Now that 2015 commencement exercises are mostly completed around the country, the wedding season is definitely upon us. At least one source states April is when wedding season actually begins, while other sources consider May the beginning of the “season.” I’ve usually considered May the most common month among my friends and acquaintances.
We’ve already attended one wedding this month. It was a beautiful ceremony with the stunning bride dressed elegantly and the groom all smiles as she walked down the aisle toward him. Venue decorations were stylishly appointed and it was (in my estimation) every bit the fairy tale event a young woman imagines for her day. Continue reading “Two Lives . . . One Note”→
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is said to have once observed “Music is the universal language of mankind.” Author J. K. Rowling (in her book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), speaking through her character Dumbledore, says it’s “a magic beyond all we do here.”
Music and poetry share some of the same rich and universal qualities. My recent post Music: Best Gift Ever quotes the last four lines from Sidney Lanier’s lengthy poem The Symphony. The four lines from Lanier’s work were my inspiration for a poem about music that is reproduced below.
In his poem The Symphony, Sidney Lanier concludes the poem with these four lines:
And yet shall Love himself be heard, Though long deferred, though long deferred: O’er the modern waste a dove hath whirred: Music is Love in search of a word.
Please forgive me for wandering into theology here (though I hope if this discussion bothers you, you’ll forgive and keep reading). Lanier’s astute observation − Music is Love in search of a word − expresses my own closely-held conviction of the sacred connection between music, love, words and the Logos (Word) of John 1. Non-religious people are certainly able to enjoy and connect to music; for me as a believer, music penetrates deep into my being, stirring my soul to worship.
I’ve always been passionate about music. As a toddler, the sounds of music percolated within my head and poured from my mouth. Before I entered kindergarten, I appeared on stage. In fifth grade, I played the lead in a school adaptation of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel. A junior high speech teacher told me he expected I’d make it to Broadway one day. Before entering college, I thought I’d probably major in music. (It’s actually a huge blessing I didn’t.)
The first time I watched this a cappella rendition of the once-familiar hymn I Need Thee Every Hour, my heart soared. You may have seen it already. Since first viewing it, I’ve played it multiple times and continues to be amazed. I’ve now discovered Sam Robson, the young vocalist/one-man choir, has a YouTube channel to showcase his vocal ability.
If you’ve watched this video before, enjoy it again! Whether you’re religious or not doesn’t matter. His technical mastery alone is outstanding. One commenter on his YouTube page says: “Sam, just found out you exist today from a Facebook share. Feel like I’m unwrapping the best gift ever given.”
