Posted on 04/14/2020 6:24:10 PM PDT by marshmallow
As a designer of Orthodox churches, I am frequently asked whether a proposed church building will have good acoustics. Acoustics is a complex matter that cannot always be catagorized as simply “good” or “bad”. In order to shed some light on this topic, I am going to discuss the various acoustical characteristics encountered in churches, the architectural choices that cause them, and their benefits and drawbacks from the standpoint of Orthodox liturgy.
Reverberation Time
The most basic acoustical quality is that of reverberation. This refers to the length of time that sound lingers in a space before dying out. It is commonly measured in the number of seconds that one can hear sound after a loud clap within the room. It can range from a small fraction of second in an ordinary (acoustically dead) room to several seconds in a very reverberant (acoustically live) room. A clap is used to measure this time because it contains no tonal frequency, and the lingering sound is white noise (containing all frequencies). This is important because reverberation can vary across different frequencies, which I will discuss later.
So how can one predict the reverberation time of a space? That is actually quite simple. The reverberation of a space is proportional to the volume of the space multiplied by the acoustic reflectivity of its surfaces. This means that a room will be lively if it is very large, or if the surfaces are smooth and hard. If it has both qualities it will be very lively. Think of a bank lobby with high ceilings and marble-paneled walls. A room like this will be exceptionally reverberant.
Mathematically, this is easy to understand. Each time the sound bounces off a surface, it loses some of its energy. If the room is very large, it will......
(Excerpt) Read more at orthodoxartsjournal.org ...
Terrific Article!
Thank you for posting it.
Christ is Risen!
Thank you for posting this
This was a fascinating article
As a church musician of many years, I found his thoughtful review of the competing needs in the service helpful, as well as how various service music evolved to meet the architectural space
Rule number 1 for Protestant church design - never let the music department be in charge of the acoustical design of the room.
This is cool. I used to take a flute into a back stairwell and play, and it was wonderfully echoey.
Add better link:
That’s true.
Super Fun Rock Band Church!
LOL
(the musicians rule is - never let the pastoral staff be in charge of the acoustical design of the room)
Well, letting the musicians be in charge might make sense for a happy clappy “church” where folks are just there for the entertainment and the rock band needs to sound loud, if not good. Crank up those laser lights and smoke machines, and who really needs to be able to understand what the pastors are saying during the breaks between the sets.
I am surprised that the author did not mention a sounder over the pulpit. The overhead surface projects the sound into the nave without amplification.
I’m an old school church musician who thinks things have been going downhill in church music since the discovery of electricity (though I will admit not needing someone to tend the bellows of the organ is a plus)
I did find the article interesting where he discussed the need for a specific speaking style in churches with an increased reverb
Having been through this process multiple times and having been on more than one side of the discussion, compromises are usually necessary, though it is important to keep the needs of all parties in mind.
Thanks for the insight. Have you seen the “balloon popping” work done in Hagia Sophia?
Bookmark
LoL
Thanks, looks like I just bought another album.
The truth is the opposite what you said. Traditional church spaces with tons of reflections makes it difficult to understand the spoken word.
Modern churches prefer little reverberation. With a quality sound system the word of God is clear.
Interesting. That deep reverby sound is perfect for liturgical choir music like that.
It’s too bad NPR has such a bias because they do some really good work when the subject isn’t political.
Bravo!
Architecture as instrument:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9mbyu9dvyY
In a similar vein...
Hearing the Past : A virtual immersive audio concert for the ears.
Recreating Notre-Dame Cathedral’s 850th anniversary performance of “La Vierge”.
http://acoustic-task-force-notre-dame.dalembert.upmc.fr/doku.php?id=lavierge2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcOPuIVpXxk&feature=emb_logo
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