Gleek moment of the week

After our discussion about the National Anthem at the Super Bowl, I couldn't let last week's "Glee" episode not get at least a brief mention here.  For those of you who didn't read the earlier post, I basically complained that too many singers today are affecting certain poses and styles as a false signal of emotion.  My particular pet peeve is singers with closed eyes, but in general I worry that singing has moved away from a genuine experience to artificial affects.

In last week's episode of "Glee," several character parodied this same thing when they discussed what it means to be a diva.  Rachel said, "Being a diva is all about emotion.  In fact, you feel so much emotion that it cannot be physically contained.  Sometimes you have to close your eyes and turn your head and push your feelings away -  they're that big!"  (Of course, the diva par excellence demonstrated what that meant, and it looked pretty much like Christina Aguilera singing the National Anthem).  While Mercedes offers this advice: "It's all about sassy fingers"

But sometimes we communicate best when we set aside convention and just act simply as ourselves.  Isn't that at least one reason Susan Boyle became a music celebrity?  Biblically, I liken it to the instruction not to pray too loudly in church, putting on airs to demonstrate holiness.  Just come as yourself, pray and sing sincerely.  There shouldn't be divas in church, just congregations engaged in worship together.  That's why everyone should sing the hymns loud and proud - and all are welcome in choir!

Life with "Glee"

I know many of my readers are fellow fans of "Glee."  The show's return is one of the highlights of the fall season for me (something to cheer me up despite the cold, gray weather this week).  It's always fun to see the way the show incorporates a range of musical styles to enhance its story.

Like all movies or television programs about music, the show is full of over-produced fantasy numbers.  The recent Britney Spears episode had most of the songs as fantasy sequences, which seems redundant in a show where a glee club sings new hit songs perfectly each week, complete with back-up band, dancers, lights, and costumes.  The show depicts what we all wish we sounded like, the perfect performance that we give in the shower, the sense of joy in community and the ability to express yourself in song.

But the show isn't meant to be a realistic documentary, I know.  To me, it's meant to capture the optimism and pluckiness that can define youth, and that we all need to reclaim during times of trouble and times of joy.  Like a church choir, the characters sing to express themselves in words and tunes.  Each listener hears something different, but I think Jane Lynch (who plays Sue Sylvester) put it best in a recent interview with Larry King:

"Musicians...basically love music, and they understand the power of music.  I think it touches them all very deeply that this is a show that celebrates making a joyful noise."

Dancing and marching

During my vacation, I remembered something about our hymns for Pentecost and Trinity Sundays that I meant to note on the blog. Many of the songs we sang those weeks contained military references: "Onward Christian Soldiers" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to name two that I recall (but I believe there was at least one more with a similar reference). In recent years, we've become uncomfortable with such aggressive language; indeed, some of these hymns were omitted from the ELW, presumably for that very reason.

There are certainly reasons to tone down such rhetoric, but we also lose out on part of our heritage and history. We also miss the chance to discuss the poetry and imagery such language can also represent - the final battle of the Book of Revelation, for example. We are also meant to wage a war for hearts and minds of converts, are we not?

For some reason, the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" always brings to my mind an episode of "Little House on the Prairie." (I believe it was the finale, but I may be wrong since it has been so many years.) The town's people are being evicted from their homes, with the whole town being forced to move. I can't remember the details of why exactly - some faceless and sinister "corporation" is behind the whole thing, as I recall. Anyway, the reason it's relevant is that the community chooses to blow up all their homes and buildings before walking, riding, and marching their way out of town with the remainder of the possessions. As they march, they sing that hymn, and it represents their fortitude, their rectitude, their positive attitudes in the face of adversity. They stand up and do what they think is morally correct, waging their personal battles of faith, and they do it without acts of violence, of course. The image has stuck with me for years for its emotional impact. To stand up for what you believe is to be a Christian Soldier, and I think that's worth singing about.

