Be still, then, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:11a)
I very much enjoyed Rev. Nick’s lecture on Bach this past Sunday, October 9 during the Forum after church. While connecting the dots for us on the very strong connection between Bach and the teachings of Martin Luther, the topic of beauty was discussed. Though we were focused on how Bach might see beauty in music, and how it affected his approach to composing, it was Nick’s comments on how Luther might describe music and beauty that caught my attention. The thought is that music is a “beautiful gift” from our maker, not something simply made by humans, but rather something already implanted in all nature, and in our own nature. For me, an obvious example of this is watching a baby or very young child respond to music, sounds, rhythm; you’ve likely experienced this before. Not yet old enough to speak or communicate, these young beings already respond to the rhythm and tones present in music.
Further, Nick explained that while a structure of order was crucial to Bach, he would also have felt that the more variation, complexity, and the fuller the harmonic invention (or innovation) within that structure, the ‘more’ beautiful something would be. All of this, of course, a response returned to the Glory of God (as he signed the end of every composition, S.D.G. or Soli Deo Gloria) in thanks for the original gift. Another example of this is the song of birds. They are born with this gift, no training required! And the complexity and variety of various species, as well as the variety of calls for differing purposes from the same bird, are really astounding. The organist and composer Olivier Messiaen was fascinated by this, and spent much time observing and writing down various bird songs. They are included in many of his organ compositions.
These topics reminded me of a recent experience: on Sunday, October 2, I had the pleasure of hosting “An Evening Retreat of Self Care” at Epiphany for the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. The 90-minute retreat was led by four clinicians: Janet Kessenich, Cathy Meyer, Karen Aalto, and our good friend Rev. Brett Johnson. Though not what the chapter had hoped for in terms of attendance, I selfishly felt lucky that there were only four others of us in attendance. The evening included guided meditation, a walking meditation, a crystal bowl sound bath, and a sound vibration meditation with tuning forks. It was this tuning fork work that struck me the most; these forks are supposedly tuned to the various frequencies inherent in the universe (AUM, new moon, etc.), and in various combinations are placed near and even on the body. What intrigued me most was that certain frequencies/overtones resonated so much more for me than others, obviously connecting with something inherent in my very being.
My wife, Kathy, was able to attend the event with me. Afterward, she stated that she hadn’t been that still and focused for 90-minutes straight in a very long time! I had to agree. More profoundly, I realized at the end of the following day that I was still feeling the positive effects — I was calm, grounded, not stressed by any of the happenings of the day. Martin Luther might say that beauty draws us into the heart of the Creator, connecting us to both the order and the diversity of the Holy Trinity, and to grace. At some point, I will certainly be looking further into this tuning fork work (!) but, in the meantime, I am grateful for all of the various opportunities for experiencing beauty, and a bit of stillness.
Jeremy Bruns
