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How Much is Music Worth?

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A woman here in Birmingham is blogging about the new organ in her church.  It comes from an important perspective – she is in charge of the outreach responsibilities at her church and she has been dealing with the cost of a new organ and upgrades to the sanctuary.
 
Here is how what she wrote about finally hearing the new organ:
Tonight, as I listened to the new Dobson organ played for the first time, I heard the question others have asked: Is it worth it? My answer is this: How much is music that is so full of majesty and splendor that it reflects, even if only in the palest way, the splendor and majesty of God–how much is such music worth? How much is it worth to move the human soul beyond the earthly climes to the glorious realms of heaven?
 
All I can tell you is that the music I heard tonight filled my soul so full–so full of love, of wonder, of awe, of joy, of pain and pleasure, that I cannot begin to communicate the worth of it. All I can say is that such music surely leads us to a truer, fuller, worthier praise and worship of our God, and our God is worthy of all praise and honor and glory; and worship is our central purpose as people of faith–it is the place from which all our learning, all our care for one another, all our service and mission beyond ourselves into a broken world find their center and their purpose and their energy and their meaning.
 
The music I heard tonight reflects our love for God; it reflects God’s love for us; it reflects the nature of the One who is the Creator of all beauty. Is it worth it? Oh, yes…Tonight, my soul says: Yes…

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Comments

  1. I agree wholeheartedly, I too, get chills when listening to the “grandpa” of all instruments. THere is nothing more stirring than a Bach toccata and fugue when played on a pipe organ like the Dobson.
    Congrats and yes, it is a blessing.  May we never forget the power of a pipe organ.

  2. There was a similar famous moment, when  Beverly Sills had taken on fundraising — probably for Lincoln Center, and reporters asked her how she could justify this huge amount of money for the arts. Her exact respons you will have to search online — but it was gracious and was something about…….the arts being what separated us, or made us different from animals, and of course was much better than that–perhaps still not consoling to the woman struggling to pay for outreach programs, but certainly a quote worth remembering and sharing.  Sorry I’m short on time or I’d look it up.  I must get to church where I am usually the choir director, but this week substituting for our organist — on a pipe organ built in the late 1800’s and being kept working by a very small Congregational congregation who also run a food pantry.  Balance is the key. .  . must feed body and soul.   Jolyne Antista,  Colorado Springs

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