Unorthodox Wisdom

Musical geeks everywhere have fallen in love with "Glee," of course, but for pure unadulterated geek-dom, you really need to be watching "Big Bang Theory." The story follows four college professors and proud dorks and their interactions with the girl next door.

The most recent episode included a quote about theology that made me laugh. In response to one character's disclosure that his mother makes him attend church at least once per year, his blind date replies:

"I don't object to the concept of a deity, but I'm baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance."

It's both funny and shows a profound misunderstanding of some of the benefits and purposes of worship. Music is one of the best expressions of corporate worship, with all our voices raised in songs of praise together. That is an experience that you cannot have unless you gather with others. It made me think of the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow" and it's answers to why the singer sings. The reasons for worship are the same (not simply to get attendance credit!):

"I sing because I'm happy.
And I sing because I'm free.
His eye is on the sparrow.
And I know he watches over me."

What Would Julia Do?

The world lost a great actress with the recent passing of Dixie Carter, and symbolically, we lost her most memorable character, Julia Sugarbaker from the television show "Designing Women."

I always enjoyed the show, and Netflix has recently reacquainted me with the episodes. I always admired Julia. She was the embodiment of intelligence, style, class, and wit. She managed to combine strongly voiced liberal views with a devout faith. For me, her personal philosophy was the driving element of the show, and her rendition of "How Great Thou Art" is a stirring scene from the show.

But there's also a quote from Suzanne that came to mind when I was thinking about possible links between the show and church. One of Suzanne's role is to drum up business for the decorating business, and in one episode she notes that it isn't easy just to stand on a streetcorner hawking throw pillows. How do we market the church and keep it relevant? What roles do fellowship, stewardship, and outreach play in our mission? How do we balance our daily lives with our church membership? Somehow I always felt that Julia knew the answers to such questions and confidently lived her life to the fullest. May we all be so lucky.

He's baa-aack

Where has your church music blogger been?

Well, quite frankly I was burned out from Lent and Easter. I've been busy and tired with schoolwork as we near the end of the semester. And I've been wondering about the value of my blog.

I heard once that almost anyone could write a newspaper column for a few weeks. Everyone has a great story or two to tell. The daily grind can become drudgery, however, and I found myslef with less to say for a bit.

I've heard from some readers encouraging me to write, though, and I've been feeling more refreshed and inspired. In particular, it was an episode of "Glee" that reminded me of the power of music. Fans of the show might think it was the Madonna-themed episode with its production numbers. The moment of inspiration, however, was the quiet duet of Lionel Richie's "Hello." It reminded me of the intimacy, connection, and communication that takes place when music is performed superbly by musicians in perfect harmony.

Church organ music is a much less intimate experience than accompanying recitals, performances, or even musical theatre. In those settings, the performers collaborate and give back to the keyboardist so that everyone involved is providing support and encouragement for an excellent performance. I realized that among the motivations for my blog was to have another outlet for connection and conversation about church music, a chance to come out from behind the altar to talk about music.

So I'm back...hopefully without having lost or offended too many of my readers. I truly want to encourage your comments and dialogue. I'm thinking about some upcoming projects and revamps to the blog and to my music, and I hope that you will feel my renewed energy and join in wholeheartedly in the ongoing music and ministry at Bethany.

In the meantime, what tune is it that revives your spirit? Not a church hymn, but an anthem of your own. Lately, mine has been "My Life Would Suck Without You" (the Glee cast version). It has helped me push the pace when I'm out for a run; it's been getting me out of bed in the morning; and it's inspiring me to keep blogging. I'd love to hear about the music that's doing the same for you.

Biblical knowledge

I've commented before on how much music can help impart Biblical texts and messages. Just this past week, one of the readings should have been familiar to everyone from the ordinary liturgy. During the Sunday School hour lately, I've overheard one class of students learning the books of the New Testament by singing the names.

So it made me laugh especially hard to see last week's episode of "Psych" on television, where one character tried to recite the books of the Bible:
Genesis
Exorcist
Leviathan
Do...the right thing

If only his Sunday School teacher had taught more music!

