Why Music?
William Douglas, Organist & Choirmaster at St. John’s, contributed the essay this week.
Why do church musicians all around the world spend hours each week preparing for services of worship? Why do choir members give so much of their time to rehearse on their own, together, and even just before services? For example, the musicians at St. John’s spend between 6 to 9 hours each week in rehearsals or services. Why give all this time and attention to practicing? Why do we sing hymns, anthems, and Anglican chant in our liturgies? The answer is simple; music is powerful.
Music’s real power isn’t derived from perfectly tuned chords or profound text set to music. Music is powerful because it is a gift from God. When this gift is used and offered appropriately, it has the ability to lift the thin veil between heaven and earth to give us glimpses of what is to come. Some people have described having moments of out-of-body experiences, or states of ecstasy. I feel both are valid descriptions of the powerful effects of music, but at the same time limiting. Anytime humans need to describe the intangible, we are limited by our own mortal understanding. Music is not the score of an anthem or hymnal with dots on a page that we hold in our hands. Music is the language that bridges the gap between our mouths and God’s ears. Music is the sound of human emotions, those we can describe, and those we cannot. Music is the language of the soul made audible.
Music forms and elevates our response to God. Music’s place in our services is a gift from God that he uses to reveal something of himself to us. It communicates with unsurpassed greatness the effect of the majesty of the Almighty, the gentleness of his love, or the challenge of his righteousness. The power to “speak” to the listener at a deep level is sufficient to justify its use alongside the reading of Scripture and the preaching of the Word of God. An equally important reason for God giving us the gift of music is that it forms a part of our response to him. In the praise, penitence, and prayer we address to God, music underlines and complements our speech. It enables us to express what we feel but cannot fully articulate in words alone.
So why do we sing? Firstly, we sing in our worship because it is biblical. Perhaps the most frequently recounted moments of singing in the Bible are when Mary sings the Magnificat and Simeon sings the Nunc dimittis. However, there are a long list of other musicians and singers in the Bible: Jubal, considered the father of musicians as he was the first to play an instrument (probably the harp and flute); Miriam sings a song with the women of Israel after the parting of the Red Sea; Deborah and Baruch sing a song of praise to God after a great victory; Hannah sings what is now called the Song of Hannah; Paul and Silas sang hymns while in prison; Levites were appointed by David to serve as musicians in the Temple. David, the shepherd, who is credited with composing many of the Psalms. Lastly, Christ sang Psalms with the disciples at the Last Supper before going to the Mount of Olives to pray.
Perhaps the second most important reason for why we sing in our worship services is what it forces us to do. To sing well, we must listen. We have to listen so that as a community we align ourselves in rhythm and breath. Each person has to conform to the pulse set by the organist and then maintain the same rhythm and breathe together as a whole before continuing the journey through phrases and verses together. It’s interesting to note that when even two people sing together, their heart rates begin to synchronize. It is also important to remember that when we sing, we are not alone.
When we recite the Lord’s Prayer, we say, “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We don’t know a great deal of what heaven will be like, but we do know this: that the angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven are forever singing praise around the throne of the heavenly host. When we sing, we join in with praise that was going on long before our existence and will continue long after the hush of our final sound. Walt Whitman puts it perfectly; “The powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.” All those who have gone before join with us each time we sing the Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy, Lord…). That fact is something that has given me much comfort over the years when I’ve had to face the death of a family member.
Finally, while we all are continually inspired by the architecture of St. John’s, the reverence due to the building is a result of the actions that take place within. The preaching, reading of scripture, and the singing of a community brought together to serve something greater than themselves is the essence of the Christian heart. Without the clergy, volunteers, and the music department preserving the heritage of beautiful worship, St. John’s would merely be a pretty building. I pray that the community here may continue to grow in size, strength, and compassion. This so the worship enacted may elevate those who observe and participate.
I leave you with the following quote from Igor Stravinsky: “The Church knew what the Psalmist knew: Music praises God. Music is well, or better, able to praise Him than the building of the church and all its decoration; it is the Church’s greatest ornament.”