28 Nov The Importance of Religious Music
At Astro, we frequently have the privilege of transporting religious groups. Onboard religious music is often sung as we head down the road. In an essay he wrote on sacred music, James MacMillan says that “through the centuries, musicians have proved midwives of faith, bringing their gifts to the historic challenge of inspiring the faithful to worship.” He highlights the fact that it is often through the medium of music that something inside of us is stirred.
One of the primary purposes for church choirs throughout time has been to invite congregations to worship, to contemplate their inner selves and the relationship they have with God. Reverend Dr. Jeremy Morris, dean of King’s College at Cambridge from 2010 – 2014, has said something akin to this idea. King’s College is famous for its heralded choir, as well as the well-known Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols service that is held every year on Christmas Eve. In referencing that service beloved by many, he said that its primary purpose was centered around worshiping God. But, beyond that, the music’s objective was to help people step away from the commercialism and craziness of the season to think about, as he put it, “ultimate things.” These ultimate things—and the pondering of them—seem to be both encouraged and furthered by sacred music.
There are many who think that religion is limiting, merely a brainwashing agent for those who subscribe to it. MacMillan describes religious life in today’s culture this way:
“Substantial anecdotal evidence points to a widespread discomfort felt by religious people in this world. They confront ignorance and prejudice, because to be religious, according to the new secular, liberal orthodoxy, is to be reactionary, bigoted, and narrow. A smug ignorance, a gross oversimplification and caricature that serve as an analytical understanding of religion, are the common intellectual currency.”
Though that viewpoint may be the “intellectual currency” of the day, faith is a personal matter of the heart for those who embrace it. And though it is fed in various ways, many religious individuals would likely identify music as an important catalyst for cultivating faith, inviting reflection, and as a vehicle for transporting them to a place of mystery, beauty, and grace.
Take King’s and the Christmas Eve service, for example. That sacred service brings people together from all around the world, tuning in via radio transmission. For 90 minutes, people in living rooms and kitchens across the earth listen to the clear voices of men and boys sing familiar carols with reflective texts about Christ’s birth.
David Willcocks was the director of the choir for several years. His son, Jonathan Willcocks, later recollected that his father regarded his role in that position as “a custodian of a great tradition.” And the current director, Stephen Cleobury, has the task of conducting the choir and choosing the music for that momentous occasion. He has the choir sing pieces that mix well with the readings for the service, and these pieces invite the listeners to really ponder the messages of the texts and consider their faith.
Whether it’s for a famous service like what happens at King’s on December 24, or the work of choirs in small churches throughout America, the tradition of choir singing is a beautiful and important one. There is something about stepping into a quiet, low-lit church that can’t be duplicated. You slip into a pew and turn off all distractions. Then, you close your eyes, open your ears, and focus on one thing: intense listening. And how does one explain what happens then?
Perhaps MacMillan says it best:
“Music gives us a glimpse of something beyond the horizons of materialism, or our contemporary values. What is music, after all? You can’t see it; you can’t touch it; you can’t eat it; but its palpable presence always makes itself felt, not just in a physical way, but in ways that reach down into the crevices of the soul.
What is music? Is it simply the notes on the page? If so, how can we equate those strange, black, static symbols with the vivid, sometimes convulsive emotions provoked when the resulting sounds enter our ears, our brains, our bodies, and our secret selves?”
Amen, brother.
It is our great privilege to provide transportation for church choirs. If you are trying to arrange wheels for your group, consider a motorcoach! We would love to help facilitate making it possible for your choir to travel together to bring a meaning-filled, worshipful experience to those who will be gathered to listen your religious music. Learn more about Astro’s church transportation services here: https://astrotravel.com/destinations/church-groups/
The information for this post came from the following sources: