Who cares about classical sacred music?

This is such an important question for Soli Deo Gloria and for me as I seek to grow the organization. Unfortunately, the work of SDG meets with some of the same off-putting perceptions, I think, as does the classical music industry as as whole. Namely, that we are dealing with an archaic mode of expression that is of little relevance to the world around us today, that classical music is a museum piece of sorts, understood and appreciated only by the few who’ve either studied it in one way or another or who are wealthy or just plain snobby. And with the particular focus of SDG, the pool is narrowed even further as we’re talking about people with a peculiar interest in a certain genre of classical music and in propagating its age-old traditions.

The fact is that a lot of people do care about classical music, and among this group many are especially drawn to great works for chorus and orchestra, a genre largely represented by music based on scriptural narratives, church liturgy or other religious texts and traditions. I read with interest an April 22, 2007 New York Times article that revealed that, according to recent studies by the National Endowment for the Arts and Chorus America, choral singing is, “the most popular creative art form in the country. More than 23 million adults perform regularly in a choir or chorus.” That’s 23 million Americans who more likely than not either currently perform or have performed music from the repertoire that SDG espouses. And undoubtedly, many of them do this at their own expense year after year, paying choir dues and purchasing their own scores. How exciting and at the same time how frustrating it is to realize that a large majority of this music-loving populous probably doesn’t even know that Soli Deo Gloria exists, much less that it directs its efforts to “preserve, promote and enhance” the repertoire that so inspires them! I believe that the organization is moving toward a broader awareness of its work in general, but at the moment it’s safe to say that for SDG there’s still much to do in the way of “preaching to the choir.”

As to what kind of people actually do support the work of SDG, I’m encouraged to say that it’s a relatively heterogeneous bunch. Some, the majority in fact, assist our efforts because of a central, God-honoring passion in their lives that resonates with our vision to make music as Bach himself espoused, “For the Glory of God Alone.” But for others, the care for sacred music stems simply from a love for the great masterworks of sacred music, quite independent from any religious inclinations. And this is to me one of the most wonderful things about SDG: We are celebrating a repertoire of music around which lies a beautiful and all-too-rare meeting ground for people with disparate political and religious points of view. In fact, I believe that some people find in sacred music a medium in and through which spiritual concerns are encountered and understood in such a way that it represents a more substantive and meaningful experience than they might have (or perhaps would ever allow) elsewhere, including the church. It is also not the super rich that enable our efforts. Even the few angel donors whose support has enabled SDG’s greatest work are really far more generous than they are wealthy. It is not the Bill Gates of this world who are keeping SDG afloat, especially in meeting our day-to-day needs as most of the support that makes its way to our office comes in the form of $100 checks.

The question of who cares about classical sacred music leads naturally to questioning why anyone should care about it, and why care specifically about works written “in the Biblical tradition.” I hope to post some thoughts on those important matters sometime down the road.

___________

Related post: Fiddling while Rome burns?

August 22, 2007 | Filed Under SDG general | 3 Comments 

Free downloads from eMusic.com

There is free music to be had on the internet (and legally, I might add). Earlier this week, I took advantage of a great offer presented in the November 2006 issue of Gramophone. This classical music magazine has partnered with eMusic.com to offer a generous trial subscription to their catalog of MP3 music files available for download. If you go to the home page of eMusic.com you will be invited to take advantage of 25 free downloads of your choice. However, if you point your browser to www.eMusic.com/gramophone you will be offered 40 free downloads. I highly recommend it! emusic.jpg

eMusic.com has an extensive collection of classical music MP3 files, including the entire Naxos catalog. You’ll have to provide credit card information in order to register. The first 40 downloads are free and you can cancel anytime within the first two weeks, keep all the music you’ve downloaded, and not be charged a penny. I should also mention that their monthly subscription package of $9.99 for 30 downloads per month is pretty enticing. (Honestly, I’m not getting any sort of store credit from them for recommending all of this!) Now, if your interest is limited to major recording artists, you might be disappointed with eMusic’s selection. But if like me you are content with great performances from artists familiar or not, it’s a delightful resource. My 40 downloads included:

Enjoy.

August 10, 2007 | Filed Under Free Music, Recommendations | 1 Comment 

On the lighter side

There’s a good reason why concerts are often preceded by appeals to the audience to “please quite all cell phones, pagers and other electronic devices.” I got a kick out of the following video that my friend Charles Jonah recently shared with me.

. . .

This brings to mind a miserably embarrassing experience I once had at a wedding years ago. I was playing in a string quartet for hire and, sure enough, forgot to turn off my cell phone prior to the ceremony. Let’s just say that as I scrambled to muffle my phone when it rang out loud and clear during one of the quieter moments in the service, I had no warm feelings for the caller on the other end of the line. Of course, the fault was all my own. Moral of the story: Turning off your cell phone off before the wedding is a far simpler solution than waiting for it to ring in the middle of the ceremony, flipping it open and then literally sitting on it to shut it up.

Note: Option two will work in a bind.

August 1, 2007 | Filed Under Humor, Videos | Leave a Comment