The Greatest Lutheran Composer
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- Dan_Ellsworth
- H2O
- Caroline
- ears4u
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» Dan_Ellsworth - A church organist got it right
I had come to think of Bach as intricate, but not especially joyful, until one Sunday, years ago, when our church organist Marian Slayton played Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring in a very up-tempo, joyful way, and perhaps for the first time, I heard it as I am convinced it was intended. Marian had a firm habit of playing with joy (I don't know exactly how that is communicated, but apparently she did.), sometimes giving hymns a whole new meaning from that imposed by slow and struggling pianists and organists. But this one time, as the offering was being collected, Marian seemed to take flight with that classic, bringing my slouched body upright as I received the joy communicated by Marian and (Old Powder-Wig? Hardly!) Bach himself. I am not very musical, but I am convinced: There is more doctrine in the composition and playing of music than most people ever suspect. For a few long-remembered moments, it was clear: Bach rocks and Jesus rules. To the glory of God? I believe it.And that's just one performance of one of his works.
-- posted by Dan_Ellsworth
» H2O - Emotion in Music
Emotion is very essential to music--it is the voice of the soul! Unfortunately, many feel emotion has no place in the church. This also affects whether your church buys a full-fledged pipe organ, settles with an electronic organ/keyborad, or just makes do with MIDI.Dan, I believe you might enjoy Amy Grant's rendition of Jesu from her second Christmas album. It is a very uplifting piece!
-- posted by H2O
» Caroline - Musical
Without joy, music is noise. Nice noise sometimes...They don't call us the singing church for nuthin'! :-)
Speaking of Amy, can't believe she married Vince Gill. Didn't even know she got divorced, but then again I don't keep up with celebrity personal lives, etc.
-- posted by Caroline
» ears4u - Bach
There is a carving on a church somewhere in Germany that says something to the effect:Bach gave us God's Word; Mozart gave us God's laughter; Beethoven gave us God's fire; God gave us Music that we might pray without words.
How very true. This world would be a much sadder place without the likes of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and all the rest. What passes for music today will I'm afraid not be around three or four hundred years from now as theirs is.
And yes, there is a great deal of theology in music if one will take the time to listen and search it out.
-- posted by ears4u
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