Martin Luther once 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. "
Particularly during these days of Advent, the sounds and strains of lovely orchestrations envelop us. Whether we're grocery shopping at our favorite Kroger, standing in line at Bath & Body Works for their "best sale of the year", taxiing some member(s) of our family to the final game of the season, or preparing the sixth batch of snickerdoodles in our kitchen, the music follows us. Admittedly, I get weary of hearing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" sung by some of the most random singers out there--Nat King Cole is rolling over in his grave. However, it is the tinkling of the bells, the regal tones of the pipe organ, or the melodious strings bringing us music that invigorates our hearts--or just simply makes us smile. The rich language of age-old carols reminds us of the meaning of this season of Anticipation.
After a recent Christmas cantata, masterfully presented at our local church, my Ninja described choral music to me in this way.
"This music is like an onion. It has many layers (parts), it's sweet (he likes Vidalia), and it makes your eyes water (having observed his mama get teary-eyed during several pieces)".
It is important to note here that he is a lover of onions. Thus, the comparison is a very high compliment.
Lest you think I am getting too big for my yoga pants, I must give a proper nod to the crooners--and the standards that made them famous. I will openly confess that hearing Bing Crosby sing "Silver Bells" makes me happy. Throw in some Harry, Frank, Julie, and Ella on that playlist, and life is sweet. And, having recently learned of the story behind "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", one of my Nana's favorite Christmas songs comes all the more to life.
I think Martin Luther was onto something.
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