by Robert Brow (www.brow.on.ca) Kingston, Ontario, Canada May 2006
I very rarely miss church on Sunday Morning, but yesterday my balance was upset and I had to spend the morning in bed. I tuned in to CBC 2 and enjoyed a gourmet concert by Symphony Nova Scotia. There was Handel's Concerto No.2, Bach’s Branderburg Concerto No.5, Vivaldi’s Concerto La Noce, and Rameau’s Orchestral Suite from Dardanus. The Guest Conductor, Jeanne Lamon, explained that these pieces were all written within ten years of each other, representing four distinct musical traditions. Handel (1685-1759) wrote in England, , Bach (1685-1750) in Germany, Vivaldi (1675-1741) in Italy, Rameau (1683-1764) in France. What an astonishing burst of European creativity.
I am not a musical purist. Mollie and I loved dancing the Foxtrot, Quick Step, Rumba, Waltzes (especially those from Vienna). In the mood I listen to Ravi Shankar, the Beetles, Jazz, Greek songs, Spirituals from the South, Te Ze Chants, African Merimba music. As a boy I fell in love with Clara Clairbert singing La Traviata at the Opera House in Brussels. At University the King's College Choir boys sang in the next door chapel. But I have also enjoyed our Canadian Song Birds, Anne Murray, Celine Dion, Elana Morisette. I haven’t been able to get my head around classical Chinese or Cambodian music, or even Mediaeval Plain Song, but I know they all have their devotees.
I am glad none of these are to be lost for ever when I die, or when this world comes to an end. Already young people all over the world are able to access immediately any kind of music that appeals to them. So I can’t imagine it will be any problem for each of us to enjoy in their purest, most exciting form, whatever music appeals to us in the eternal dance of heaven. Why else would the Son of God give humans the ability to create music, and give me what it takes to enjoy it?
The Old Testament got it right. "Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!" (Psalm 150:6) And in the New Testament the more serious-minded Apostle Paul picked up the refrain with "Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts" (Ephesians 5:19); "With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs to God" (Colossians 3:16). He also made it clear he was not narrow-minded in his tastes, "Whatever is true, whatsoever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). That gives us a very rich feast of enjoyment as prelude for the music of heaven.