Mystery man and the Gospel according to Scarlett O'Hara

I thought the new liturgy went pretty well this morning.  It's always a bumpy road at first, but I know it'll be only a few weeks before we're all confidently singing the new tunes.

Speaking of singing, I want to compliment the (as yet) anonymous male singer at first service, who sounded great belting out "How Great Thou Art."  I made a few inquiries after the service - partly in selfish hopes of recruiting a new choir member, but also just to say thanks for singing with such gusto.  As I predicted, that hymn was a popular choice; we all love to sing an old favorite now and then.  It's one of the things that makes church music so great.  At any rate, if you can identify the mystery man, email me or let me know at church next week!

Also, in honor of tonight's Oscar ceremony, I wanted to point out that one of Scarlett O'Hara's famous philosophical proclamations might be drawn from Matthew 6:34.  "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own."  (These are the things that you start to notice and think about when you're reading or hearing the same Gospel lesson for the third or fourth time in the same week!)  It's a particularly beautiful passage, though, and it has inspired so many artists and musicians that reading it is like a conversation with an old friend.

And a couple of random musical thoughts for the night, if you'll indulge me for a moment: Alan Menken was robbed by Randy Newman tonight; the songs as a whole were uninspiring, but Zarchary Levi and Anne Hathaway both surprised me with strong vocals; and hearing Lena Horne sing a few measures of "Stormy Weather" was a perfect tribute to a trailblazer and great talent.

All alone, as it shouldn't be

Tonight, we watched the film The Soloist, the inspiring and disturbing story of the friendship between a mentally ill cellist (Denzel Washington) and a newspaper columnist (Robert Downey, Jr.). The music was beautiful, of course, but these particular lines caught my ear:

"We're all alone."
"Just like it should be."

At this point in the film, the two characters are the sole attendees at a rehearsal of the LA Philharmonic. How many of us have had a similar feeling at a concert, movie, musical, or other public event? The experience would be perfect, if not for all those other people around - the cougher, the early clapper, the talker, the cell phone user, the list of complaints could be endless.

But on further reflection, I thought that the most magical moments in a concert hall are actually times when we transcend the status of individuals and become a group. I hope everyone has experienced sitting in a concert hall in total silence, savoring the final chords of a symphony, or waiting in anticipation for a Beethoven Symphony to crash into existence.

We should not be all alone, and the modern world too often allows us to nest in our homes, thereby avoiding those group experiences. The church should be part of restoring community to our neighborhoods. Those same thoughts were with me as I read about the potential, perhaps likely, destruction of a Brooklyn, New York church. (The NYTimes article at this link has some beautiful pictures.) Of course, the Cleveland area has churches of its own in disuse and disrepair. Is it partly a reflection of our great desire to be alone, rather than come together in community?

This week, Holy Week, I will spend many hours in the church, and among my prayers will be the hope that the church (meaning the universal church) will reinvigorate its role in outreach and community. Indeed, all alone is not how we should be in such a setting.

Augustine, Luther, and the National Guard

I went to see the film "Avatar" the other day. (As an aside: It was quite good, though I found it to paint quite a bleak picture of humanity.) Before the movie, though, there was a fascinating ad from the National Guard.

In many ways, it was the typical military recruitment sequence: men and women in various inspiring situations, from climbing mountains to crawling through mud, from flying planes to working at a computer. What I found fascinating was the background music. It was neither a military march nor a patriotic tune. It was a large orchestral and choral work that could only summon the opening strains of Carmina Burana to my mind. It gave the message a unique power to capture my attention during previews I would typically ignore. Yet the incongruence of the music and the images unsettled me and made me marvel at the choice.

The issue of that contrast reminded me of the contrasting philosophies of church music of Augustine and Luther. Augustine largely argued against music in church, viewing it as a distraction from the theological message. In his "Confessions," he wrote, "Yet when it happens to me that the music movesme more than the subject of the song, I confess myself to commit a sin deserving punishment, and then I would prefer not to have heard the singer." By contrast, Luther said "Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us."

They both have a point. Music is powerful, and that power can be used to enhance a message, but it can sometimes distract us from a true understanding. It's always good to be reminded of the true purpose of worship and music, even when the source is an unorthodox reminder.

Milestones and movies

First the milestone: this past week, our little "Music at Bethany" blog had 50 unique visitors for the first time. I hope that all you readers are enjoying what you find here, that you're learning a bit more about Lutheran church music, and that you visit often in the future. You can help us continue to grow by becoming a follower, linking to us at your own blog, Facebook, or Myspace page and in general just helping spread the word. Also, join in the conversation anytime with email or comments (online or in person)!

Now for the movies: I've been at the movie theatre more than is typical for me lately, having seen both Star Trek and Angels & Demons. This isn't meant to be a review, but I did enjoy them both. They're what you expect in a summer blockbuster - fast-paced fun, adventure, etc.

I was just reminded again how much the soundtracks of summer movies rely on big Carl Orff-style vocals to underscore their most dramatic turning points. There's no particular reason that a big choir should signal the major fight scenes of Star Wars or the infinity of space in Star Trek, although I suppose Angels & Demons has a better claim for relying on such "church music" since it is set in Vatican City. However, I think that these movies are relying on our collective cultural heritage of meaning and emotion that stems from the hymns we hear and sing.

Open your ears if you're at the movie theatre this summer. See if you don't hear some "hymns" in the background. If you think of other great examples, leave a comment. I'm always curious to hear where other people hear the influence of church music outside of the santuary on Sunday mornings.

Lenten movie review

For about 10 years now, it has been a tradition of mine to watch the movie Jesus of Montreal during Lent. It's a great film, winning a number of awards and being nominated for the foreign language Oscar in 1990.

The quick summary is that a troupe of actors is asked to write and perform a passion play in Montreal. Their decidedly liberal and unorthodox approach brings on the ire of the church and eventually the public. Meanwhile, the lives of the actors mirror the characters they play, setting the passion story in the modern world. At the end, there's a gorgeous scene in the subway (hence the movie's poster) that includes one of the more beautiful soprano duets you'll ever hear in a movie.

I first watched the movie in college as part of a class assignment. Half the joy of the movie was trying to spot all of the Biblical references and their echoes in the modern story. It's worth watching with a group of people to discuss afterwards! It can definitely spark a great conversation about Lent and Easter.

Yes, you do have to accept a film with subtitles, as well as some partial nudity and violence. (On the other hand, Mel Gibson's version of the crucifixion makes this film seem tame by comparison.) Also, like many religious movies, it uses a straw man of the established church as its antagonist.

You can read more about Jesus of Montreal here, and I know it's available through Netflix and several area libraries. Let me know if you see it; I'd love to know what people think of it!