Mercy Devotion, August by Keith Stacey My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; (Heb 12:5 NKJV) The great Estonian composer Arvo Part went through many periods of artistic discovery and renewal during his early career, during which repeatedly he vanished from public life as he sought to find his compositional “voice”. As many other composers of his day, he was trained to speak in the language of the avant garde, relying on musical techniques and idioms that have become increasingly less palatable to the average listener. This was a language in which he was fluent, but never satisfied as an artist. It wasn’t until 1976 that Part, around the age of 41 (and well into his career), emerged back onto the scene with a strong direction of how his music would develop. He created a style of composition he named “tintinnabuli” (from the Latin tintinnabulum, a bell) which was characterized by two separate voices moving simultaneously. One voice, constantly erratic and moving in skips and arpeggios, and the second voice moving more steadily, one note at a time, leading the other voice to a place of rest. This new style has brought Arvo Part to the forefront of contemporary concert music and has gained him a worldwide following among devotees of music, fellow composers and listeners alike. Part, a devout follower of Jesus Christ, once remarked during an interview that (in his music) one voice represented his sin and the other voice, forgiveness. This ideal is never so beautifully illustrated as in his piece “Tabula Rasa”, a double concerto for two solo violins, prepared piano, and chamber orchestra. During the course of the first movement (Ludus) the first voice jumps around wildly, sounding almost terrified in places, and is always interrupted by the second voice, calmly leading the first to a place of submission. This goes on throughout the first movement until the first voice finds a place of rest throughout the second movement (Silientium). How often do you feel the voice of the Holy Spirit correcting your thoughts and actions? How often do you step out on a path only to feel the Lord gently leading you away from where you are headed? Deuteronomy 28:13-14 (NKJV) 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. 14 So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them. Today, I urge you to check your thoughts and actions. Are you in perfect submission to Him? Is there anything in your life that God is calling you to put aside? As humans it is our nature to chase after our flesh and desires; as Christians it is our job to put aside ourselves and to submit to the higher purpose to which God has called us. Colossians 3:3-7 (NKJV) 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 14:25:30 +0000
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