Sound Vestibules

For the Good Friday/Easter weekend we employed the use of what I like to call “sound vestibules” throughout the auditorium and lobby space.

These vestibules were designed to create different prayer and contemplation moments by stimulating our sense of hearing. Very simple to make, the 10 vestibules were crafted with twine, burlap, large plastic storage bins, and small CD players with a repeat function.

We drilled holes in the bottom of the storage bins and tied the CD players to the inside of the bin so that when the bin hung upside down one could operate the player easily. You MUST make sure your CD players will hold a CD tight and play upside down.

We then suspended the sound vestibules in various places so that a person of about 6’ 3” could stand beneath the vestibule without hitting their head. We wrapped the vestibules in burlap and tied them at the top so that they looked like large sacks hanging from the ceiling.

Each sound vestibule held and individual CD that played either music, familiar sounds, static, or a selected reading. We changed the selections between Good Friday and Easter. Here were the selections:

Good Friday:
1. Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2 (thanks for the tip Nathan)
2. Gregorian Chant: Salve Regina by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice and Saint-Maur, Clervaux
3. The Screwtape Letters on Audiobook
4. Static
5. The Concert of the Earth (Le concert de la terre) –Nature Sounds
6. ( ) Sigur Ros
7. Reading of Luke 22 and 23
8. Reading of Luke 22 and 23 (two spots)
9. Selected Hymns
10. Folk Music of Palestine

Easter:
1. Selected Classics
2. More Gregorian Chant
3. Reading of Luke 24
4. Reading of Luke 24
5. Reading of Luke 24 (three spots)
6. Selected Celebratory Familiar Worship Tunes
7. The Concert of the Earth (Le concert de le terre)—Nature Sounds
8. Selected loops
9. Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of U2
10. Westwinds Live

On Good Friday, we encouraged roaming throughout the room during communion to take time at each vestibule. This was fun to watch as people closed their eyes and prayed beneath different vestibules. Some sang. Some cried.

On Easter, we didn’t draw specific attention to them but rather let everyone discover them on their own.

We left them on throughout the whole Fusion with the exception of the message. The sound stayed rather contained beneath the vestibules until the room got very quiet so our ushers stopped them during the message.

Highly recommend this one. Easy. Fun. Different.