clarity, the second part of this edited collection offers a series of field studies devoted to perception, before moving onto recent examples of restoration of the sound ambiances of former religious buildings. Written for academics and students interested in architecture, cultural heritage, acoustics, sensory studies and sound. The multimedia documents of this volume may be consulted at the address: https://frama.link/WSS

Worship Space Acoustics is a unique guide to the design, construction, and use of religious facilities for optimum acoustics. The book is divided into two parts: Part 1 discusses methods and techniques of room optimization – how the acoustics of large and small spaces are designed, implemented, and adjusted, and how acoustical privacy is attained; noise and its control as well as sound reinforcement and numerical and physical modeling techniques. Part 2 provides the architect, student, and lay-person a review of the characteristics of the religious services pertinent to various beliefs and how these are provided for in the acoustic design of spaces in synagogues, churches, and mosques.Key Features • Covers the design, construction, and use of religious facilities for optimum acoustics • Presents the historical background to existing practice, problems, and solutions, to deepen understanding for those involved in design, construction and use • Illustrates both the similarities and differences between facilities for different religious groups • Offers a unique reference for those who teach and study, both in architecture and in religious education

Whether you are designing a new system or need to update and get the most out of the one in place Sound of Worship will offer essential information to guide and inform you choices. Written to give the context to help you focus your choices as well as the technical information to understand options, this essential guide will help you avoid costly mistakes when working with acoustics and the sound systems of the church. When planning a system this book has you covered! Considering everything from building design and understanding the purpose and use of the sound system to the technical aspects of the acoustic equipment and sound specification and types. The website has numerous audio examples to illustrate points made and tools used in the book. It demonstrate the terms used and what different choices will sound like, with before and after recordings of acoustic treatment and how it effects the overall sound of the church.

Running title: The Yamaha guide to sound systems for worship.

Worship Sound Spaces unites specialists from architecture, acoustic engineering and the social sciences to encourage closer analysis of the sound environments within places of worship. Gathering a wide range of case studies set in Europe, Asia, North America, the Middle East and Africa, the book presents investigations into Muslim, Christian and Hindu spaces. These diverse cultural contexts demonstrate the composite nature of designing and experiencing places of worship. Beginning with a historical overview of the three primary indicators in acoustic design of religious buildings, reverberation, intelligibility and clarity, the second part of this edited collection offers a series of field studies devoted to perception, before moving onto recent examples of restoration of the sound ambiances of former religious buildings. Written for academics and students interested in architecture, cultural heritage, acoustics, sensory studies and sound. The multimedia documents of this volume may be consulted at the address: https://frama.link/WSS

“Worship Space Acoustics: 3 Decades of Design is a beautiful collection of recent work. This is a comprehensive compendium that far surpasses previous publications in the field in its depth, design, and information. Worship spaces of all major U.S. religions are covered. This book should be an obligatory reference for any consultant involved in church architecture and acoustics.” -Mendel Kleiner, author of Worship Space Acoustics, Acoustics: Information and Communication Series (J. Ross Publishing 2010) “All involved in their design will appreciate this presentation of recent rooms for religious worship.” -Leo L. Beranek, author of Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics, and Architecture (Springer-Verlag 2004) “Through descriptions, photos, drawings, and acoustical data, this book provides valuable information on existing worship spaces designed during the past thirty years. This very well-edited book, including the Editors' Preface and six excellent essays from key people involved in worship space design, provides valuable information and ideas on the aesthetic, acoustic, and liturgical design of worship spaces for a number of faiths and in several countries.” -Robert Coffeen, principle at R. C. Coffeen, Consultant in Acoustics LLC, Lawrence, Kansas This book takes the reader on a wide-ranging tour through churches, synagogues, mosques, and other worship spaces designed during the past 30 years. The book begins with a series of essays on topics ranging from the soundscape of worship spaces to ecclesiastical design at the turn of the 21st Century. Perspective pieces from an architect, audio designer, music director, and worship space owner are also included. The core of the book presents the acoustical and architectural design of a wide variety of individual worship space venues. Acoustical consulting firms, architects, and worship space designers from across the world contributed their recent innovative works in the area of worship space acoustics. The contributions include detailed renderings and architectural drawings, as well as informative acoustic data graphs and evocative descriptions of the spaces. Filled with beautiful photography and fascinating modern design, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in religious architecture, acoustical design, or musical performance.

This volume approaches the issue of ambient sound through the ethnographic exploration of different cultural contexts including Italy, India, Egypt, France, Ethiopia, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, and Japan. It examines social, religious, and aesthetic conceptions of sound environments, what types of action or agency are attributed to them, and what bodies of knowledge exist concerning them. Contributors shed new light on these sensory environments by focusing not only on their form and internal dynamics, but also on their wider social and cultural environment. The multimedia documents of this volume may be consulted at the address: milson.fr/routledge_media.

House of Worship Sound Reinforcement provides everything you need to know to become a sound technician in a house of worship and beyond. Starting with the basic foundations of sound, you'll progress into learning how the sound in your house of worship is captured with microphones and transduced into electricity. From there, you will explore the wonders of the mixing console, where all the audio you're capturing is sent, processed, and mixed together. Next up will be a thorough examination of how sound is projected not only to the congregation but also back at the worship team through the speaker system. After delving into the world of digital processors, you will learn how to create an optimal environment for projecting sound in your worship space, which includes properly setting up your system. Finally, you will discover what it takes to maintain your system as well as how to readjust and/or create a new system for outreach events. Although the concepts in this book are complex, they are conveyed in non-technical language, so even if you have no experience with sound reinforcement, the book's contents are easy to follow and put into practice. The authors focus on real-world situations and setups and avoid discussions of physics and math, which can be confusing and intimidating. Whether you are just beginning your journey into live sound, you've been mixing at your own house of worship for a period of time, or you have years of experience already logged in, you will surely find useful information, tricks of the trade, and sound advice in this book that will serve you for years to come.

Publisher Description

This fully updated second edition is a selective annotated bibliography of all relevant published resources relating to church and worship music in the United States. Over the past decade, there has been a growth of literature covering everything from traditional subject matter such as the organ works of J.S. Bach to newer areas of inquiry including folk hymnology, women and African-American composers, music as a spiritual healer, to the music of Mormon, Shaker, Moravian, and other smaller sects. With multiple indices, this book will serve as an excellent tool for librarians, researchers, and scholars sorting through the massive amount of material in the field.