At a recent school band concert I attended.

[Slowhand16]

I noticed most of the songs were Christian Christmas hymns. The school is a public school in South Carolina. What happened to separation of church and state? You gonna tell me that there was not one Jew or Muslim in that auditorium? It really pissed me off. What really made me mad was a "sing along" at the end. Not seasonal songs, Christian Christmas songs! What the hell is the matter with these freaks? Your thoughts....

[MemphisTiger]

1. What did you expect during the holidays in the South?

Was there a Jew or a Muslim in the auditorium? Chances are no. You could write a strongly worded letter to the administration and band director and let them know your concern.

[seaj11]

8. My (Southern) high school was rather unusual, actually...

They did hire a right-wing religious nut-job for a--get this--Political Science teacher, but they also trumpeted the "ethnic diversity" of the school (albeit not the religious preferences of the students, and there was a definite "white" majority--but acknowledging diversity is a tiny step in the right direction, anyway) and our "holiday" program, as they called it, did include one Kwanzaan song and one Jewish song. The rest were Christmas songs.

[Dzimbowicz]

10. I am a teacher in this school

and YES, there are quite a few Muslims, Jews and Hindus in our school, not to mention Atheists and Agnostics.

[goddess40]

2. Complain to the school

but you are in the south and they don't do separation of church and state very well.

[Slowhand16]

4. You got that right

[Slowhand16]

6. I am a student...

That played in the concert. This ignoring of the separation of church at state thing happens elsewhere as well.. When I was in marching band last year the band directors led a prayer and singing of some Christian song before each competition. The Beta Club, or honor society leads a program where you fill shoeboxes with stuff for those less fortunate. I think this is a good cause, but when we watched a video about it, who is on but Franklin Graham. I don't know... It bothers me. My family is Christian but I have my own beliefs and what not. I don't like religion being forced on me, I am very accepting of other religions and I despise this ignorance. Anyhow, the DU keeps me sane.. lol.

[sdfernando]

3. I'd rather they have a band than not.

I'm torn in this area. I do think you're right about separation of church & state, but I also think music and other arts are a VERY important part of a child's education. Here in California, the arts in public schools have been dying a slow death. I'd rather there be a band in school, even if there is a "Christmas" concert, than no band at all.

I have been playing in bands and orchestras since the 8th grade, I'm now 43, so its been a long time. Right now one of the groups I play in is a local community band that comprised of mostly gay members. We have a lot of straight people play with us too because they like what we play, and what we stand for. We do annual holiday concerts and it is VERY difficult to find seasonal music that is not of the Christian faith. We've had some success in locating arrangements of traditional Jewish music, but so far it's zero for Muslim music and Kwaanza. I seem to remember the strict Muslim faiths frown on music (I could be wrong here so correct me if so), so that may be why it's hard to find.

[kslib]

5. If you really want...

there are actually quite a few Kwanza songs and Haunaka songs (that aren't "dradle") out there written specifically for grade school and jr. high/high-school and even college bands. I have a good friend who is a band teacher (we played in marching band together in college), and he says that they are written by people specifically because parents want a "Christmas Concert" like they had when they were kids, and this helps teachers give parents what they want (so they will support the arts!), while still keeping P.C. and fair in the public schools. Probably not a perfect solution, but a good compromise! By the way, he also stays away from songs about witches during halloween, so as not to offend wiccans! :)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. And for a school choir, much of the best music is religious

If you're going to have a high-quality music program that introduces students to the best of musical literature, you're going to eventually encounter religious music.

I've found that adult classical music fans can separate the quality of the music from the words, which they may or may not agree with. I was surprised when one of my ex-gentleman friends, who was Jewish, wanted to go hear a performance of the St. Matthew Passion. I've sung countless versions of Ave Maria, even though I don't believe in praying to the Virgin Mary. When my church choir performed Bach's B Minor Mass, we borrowed the scores from...the University of Minnesota. And African-American Gospel music has fans who are neither black nor Christian.

What was really fun was when I was in a community chorus that sang a bit of everything: call and response songs from Gambia, a Samoan dance song, a setting of a Lakota prayer, Brückner's "Locus Iste," excerpts from "Messiah," a South African freedom song, a calypso version of "Jingle Bells," Mozart's "Exultate Jubilate," you name it,

[politicat]

9. Religious music can be very useful for teaching.

I was a musician growing up, and if Bach or Mozart's masses, or Handel's Messiah had been removed from the curriculum, it would have meant an unbalanced musical education. Further, much African American music is religiously based.

The guidelines that most music educators are supposed to use look like this:

GUIDELINES FOR MUSIC EDUCATORS
Music educators should exercise good judgment in selecting sacred music for study and programming for public performances. During the planning phase of instruction or programming, the following questions should be considered by each teacher in determining if a program is acceptable.
--> Is the music selected on the basis of its musical and educational value rather than its religious context?
--> Are the traditions of different people shared and respected?
--> Is the excessive use of sacred music, religious symbols or scenery, and performance in devotional settings avoided?
--> Is the role of sacred music a neutral one, neither promoting nor inhibiting religious views?
--> Are all local and school policies regarding religious holidays observed?
--> Is there understanding of the various religious beliefs and sensitivities represented by the school-children and parents?

These come from the Wisconsin Music Educators' Association, but Fundy-lovin' Colorado has similar guidelines. You might want to have a conference with the principal, the music teacher and (perhaps) a member of the clergy who is supportive of the separation of religion and government (check with Americans United or the Unitarians for locals) and any other parents who were concerned about the religious nature of the program. Refer to the guidelines as above (and available here: http://www.wmea.com/about/relig_pos.html) and remind the teacher and the principal that it is YOUR responsibility and right to educate your child about theological matters, not the school's, and that you do not delegate it to them.

Pcat

[Donald Ian Rankin]

11. I think you're going to far, I'm afraid.

I don't think it's reasonable to object to a strongly predominantly Christian band (assuming yours is that, which I'm doing on blind prejudice alone, I'm afraid, and apologise if I'm wrong about) singing predominantly Christian songs, unless there is a clear attempt to impose Christian *belief* along with those songs.

Also, I think that if you do protest, it should be because these songs offend you, not because you think they'll offend other people.

I agree with you, if a school was to require all children to sing songs about how God doesn't exist there would be hell to pay, and this *is* inequitable, but a) I think the solution should be in the other direction, and b) there's no point picking a fight you can't win.