Dear God, it has been an ugly year. We were not created for lives of desperate violence, greed, bitterness, and lust for power. We can be better than that.
Pieces of music like Ralph Vaughan-Williams' Linden Lea remind us of this.
OS hopes you will stop for a bit over three minutes, and take this in.
The shining grass-blades, timber-shaded,
Now do quiver under foot;
And birds do whistle overhead,
And water's bubbling in its bed,
And there for me the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.
When leaves that lately were a-springing
Now do fade within the copse,
And painted birds do hush their singing
Up upon the timber tops;
And brown-leaved fruit's a-turning red,
In cloudless sunshine, overhead,
With fruit for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.
Let other folk make money faster
In the air of dark-roomed towns,
I don't dread a peevish master;
Though no man do heed my frowns,
I be free to go abroad,
Or take again my homeward road
To where, for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.
(William Barnes)
HT: Calling England
Showing posts with label Ralph Vaughan-Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ralph Vaughan-Williams. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Thomas Hardy 'The Oxen': Christmas In Our Time
If you have the privilege of attending a performance of Vaughan-Williams' Hodie,
you will be surprised to experience that the piece's central moment occurs several minutes before its conclusion, when the baritone sings the wonderful setting of Thomas Hardy's poem, 'The Oxen'.
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.
We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen.
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.
So fair a fancy few believe
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve
“Come; see the oxen kneel
“In the lonely barton by yonder comb
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.
It is often intoned that we live in an age of skepticism, a 'post-modern' age, an age of disbelief.
OS begs to differ. He thinks we live in an Age of Disappointment. So much technical progress, so little human progress, so many utopian dreams gone so tragically wrong.
We hear the Song of the Angels, see the images of the Holy Family at the creche, hear the promise of outrageous grace offered us in that child, and so many of us head the other direction, away from the manger. We'll not get taken in this time, thank you. It's too good to be true, and we've learned not to play the sucker.
But, the question lingers: What if, hope against hope, it is all true? If God showed up as one of us, then that has to change our view of things.
This is what Thomas Hardy captured so succinctly, and what Vaughan-Williams set to music so sensitively.
And, here we all are, hoping it might be so.
OS's hope this Christmas is that we will all 'go with him in the gloom', run toward the manger instead of away from it. Our hope lies there, and nowhere else.
you will be surprised to experience that the piece's central moment occurs several minutes before its conclusion, when the baritone sings the wonderful setting of Thomas Hardy's poem, 'The Oxen'.
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.
We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen.
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.
So fair a fancy few believe
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve
“Come; see the oxen kneel
“In the lonely barton by yonder comb
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.
It is often intoned that we live in an age of skepticism, a 'post-modern' age, an age of disbelief.
OS begs to differ. He thinks we live in an Age of Disappointment. So much technical progress, so little human progress, so many utopian dreams gone so tragically wrong.
We hear the Song of the Angels, see the images of the Holy Family at the creche, hear the promise of outrageous grace offered us in that child, and so many of us head the other direction, away from the manger. We'll not get taken in this time, thank you. It's too good to be true, and we've learned not to play the sucker.
But, the question lingers: What if, hope against hope, it is all true? If God showed up as one of us, then that has to change our view of things.
This is what Thomas Hardy captured so succinctly, and what Vaughan-Williams set to music so sensitively.
And, here we all are, hoping it might be so.
OS's hope this Christmas is that we will all 'go with him in the gloom', run toward the manger instead of away from it. Our hope lies there, and nowhere else.
Monday, December 20, 2010
OldSouth's Christmas List
No, no, no...not a list of stuff he wants. He's got more stuff than he can use, needs to offload some of it, if truth be known. He's overwhelmingly blessed above anything he deserves. Making a list of desired 'stuff' would be, well, crass.
And not a snarky list of things he's like to see happen, like seeing Zimbabwe Ben marooned in Zimbabwe for six weeks...other people do that stuff better anyway.
Rather, OS hopes to make a list of suggestions for a happy, blessed Christmas, here in The New Normal; which, if we take the right approach, could make it a really great Christmas for his readers.
If you live within a drive of a city or university town in the English-speaking world, there is at least one church (usually more) offering really good Christmas music--like performances of Messiah, or Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Avoid the schlock churned out by the evangelicals, all throwaway cheesiness with dramatic sounding titles like 'Bethlehem's Hour' or 'The Sheep Meet The Baby King Jesus'. It's just shit, and is best avoided.
If you're really fortunate, you'll get to attend a performance of of Ralph Vaughan-Williams' Hodie, hands-down one of the best pieces of music produced in the twentieth century.
The good 'organs and choir robes' churches also provide Christmas Eve services. OS hopes you avail yourself of that opportunity as well.
On Christmas Eve afternoon, at 3:00 pm UK time (that's 10:00 am Eastern US, 9:00 am Central US), the great tradition of Lessons and Carols from Kings is heard 'round the world via BBC3.
Many American Public Media radio affiliates carry the broadcast as well.
The Lessons and Carols service is a work of genius. An opening hymn, a bidding prayer, nine lessons from the Bible retelling the story from Genesis through the Gospel of John, nine sung carols. No sermon needed, and one of the most powerful presentations of the Christian message ever devised.
The service booklet is found here. It's a valuable aid as you follow the service.
And, if you'll notice--almost every bit of this glorious Christmas music is offered gratis to the community.
A blessed Christmas to all.
And not a snarky list of things he's like to see happen, like seeing Zimbabwe Ben marooned in Zimbabwe for six weeks...other people do that stuff better anyway.
Rather, OS hopes to make a list of suggestions for a happy, blessed Christmas, here in The New Normal; which, if we take the right approach, could make it a really great Christmas for his readers.
If you live within a drive of a city or university town in the English-speaking world, there is at least one church (usually more) offering really good Christmas music--like performances of Messiah, or Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Avoid the schlock churned out by the evangelicals, all throwaway cheesiness with dramatic sounding titles like 'Bethlehem's Hour' or 'The Sheep Meet The Baby King Jesus'. It's just shit, and is best avoided.
If you're really fortunate, you'll get to attend a performance of of Ralph Vaughan-Williams' Hodie, hands-down one of the best pieces of music produced in the twentieth century.
The good 'organs and choir robes' churches also provide Christmas Eve services. OS hopes you avail yourself of that opportunity as well.
On Christmas Eve afternoon, at 3:00 pm UK time (that's 10:00 am Eastern US, 9:00 am Central US), the great tradition of Lessons and Carols from Kings is heard 'round the world via BBC3.
Many American Public Media radio affiliates carry the broadcast as well.
The Lessons and Carols service is a work of genius. An opening hymn, a bidding prayer, nine lessons from the Bible retelling the story from Genesis through the Gospel of John, nine sung carols. No sermon needed, and one of the most powerful presentations of the Christian message ever devised.
The service booklet is found here. It's a valuable aid as you follow the service.
And, if you'll notice--almost every bit of this glorious Christmas music is offered gratis to the community.
A blessed Christmas to all.
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