Unorthodox Wisdom - Buffy and Victor Hugo

Empathy and love of neighbor is at the heart of Christianity and also a theme of some great music and literature - To Kill a Mockingbird is the classic example. But I was thinking of it this week when I watched an old rerun of "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

The mere mention of that show (or any work by Joss Whedon) is sure to inspire nods of recognition of his genius from rabid fans, looks of derision from the uninitiated, and shrugs from the majority of the population. You can guess my bias in that continuum, but the show is a great guilty pleasure of mythology and philosophy in a story that turned the traditional vampire plot on its head. The young blonde girl doesn't twist an ankle and get eaten; she's the strong heroine of the story.

At any rate, in this particular episode, Buffy prevents a classmate from committing suicide. He is depressed because he feels invisible and lonely, ignored by the popular students, and burdened by personal pain that no one notices. Rather than offer the typical platitudes and comfort, however, Buffy responds with this monologue:

"I was wrong. You are an idiot. My life happens to, on occasion, suck beyond the telling of it. Sometimes more than I can handle. And it's not just mine. Every single person down there is ignoring your pain because they're too busy with their own...If you could hear what they were feeling, the loneliness, the confusion. It looks quiet down there. It's not. It's deafening."

Her speech reminded me of a scene in Victor Hugo's novel commonly known as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The priest's brother observes him in a moment of extreme emotion, and Hugo depicts his reaction:

"...he knew not with what fury that sea of the human passions ferments and boils when it is refused all egress; how it gathers strength, swells, and overflows; how it wears away the heart; how it breaks forth in inward sobs and stifled convulsions...The merry scholar never dreamed of the boiling, furious, and deep lava beneath the snowy brow of Etna."

Music can express and expose those emtions within us. As a congregation and as Christians, we are obliged to open our ears and our eyes to those around us, in their joy and in their suffering. When we sing a hymn, think of our voices blending; listen to each other; notice how our shared music erases the divisions among us.

Live life with Glee

In Terrence McNally's brilliant play Master Class, the character of Maria Callas refers to the theatre as "a sacred place." If you understand that sentiment, or if you just love rooting for the underdog and hearing some great music, you need to watch Glee on Wednesdays at 9:00 on Fox this season. (The show had a premiere this past spring to help capitalize on the popularity of American Idol, but the season just started this week. You can catch the rerun of the premiere on Friday night at 9:00.)

The show so perfectly captures the angst and earnestness of high school theatre and music geeks that you simultaneously squirm but can't look away. The cast is hugely talented - Matthew Morrison played Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway and Lea Michele played the role in the acclaimed show Spring Awakening. The music and the dancing are both superb and hillarious.

How is it related to church music? Well, to me (like McNally's version of Maria Callas), music and musical theatre are their own forms of worship. At its best, it can awaken your soul while it entertains. The show also reminds us to be kind to each other and to live life with glee - that sounds like the Gospel message to me.

Unorthodox Wisdom, Part 8: Television

Last week, I listened to Public Radio's "Speaking of Faith" (a show that may have come up a time or two before!) and their discussion about television. In recent years, with the advent of high quality cable drams, television has been awash in writing and acting of extremely high caliber. And many of the shows have not shied away from spiritual musings. To give just one example, Damon Lindelof, co-creator of Lost, offered this explanation for the show:

This show is about people who are metaphorically lost in their lives, who get on an airplane, and crash on an island, and become physically lost on planet Earth. And once they are able to metaphorically find themselves in their lives again, they will be able to physically find themselves in the world again. When you look at the entire show, that's what it will look like. That's what it's always been about.

Krista Tippett mused that the metaphor of going home suffuses the human experience. It's the theme not just of modern television but of the Odyssey and the Exodus. I would add Watership Down and The Razor's Edge to that list. One of the great themes of literature and worship is the idea of returning home. Having played organ for a funeral at Bethany last week, I'm acutely aware of how many of our best known hymns are also about our eternal home and rest.

