Communal music has the power to shape a soul and a society.
In many places today, a culture of singing and making music remains
robust, despite pressure from the commercial music industry. Or it was
until the Covid pandemic hit and we glimpsed what a world without
communal music-making could be like. According to Plato, virtuous music
is vital for building a virtuous community. Jewish and Christian
traditions take this insight even further: good communal music shapes
and builds up the people of God. So how can we choose good music and
avoid the bad? The sheer ubiquity of music available for consumption -
its presence as a near-constant soundtrack to our daily lives - poses a
hazard. Digital music on tap is a temptation to chronic distraction of
the soul, to a habit of superficiality and non-attention. Fortunately,
the remedy is straightforward: spend less time consuming prepackaged
tunes and more time making music. This will be doubly rewarding if done
with others - singing with one's family, singing in church, playing in a
string quartet, starting a regular jam session. If personal media
players tend to cut us off from the physical presence of others, sharing
in good music together breaks the spell of isolation and disembodiment.
It builds friendship and community.
On this theme:
- Maureen Swinger's amateur choir sings Bach's Saint Matthew Passion.
- Stephen Michael Newby says Black spirituals aren't just for Black
people.
- Mary Townsend finds Dolly Parton magnificent, but would Aristotle?
- Phil Christman finds catharsis in the YouTube comments of eighties
songs.
- Ben Crosby says congregational singing should be unabashedly weird to
visitors.
- Joseph Julián González draws on ancient Nahua poets in his music.
- Christopher Tin explains why he weaves so many historical influences
into his music.
-
Seven musicians talk about making your own music in schools, churches,
prisons, backyards, or children's bedrooms: Nathan Schram, Esther
Keiderling, Norann Voll, Chaka Watch Ngwenya, Eileen Maendel, Adora
Wong, and Brittany Petruzzi.
Also in the issue:
Exclusive excerpts from forthcoming books by Eugene Vodolazkin and
Esther Maria Magnis
- Thoughts on music from Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Hildegard of
Bingen, Martin Luther, and Eberhard Arnold
- Catholics and Anabaptists unite to commemorate the Radical
Reformation
- New poems by Jacqueline Saphra
- A profile of Argentinian singer Mercedes Sosa.
- Reviews of Kate Clifford Larson's Walk with Me, Rowan Williams's
Shakeshafte, and Sam Quinones's The Least of Us
Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people
eager to apply their faith to the challenges we face. Each issue
includes in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art.
