Song indicator
A song indicator is an apparatus for displaying song numbers and stanzas from a hymn book for congregational chanting in church services . Meanwhile there are also song display devices that can also display texts and images.
Song board
On a song board (also song board ) fixed songs or stanzas are displayed before the beginning of the service. The song and stanza numbers are - usually by the sacristan - attached by hand to a pin board or a magnetic board or placed or hung on strips. Song boards are more common in Protestant than Catholic churches. At the beginning of the service, they give an overview of the song sequence and, if necessary, other elements in the service (such as the psalm prayed by the congregation) and enable the service attendees to mark the displayed songs with ribbon bookmarks in the songbook, all the more quickly and without a disruptive search to be able to access them during the service.
Electronic song display
Electronic song displays are now installed in many churches . The numeric transmitter (the control unit) is usually attached to the organ . In recent years, more and more radio systems have become established here, which also make it possible to have the songs displayed by the pastor or sacristan in the absence of an organist. The number generators (control devices) allow a spontaneous selection of songs or verses and thus offer the organist the opportunity to have other songs or verses sing if necessary. Modern control units can save up to 100 entries.
When running as a projector , the numbers are thrown onto a bright church wall. This has the advantage that large distances can be bridged without the expensive laying of cables and that there is no annoying board to spoil the church interior. Light-emitting diodes are used in modern light panels (song display panels) . There is a wide range of accessories for special applications, such as B. mechanical or electrical rotary actuators for illuminated panels.
In various churches, projectors are also interconnected with light panels. Modern light panels can not only display up to eight song numbers one below the other, but can also display images, texts and information for the worshipers. Large LC displays are used for this. With the introduction of new song books or hymn books, it is sometimes necessary to purchase a new song display if old devices have too few display positions for song and stanza numbers.
Video projection
The use of video projectors , which in connection with a PC can display the entire lyrics instead of the song number, is rare . However, this procedure is problematic from a legal point of view, as the projecting of entire texts is not provided for in the general agreements between churches and GEMA .
