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IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE...
Hands up anyone who doesn't know all, or most, of the words to "All Things Bright and Beautiful", "Once in Royal David's City" or "There is a Green Hill". No, I thought so! These are hymns for special festivals and celebrations that as Christians most of us have grown up with. Like so many other hymns and worship songs they have their own special beauty, and convey a message that is both full of images we can easily identify with and reminds us of the constant and reassuring presence of God in our midst.
Religious music, in all faiths, has a very long history and tradition. Sung a capella, without any sort of instrumentation, many hauntingly beautiful monastic chants are still heard today. Here at St Michael's, the nearest we normally come to this type of music is in our regular Taizé services, and very occasionally in sung Psalms. It reminds us that the wonderful tradition of Christian music is very much alive.
Earlier this year, many churches celebrated the lives of John and Charles Wesley, two of the greatest Christian preachers and hymn writers who have ever lived. Their names live on in the catalogue of wonderful and immortal hymns they left us: "Love Divine, all Loves Excelling", Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies", "Forth in Thy Name, O Lord I Go"...There are certainly a few such songs that I love to sing: badly, it's true, but that doesn't seem to matter, and in any case in singing them I'm celebrating my faith in Christ. And when I hear them sung well, some of them can at times reduce me to tears.
And that is precisely what the point of those hymns and songs is. Psalm 98 tells us in no uncertain terms to "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things". Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, says "...be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts."What better incentive can there be?
"If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it..." (Shakespeare, Twelfth Night).
Gary Williamson
SPECIAL NOTICE - NEW CONTACT E-MAIL
A new e-mail address has now been set up as a primary point of contact for anyone wishing to communicate with Revd Chris, the Churchwardens, Philip Barralet and Barbara Douglas, and the Parish Administration Assistant, Gary Williamson, on all parish and church related matters.
Just go to the Contact page and enter your details!
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