Part 8-What may happen...retasking music.

 

Part 8-What may happen if we try to re-task music styles. 

       Re-tasking music styles is a pseudo-religious philosophical music notion that originated in the last quarter of the twentieth century.  The epitome of this notion is that “we should not let the Devil get all the best tunes”.  First of all, whoever established the fact that the Devil has use of the best tunes?  This little discussion is certainly not the platform to display all the thousands and thousands of wonderfully composed musical compositions that have been used for God’s glory over many centuries.  So, the little quip used by CCM enthusiasts merely shows their lack of knowledge of the history of church and sacred concert music. 

       Furthermore, the inept comparisons of G.F. Handle’s Italian soprano  duets (which he later rearranged into the marvelous four part chorus “For unto us a child is born”) with hard rock music (that was composed to appeal to the lust of the flesh and later supposedly sanctified for the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ) again show a complete misunderstanding of Handel’s compositional style.  There was absolutely no conflicting contradistinction in the compositional style between his soprano duets and the message or the music of his oratorio “Messiah”.  To put is very clearly, there was absolutely nothing about the words of the original duets or the style that they were written in that  brought attention to the lust of the flesh.  Also, the well known fact that parts of “Messiah” were eclectic is certainly no evidence for re-tasking hard rock music.

        While we are on the subject of re-tasking music, the written statements of CCM enthusiasts that Wesley’s “Songs of the Foundry” were bawdy drinking songs are simply  ludicrous, since we know that the “Songs of the Foundry” were songs composed during the time they were worshiping in the old foundry which was close to where Wesley’s Church and home now stand in London. These songs had absolutely nothing to do with the rough drinking foundry workers.

        So, Handel’s use of previously composed music and Wesley’s “Songs of the Foundry” are not proof comparisons that justify CCM’s strong desire to justify inappropriate juxtaposition of music style with religious words. I contend that re-tasking is risky and in many cases simply the wrong way to music unto our Lord and Savior. My objection is on the basis of style and also the association that surrounds the use of some styles of music.  These two topics will be covered thoroughly at a later date.