I am musically trained. I’ve been singing since I was 6, playing the piano since I was 7 and the clarinet since I was 10 (ish), and along the way I have dabbled with the organ, the accordian, the recorder (as in, more than just school level) and I own a violin and a guitar. I am also a conductor and the musical director of a community choir. I see how much joy music can bring to both the performers and the audience.
So perhaps it is no wonder that music speaks very strongly to my soul. I don’t mean that music makes me want to sing along, or music changes my mood (although some pieces/songs certainly do that), I mean that there are some songs that just hit really deeply within me. They help me feel a very strong connection to some aspect of God.
God is a creator and an artist, and Zephaniah 3: 16 says that God rejoices over us with singing. To me, some music captures something of God. So, here’s where I share a few in the hope they may help others discover something of God.
Piece 1: Stainer’s Crucifixion. OK, starting with something simple…
Often sung on Good Friday, this extended piece tells the story of Jesus’ death with solos/duets, choir anthems, congregational hymns and the odd organ voluntary. I think the whole work is worth a listen if you have a spare hour, but there are two parts that particularly stand out for me.
God so loved the world. Based on John 3:16, the words and the music marry perfectly. The music really helps to highlight the important words and convey the feeling. It’s a more tranquil movement compared to some others. Partly its the familiarity of this that speaks to me (I may have sung it once or twice…) but there is also the way the music swells at eternal life and the stillness and quietness of it. Its a reflective piece reminding us of why Jesus let himself be crucified, placed in the middle of the musical work with all the voices singing together in harmony.
The second is called ‘The appeal of the crucified’. At this point, Jesus is on the cross. The song goes through a range of emotions. There are clashing harmonies, changing tempos and juxtaposed dynamics. Then there is a section that is almost pleading for people to come to Jesus, to believe in the sacrifice. The words are almost the thoughts that may be going through Jesus’ head at this point. The words and the music coupled together speak powerfully to me about the reason for the sacrifice. God wanted to walk with us, that was the plan from the very beginning at Eden. This was a redemption plan to save us because God couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without us.
God has done his bit. He suffered and died in order to make a way for us. But we have to do a bit too. We have to step forwards. We have to accept that gift, that sacrifice. In this movement I am reminded of that as Jesus pleads or questions the bystanders or pass by-ers. Jesus didn’t go through that for fun. He was serious about saving us. How amazing is that, to know that someone would do that for you?
That’s music speaking to my heart, it’s God talking to me in a way that is apt for me, to remind me to not give up because Jesus didn’t. He could have. He could have run away or taken the easy way out, but he didn’t. He suffered. Because God loved the world. Because God loves me. Because God loves you.
The Reason for my Hope Blog 