Does Emotion in Music Have Meaning? Part 2

Does Emotion in Music Have Meaning?  Part 2

In yesterday’s blog post we discussed the fact that Bible exegetes are divided in their opinions of what the word pneuma means in I Corinthians 15:14.  Now you can understand why I am reticent to base singing with emotion on I Corinthians 14:15.  So, we will have to continue this discussion carefully and without strong unrefuted biblical support.  What about emotion in singing?  Certainly stoic, unemotional poker-faced singing is not artistic musical performance.  Whether or not pneuma used in the verse mentioned above refers to the human spirit (I am inclined to believe probably does not) then Scripture would support that no one can sing  sacred music effectively without the involvement of the human spirit which produces emotion and ipso facto meaning.

          I believe that whether one is singing “Bold Intruders” from Mozart’s Cosi fan tutti, “He Was Despised” from Handel’s The Messiah, or the gospel song His Eye is on the Sparrow by Civilla Martin, great emotion is required on the part of the singer.  Whether the vocalist is musicing to a crowd of worshipers in a church or in an auditorium full of opera lovers, the greatest way to nauseate and therefore alienate an audience is to remove ones emotions from solo, choral or congregational singing. 

          So, the issue here is not that a Christian musician may not be able to find a Bible proof text for singing like the vocalist means what he or she is singing.  The issue is that unemotional singing of secular music cannot be effective and singing sacred music cannot be efficacious without the involvement of human emotion (understanding that sacred musicing necessitates the anointing of the Holy Spirit in order for it to be efficacious).  If there is anything past good vocal technique that is required of a singer, it is believability.