The theme of going home does not always lend itself to hymn texts that are theologically profound enough for inclusion in the ELW and the traditional Lutheran canon. But I'll close today with a somewhat popular hymn on the theme that you may be familiar with. It is sung to the tune of the second movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony:

Going home, going home,
I'm just going home.
Quiet-like, slip away -
I'll be going home.
It's not far, just close by;
Jesus is the door;
Work all done, laid aside,
Fear and grief no more.
Friends are there, waiting now.
He is waiting too.
See His smile! See His hand!
He will lead me through.

Unorthodox wisdom - part 5

In honor of Memorial Day, Sunday's closing hymn was "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which is always a popular and rousing song because people are so familiar with it. I noticed, however, that the editors of the ELW demonstrated their reserve of the militaristic theme by retitling it "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory." The very presence of the hymn in the ELW is an example of unorthodox wisdom, since the song was first popular during the Civil War as a pro-Union anthem.

However, the militaristic nature of this hymn derives largely from the marching music to which the poetry is set. If you sit down and read Julia Ward Howe's poem, you'll see that the text refers to war primarily through symbolism. It's a rich text of imagery that includes tender moments like the opening of verse three: "In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea; with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me." Set that text to a lullaby and nobody would consider it in any way militaristic!

Verse three continues with my favorite line in the hymn: "As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free." Here, the richness of the tune and text combine to allow multiple levels of meaning. As American heroes died in war, as Christ died to save us, and as early Christian martyrs died for their faith - in recognition of all those sacrifices, let us live our lives thankfully and joyfully, working to make the world a better, more loving, more Christian place. All of that meaning in such a short line of text!

That particular line of text also sent me to my boxed DVD set of The West Wing to rewatch the episode "Isaac and Ishmael." In the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the show devoted one episode to a forum for discussing politics, religion, and war. In response to a student's question about martyrs, the fictional President Bartlet replied, "We don't need martyrs right now. We need heroes. A hero would die for his country but he'd much rather live for it." It reminds me of another famous text that "they'll know we're Christians by the way we live." It's a sentiment I think most of us can agree with, and I think it's a sentimenet we all struggle to implement daily.

Unorthodox wisdom - Part 4

It's season finale time for the television networks. One of the shows I watch regularly is "House," whose main character is about as hostile to Christianity (and any organized religion) as any character in television history. Hugh Laurie's character is acerbic and sarcastic - a deeply flawed genius. For all his flaws, I can identify at least two traits that we'd all be better off for emulating.

First, Dr. House is on a perpetual quest for understanding and knowledge. He is the ultimate skeptic philosopher. Along with Plato and Montaigne, he believes strongly in examining our lives and motives, thinking about history and science, and discovering truth. Sometimes the greatest doubters and nonbelievers eventually find their way to fervent belief through ongoing exposure to the questions in their lives. We should tackle scripture and belief ourselves with such energy and passion. We may even learn to convince others when they see our rigor.

Second, Dr. House solves cases because he has so much experience and wisdom, garnered from years of questioning and learning. In the season finale, he can diagnose pancreatic cancer from basically a bad case of the hiccups. What this exemplifies for me is the way that a broad education can bring meaning to the most mundane items. From a musical perspective, if you understand what the term "fugue" means, you hear a piece of music in an entirely different way.

Thinking about this point drove me to my bookshelf for Aaron Copland's What to Listen for in Music. His preface states that his goal is to allow you to answer two questions about music: 1. Are you missing anything as far as the notes...? 2. Is your reaction...quite clarified? It takes him nearly 300 pages to answer those two questions. We need a lifetime of knowledge and experience to understand great things - like music, like church, like God's love.

So House represents one more reminder that music does require some work, some knowledge, some discussion. But like House's moments of realization in so many episodes, we also need to be open to the possibilities and the magic that is beyond knowledge. Seeking plus knowledge plus listening equals epiphany.