The Bible and Music

On Tuesday and Thursday, we discussed the moods that music can inflict on listeners. Even songs without words can cause a listener to feel a certain way. This is made possible through the use of major and minor keys. Cantor Giora Sharon also mentioned this during his discussion earlier this semester. He explained how he would change his pitch/key to one that would correspond with the mood he was trying to convey. This past week our discussion took us back to Cantor Giora Sharon’s visit, and elaborated on the use of major and minor keys in music. Dr. McGrath brought in a keyboard and played, for us, a few examples. The first piece was played in a minor key, and set a gloomy mood. The second was played in a major key, and was much more uplifting. In connection with the Bible and music, listeners will find that when a biblical text is set to music, the key will depict the mood that the composer intended to inflict on the listener. For this reason, we know that in order for a biblical text to be effectively set to music, and to successfully tell a story, it must be composed in the correct key. We will see more examples of this, today in class, during professor Frank Felice’s presentation.