The Bible and Music

Today’s class, was very interesting. We heard from two speakers about music and Part, the composer. I found it very interesting the viewpoints the guest speakers showed. The composer, Part, wrote music in a simple way but with great meaning. In each of his pieces, he arranges the notes to connect back to God. Humans are always on a quest for God and his music shows that path of this journey. The guest speakers presented some very cool points.

My favorite image, was the one with God tuning the instrument of the Earth. Each planet is in harmony with one another. I enjoyed this because it provided a great visual of the world and how we are all connected to God. I really liked having the guest speakers and gained a lot from today’s class.

I listened to the video of “Tribute to Caesar” by Arvo part. This video is about seven minutes long and I listened to its entirety about three times. The background information regarding this song is it was composed in 1997, which marked the 35oth anniversary of Karistad, Sweden diocese. One of the reviews I saw about this piece and that I agreed with was the prayerful musical devotion that it embraces. The song is rather slow in beat and reminded me a lot of prayer music. It had a mixture of male and female voices, but the mixture was composed in a way that made it more peaceful in my experience listening. The music was engaging and it was easy for me to close my eyes and visualize it. I enjoyed listening to this piece by Arvo Part and the soothing effect it had on me. The setting of the text goes back to the Gospel and St. Matthew. “Tribute to Caesar” does not have any real instruments that stand out, but the mixed choir is the focus of the music. Before listening to this, I would have never guessed that I would enjoy this song without any instruments and just choral voices.

The second piece we listened to was particularly moving but to me particularly I see it as more provocative as opposed to something that would be used in a church. However is starkly contrasts the Gregorian chant we also heard but also mirrors the repetitive nature. I think it is also interesting that a lot of Gregorian chant is meant to be a cry for help to God but doesn’t sound like it. Arvo Part’s music seems to be more obvious of what he wants his religious music to say. Even though he studied a lot of early music his pieces tend to follow the shared ideas but have a much more obviously emotionally speaking.

In class we discussed the composer John Rutter. I had heard his music without realizing it! We discussed his music and his beliefs. I do not think that because Rutter was agnostic that he should not write church music. It is not like he is changing the meaning behind the lyrics. He is simply designing and creating the music behind the words. I do not think he is being a hypocrite. I think he was simply doing his job and doing it well.

Another thing we discussed the difference between spiritual and religious. John Rutter was spiritual. He believed what he had to when writing but ultimately he was agnostic. I find that very interesting. I like that he was able to be so successful in the religious community and not have to conform to their religion to work with them. He seemed very open and respectful.

Growing up in Catholic school I actually had to sing a version of The Magnificat in several of my classes. Needless to say I am very familiar with it. I do find it interesting how people can do so many different things with the piece in terms of composition. I wonder how the different compositions could be used to target audiences. For example the version I learned was in Latin. How would someone compose something to target a more contemporary audience? Or an audience that doesn’t have any experience with Latin?

I decided to make my final project a song about the story of Daniel in the Lion’s den. However, I have no idea how to use any of the programs to make music, and Madi Blair helped me out and we made a rap song together.

Should composers of spiritual/ religious music believe in the things that they are writing about? This is the question we explored in class on Monday. The general consensus was that it did not matter what the composer’s own personal beliefs were, so long as the music they made was serving its purpose to the consumers it reached. We talked about Wagner and how he was anti-semitic, yet his music is widely known. Basically, it doesn’t matter what a composer’s personal beliefs are as long as their music is good.

This week, I am beginning piano lessons from my roommate. My roommate is a Jazz major who plays mainly trumpet, but also has developed piano skills with lessons and personal teaching. I am eager to start our lessons because I have never really learned how to play an instrument before, although I love listening to and watching music. Last summer, I attempted to learn guitar and I stopped after a few weeks. I hope to pick that up back this summer, however piano is my first focus. My roommate is going to start off with basic notes and songs, but I hope to have at least a few lessons a week. He knows a few hymns also, which would connect my learning to this class.

After looking into John Rutter’s music, an English composer of mainly choral music, I earned a deeper respect for his music and the process of conducting it. John Rutter is considered a conservative and composes traditional music. We analyzed his viewpoint on his own work and different questions from an interview. One of the reasons I enjoyed listening to Rutter’s music is the peace and calmness it brings. Rutter’s work in an article was described as having a simple melody and easily accessible. One interesting fact is how Rutter’s faith has developed and changed. An interesting piece to the interview is when Rutter explains how America shaped his faith and gave him a lens to look through that he never experienced. To have so many followers and supporters in the church society, Rutter puts into perspective how he did not always rely on faith, which is not common for most composers. Rutter did not call himself a “Christian,” however his life was basically surrounded by religion. This does not necessarily change my view or interest on John Rutter, however it brings much attention for people that are curious on how he writes sacred music without bringing much background in faith. He mentioned how he brings that faith when he is writing his music, but goes back to his normal personality when it is finished.

In class today, we focused a lot around John Rutter and the meaning of spirituality. We talked about if music and spirituality is physical. This was a challenging question to answer, because it is not something we consider all the time. John Rutter had some varying views on religion but his music can still benefit the spiritual experience.

Something that was brought up on the conversation of John Rutter, was how America has different traditions of Faith. This stood out to me because it is a very complex topic. America was founded and has it’s roots in faith. The founding fathers wanted this country to stay true to our faith. I find that faith is slipping away in different areas of this country. Other countries, have stuck to the ancient traditions in the Christian faith. I found this idea interesting and something that we don’t realize very often.