Music is very much a part of my family. Melodies and harmonies abound around a family
who all love to sing and whose Matriarch (my lovely wife) is a Minister of
Music.
We are in the midst of providing music for our church and
community and this year we are experiencing everything from Lessons and Carols
to the John Rutter Gloria. We have observed the music which lovely
little ladies of our community have danced and have sung along with the local
community orchestra.
Christmas is less festive, I believe, without music. In fact, I love it when the radio stations
begin their round-the-clock playing of Christmas “tunes.” I sit in my office with one station playing
them now.
What I am drawn to this year, however, is not the
“Fa-la-la-la-las” but the intricacies of the crafted joining together of notes
and rhythms and words to convey a message.
I have attended the concert of our local community’s orchestra, L’abri twice—once for their annual
Christmas concert and then for a special venue with our church’s senior
adults. It was this second one that drew
me in more than any other. I sat at one
of the closest tables to the orchestra.
In fact, it was pretty close to the conductor’s sweat produced by his
wonderful leadership.For the very first time ever my point of view allowed me to see up close and personal the violins, violas and cellos. I saw the expressions on the faces of the instrumentalists as they purposely and perfectly produced the notes in sync; I saw their fingers and hands meticulously touch the strings to produce the differing notes; I saw the bows eloquently glide across the strings creating the sounds that, when placed all together, captured my ear, my mind and my soul.
Music is more than notes or rhythms. It is the carefully
crafted, beautifully placed mixture of each individual’s unique touch and
perspective marrying their desires for the same beautiful outcome. Music of this season sings on in our hearts
because we all know the tunes so well.
Music is a beautiful analogy for living in community with
others. As co-inhabitants of this
wonderful planet we should applaud each other’s’ contributions and listen for
the harmonies they bring. Too many
times, however, we tend to only hear the discord of those who may be different
than us, go about life in a “peculiar way,” or tend to listen to the beat of a
different drummer.
Maybe during this Holy Season we should just stop and
listen.
This post originally ran on the ABPnews Blog (link to www.abpnews.com/blog & DEALingwithmyworld.blogspot.com
This post originally ran on the ABPnews Blog (link to www.abpnews.com/blog & DEALingwithmyworld.blogspot.com