How Do I Love Thee . . .
Although St. Valentine is not celebrated as a feast in the Roman calendar his name still is very much in the list of saints. Like many early saints, not a great deal is known about him, and like many early Christians he paid a heavy price for his faith. One legend says that he sent heart-shaped messages to other believers who were in prison.
So while the prayer of the Church is preparing us for the soon to arrive season of Lent, St. Valentine lightens things up a bit. Today we connect him with romantic love.
Love songs are as old as music, I'm sure. They are certainly in the Scriptures. The Psalms and the Song of Songs of the Hebrew Scriptures testify to a singing tradition about both divine and human love.
Love songs are often what we are imprinted with as we launch off into the world as emerging young adults. Unfortunately, I was born at a time when disco reigned. Not too many of my generation are hurrying to put on that music now.
These songs of memory are ways for us to be propelled back to the events of our adolescent life. By themselves, they don't have to be great songs sung by great singers. At one moment these songs became binding agents -- something to stick us together.
Love is more. It draws us into deeper intimacy. That intimacy usually requires us to burn some calories, to make real efforts to know and care for another or for others. There are many love songs for all the different stages of relationship.
Personally, my own view of love tends to be coloured with a bit of humour, because I am all too aware of how much our human frailties and eccentricities wreak havoc with our best intentions.
So here are few suggestions from among the almost infinite list that could be made:
There is a wonderful folk music tradition here in Canada and we pay so very little attention to it. One remarkable bard was Stan Rogers. His "45 Years From Now" is a wonderful testimony to his love for his wife. Another track is "Lock Keeper" where he prefers the stability and close love of family and friends over the roving life of the sailor.
There are many recorded version of "The Dutchman" a touching story of an elderly couple. The husband is suffering with cognitive impairments and the wife sensitively shows him care and love. The recorded version I have is by our local man, John McDermott.
In many of the songs of Stompin' Tom Connors you hear the story of love, couple love, love of country and, of course, some disappointments in love too. Some of his wackiest ones are, "The Ketchup Song", and "A Real Canadian Girl".
In the historic and funny vein, I have a disc by Mary Lou Fallis and the Victoria Scholars called Primadonna on a Moose. It unearths old sheet music songs of 19th century Canada. I like, "Take your Girl out to the Rink" and "Snowshoe Tramp". Lines like, "we make couches in the snow" make me think of heavily dressed Victorians out in fur coats and wooden snow shoes with their pockets stuffed with food and refreshment escaping a little of the social conventions of the time.
In the classical world there are many love songs of course. The better known ones include, "O Mio Babbino Caro", from the opera "Gianni Schicchi" by Puccini. There are many recordings. Among the ones I have is one by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a woman of Maori descent from New Zealand who became very famous on the world's opera stages a generation ago. Great parts of Puccini's opera "La Boheme" capture the joys and conflicts that co-exist in love. And there are many others.
I think of the voices of Kathleen Battle and Leontyne Price singing from the great library of Gospel music capturing love that is both human and divine.
Happy Valentine's Day. Give thanks for the love that is in your life.
So while the prayer of the Church is preparing us for the soon to arrive season of Lent, St. Valentine lightens things up a bit. Today we connect him with romantic love.
Love songs are as old as music, I'm sure. They are certainly in the Scriptures. The Psalms and the Song of Songs of the Hebrew Scriptures testify to a singing tradition about both divine and human love.
Love songs are often what we are imprinted with as we launch off into the world as emerging young adults. Unfortunately, I was born at a time when disco reigned. Not too many of my generation are hurrying to put on that music now.
These songs of memory are ways for us to be propelled back to the events of our adolescent life. By themselves, they don't have to be great songs sung by great singers. At one moment these songs became binding agents -- something to stick us together.
Love is more. It draws us into deeper intimacy. That intimacy usually requires us to burn some calories, to make real efforts to know and care for another or for others. There are many love songs for all the different stages of relationship.
Personally, my own view of love tends to be coloured with a bit of humour, because I am all too aware of how much our human frailties and eccentricities wreak havoc with our best intentions.
So here are few suggestions from among the almost infinite list that could be made:
There is a wonderful folk music tradition here in Canada and we pay so very little attention to it. One remarkable bard was Stan Rogers. His "45 Years From Now" is a wonderful testimony to his love for his wife. Another track is "Lock Keeper" where he prefers the stability and close love of family and friends over the roving life of the sailor.
There are many recorded version of "The Dutchman" a touching story of an elderly couple. The husband is suffering with cognitive impairments and the wife sensitively shows him care and love. The recorded version I have is by our local man, John McDermott.
In many of the songs of Stompin' Tom Connors you hear the story of love, couple love, love of country and, of course, some disappointments in love too. Some of his wackiest ones are, "The Ketchup Song", and "A Real Canadian Girl".
In the historic and funny vein, I have a disc by Mary Lou Fallis and the Victoria Scholars called Primadonna on a Moose. It unearths old sheet music songs of 19th century Canada. I like, "Take your Girl out to the Rink" and "Snowshoe Tramp". Lines like, "we make couches in the snow" make me think of heavily dressed Victorians out in fur coats and wooden snow shoes with their pockets stuffed with food and refreshment escaping a little of the social conventions of the time.
In the classical world there are many love songs of course. The better known ones include, "O Mio Babbino Caro", from the opera "Gianni Schicchi" by Puccini. There are many recordings. Among the ones I have is one by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a woman of Maori descent from New Zealand who became very famous on the world's opera stages a generation ago. Great parts of Puccini's opera "La Boheme" capture the joys and conflicts that co-exist in love. And there are many others.
I think of the voices of Kathleen Battle and Leontyne Price singing from the great library of Gospel music capturing love that is both human and divine.
Happy Valentine's Day. Give thanks for the love that is in your life.
