Ordering the Building Blocks of Music

Ordering the Building Blocks of Music

A composer who is not a Christian may order the building blocks of music in a fashion that will make a piece of music congruent with the purposes of sacred musicing.  However, it is the responsibility of the Christian composer, arranger and performer to study music thoroughly and be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be able to make wise choices of religious music.  Without such understanding it will be difficult to guard against the influence of Satan.  Romans 8:6-8 instructs Christians to be filled with the Spirit “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”  Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 2:14 explains, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”   However, 1 Corinthians 2:6 promises that Christ can guide the Christian’s musical endeavors, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

          The way a composer or arranger organizes and utilizes the building blocks of music will give them the propensity to either be *congruent or incongruent with the purposes of sacred musicing to a high and holy triune God.  It is not the building blocks of music that are good or evil, but rather it is how they are arranged and performed that gives them positive or negative meaning.  To be more specific, it is not diatonic seventh chords, incomplete dominant ninth chords, augmented sixth chords, Neapolitan sixth chords, syncopated rhythms, push beats, dynamics, or hemiolas that are profane.  It is the way that a composer, arranger or performer uses them that determines their appropriateness or inappropriateness.  There is no such thing as an evil chord, dynamic or rhythm per se, but every astute performer, composer or arranger understands that they may be used inappropriately in a given situation.  Furthermore, the inappropriate *juxtaposition or *amalgamation of styles of music is capable of making subtle, or not so subtle, jest of the very thing that a Christian musician is supposed to be expressing while musicing unto God.

Thought for the Day

A composer, performer and music director should proceed with an attitude of servanthood rather than ownership.   If I own I am the final authority.  If am a servant all of my sacred music and musicing is done in order to please God.