Considering Anti-Music-part-part 4

Considering Anti-Music-part-part 4

          Composers have often purposed to shock and anger audiences by composing music that is truly considered to be avant-garde music.  They have often expressed a desire to break with any established musical traditions.  One of the reasons has been their desire to leave a shocking footprint on the current musical scene in a particular generation.  This desire as come from a deep humanistic belief in “self” rather than having massa or spiritual burden borne in upon them of God. This desire is spoken of in 1Chronicles 15:22, “And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skillful.”  

          Chenaniah’s musicing was not about self but rather about God.  He did not desire to cause shock and chagrin among those who worshiped but rather to music in a way that would cause the congregation to understand more fully the Word and will of YHVH.  This purposeful music praxis of the Levite musicians is mentioned in Nehemiah 8:8, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly (they intoned i.e. sang the Holy Writ), and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”  The Levites desired understanding in worship rather than novelty or obscurity. 

Scripture Thought for the Day

1Chronicles 25:7, “So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.”