Sympatico
I haven't written in a while. I did go to a couple of lovely concerts in June. I heard James Ehnes play the Elgar violon concerto and Yefim Bronfman the following week playing a Beethoven piano concerto. But the recent musical revelation for me has been a little closer to home.
We have two new people added to our music ministry at the parish. They are a couple who teach vocal music in school. The very first Sunday they were both at the parish we had a beautiful Bach piece at Communion. The music was beautiful and when I looked up to the choir loft, they were both sitting on the organ bench together as he played and she sang.
I was reminded of the intimacy and heart to heart communication that engaging in music together involves. Their married love complemented the music making and vice versa. This deep human sympathy is at the heart of what musicianship is about.
I also sometimes watch, "The Choir", an English program about recruiting and developing workplace choirs from around Britain. It is clear that the quality of singing performance is largely equated with the togetherness of those who participate and it is this togetherness that becomes a gift to the participants. In making music together there is a big revelatory dimension and the opportunity to step outside the complications that often make our relationships hard to navigate.
This is one reason why worship and music are so intimately related. At a time when the interconnected reality of our world is exposing considerable conflict and darkness, we need the language that will embody peace and sympathy -- understanding of one another.
We have two new people added to our music ministry at the parish. They are a couple who teach vocal music in school. The very first Sunday they were both at the parish we had a beautiful Bach piece at Communion. The music was beautiful and when I looked up to the choir loft, they were both sitting on the organ bench together as he played and she sang.
I was reminded of the intimacy and heart to heart communication that engaging in music together involves. Their married love complemented the music making and vice versa. This deep human sympathy is at the heart of what musicianship is about.
I also sometimes watch, "The Choir", an English program about recruiting and developing workplace choirs from around Britain. It is clear that the quality of singing performance is largely equated with the togetherness of those who participate and it is this togetherness that becomes a gift to the participants. In making music together there is a big revelatory dimension and the opportunity to step outside the complications that often make our relationships hard to navigate.
This is one reason why worship and music are so intimately related. At a time when the interconnected reality of our world is exposing considerable conflict and darkness, we need the language that will embody peace and sympathy -- understanding of one another.
