On Brokenness and Brahms
A lot of us are feeling broken right now. Broken by the dominance of fear and hatred in our country. By despair in the face of malevolent promises reinforced by a selfish few beneficiaries in power. By profound empathy for vulnerable communities targeted by opportunistic cruelty. But when I'm feeling broken, I listen to Johannes Brahms. The composer himself lived a burdened existence–a result of his crippling perfectionism and a lifelong, unrequited affinity for his dear friend Clara Schumann, wife of his mentor Robert. You might be surprised to learn that a composer so prominent in the annals of music history produced relatively little music, especially compared to geniuses of commensurate regard, such as J.S. Bach, Mozart, or his "spiritual predecessor," Beethoven. But absolutely everything created by Brahms is a masterpiece–an exquisitely refined gem, impervious to evolving aesthetics and almost universally compelling. Brahms was a broken person, but his life's work continues to repair the rest of us 127 years after his death.
In the face of brokenness, let us reflect on the power of our faith tradition with love at the center–and all that we can do to uplift those even more broken than we. The Choir will sing selections from Brahms's Liebeslieder Walzer ("Love Song Waltzes") succinctly encapsulating the juxtaposition of brokenness–inherently "imbalanced" in asymmetrical triple meter (the "one-two-three" of a waltz)–against the liberation of love. Nos. 8, 18, and 6 will be sung by the full Choir for the Prelude, Offertory, and Postlude, respectively; and Nos. 4 and 13 will be sung as a duet by Wendy Schmid and Kaitlyn Waterson in the original German. Tina Adams will join Jodie Brown at the keyboard to play the exciting, orchestral-sounding, four-hands piano accompaniment. Waltzing in the aisles is strongly encouraged! Together, we will sing hymns #1064: "Blue Boat Home” and #1028: "The Fire of Commitment."
See you Sunday!
-Music Director David Brown
In the face of brokenness, let us reflect on the power of our faith tradition with love at the center–and all that we can do to uplift those even more broken than we. The Choir will sing selections from Brahms's Liebeslieder Walzer ("Love Song Waltzes") succinctly encapsulating the juxtaposition of brokenness–inherently "imbalanced" in asymmetrical triple meter (the "one-two-three" of a waltz)–against the liberation of love. Nos. 8, 18, and 6 will be sung by the full Choir for the Prelude, Offertory, and Postlude, respectively; and Nos. 4 and 13 will be sung as a duet by Wendy Schmid and Kaitlyn Waterson in the original German. Tina Adams will join Jodie Brown at the keyboard to play the exciting, orchestral-sounding, four-hands piano accompaniment. Waltzing in the aisles is strongly encouraged! Together, we will sing hymns #1064: "Blue Boat Home” and #1028: "The Fire of Commitment."
See you Sunday!
-Music Director David Brown
Posted in Music Notes