(From January
2002 Nativity Tidings)
New Beginnings —
Or Are They?
In reviewing some of the new choral music coming out, it is interesting to note
that more composers are using free-form in setting text/poetry to music. The text may be
placed in a musical form more akin to plainsong, which had almost totally disappeared from
church music. And we are seeing a resurgence of Early American tunes. In particular, the
choir is preparing an anthem that uses the tune Wedlock.
And that which sounds so sacred to us now often had its roots in the not-so-sacred. O
Sacred Head Now Wounded is an ancient Latin text that was set to a German love song
of the time. Our most recent example of the folk tune tradition is What Child is This?
We here in the USA love this Christmas carol, but I don't think it is equally popular in
England where it is known as Greensleeves, a ballad of lost love that, as I
recall, is still being sung in the pubs. The practice of composing something original for
a sacred text is a fairly recent phenomenon. Even Bach took some cues from the opera of
his time.
So what music of today will become the folk tunes of tomorrow? The Beatles transformed
much of our popular culture int he late 20th century.Although their music is still under
copyright, one can't help but wonder if someone someday will write a sacred text for one
of their melodies — the song Yesterday comes to mind....
Hess I stand....
There is nothing I can further do —
Except to totally rely on you...
My God and King,
My Everything.
Well, not poetically rich, but you get the idea!
May the Spirit call forth in all of us the abundance of the talent that God has so
richly given us that we may move forward as a body to be His Light in this Lockwood Ridge
Community.
Karla Porter
Music Director
See previous Music articles from our Newsletter:
