One of the pieces on the repertoire for this week's concert is Bach's "Jesu, der du meine Seele". I love Bach - such joy and love in his music, as if he was always carrying a smile inside about some quietly understood truth that he was loved.
The text for the final chorale is a prayer to God, asking for his help not to despair. He says, when death attacks me, I will trust your goodness until I see you face to face in eternity. It's beautiful poetry but took on a new level of meaning this week after the bombing in Boston especially and the Texas fertilizer plant explosion. Here I stood in my beautiful home, singing these words while in these two places, someone had lost a child or a friend, or had had their life changed forever by something destructive.
Isn't that one of the powerful things about music. That it can become a prayer for the people - that we singing it, can give it as a gift on behalf of those who need it.
I think it is no wonder St.Augustine said "To sing is to pray twice"
No comments:
Post a Comment