Last year we explored Christmas music and, briefly, how other world religions acknowledged Jesus in their writings. It was not intended as an expose on Carols, Holiday Music, etc.; It was a reflection on why Christmas Music came to be, in its purest point of origin-the birth of Jesus and the Biblically, historical events surrounding the birth that has given us Christmas music. In terms of the semantics of Christmas Music vs. Holiday Music: without the birth of Christ there would be neither.
Although I did not discuss inclusivity, I feel as though inclusivity has minimized and created an antagonistic environment towards Christmas music in public schools and other gatherings. We have become so polarizingly sensitive, that we now limit students exposure to great music because of its Christian and religious inferences. Whether Christmas music is presented as an art form in public settings, or as religious expression, it has become the “elephant in the room”. Being sensitive to other cultures does not require us to “throw the baby out with the bath water”.
Rather than making a concerted effort to equalize musical expression over time, some seek instant results. These results will never be accomplished outside a natural and sincere development of inclusive expression.
There is a deeper issue with regard to world music and that of other religions, which is a whole other topic. However, where does one find well-written, notated and accessible world choral music? What music is marketable to publishers and how do we enter into an age where music, of all world and faith traditions, is accessible in mainstream publishing? I am sure my fellow composers will address this, and I hope they do!
Now, back to inclusivity…by way of my experience as a high school student. Our director and one of my mentors, Catherine Carnabuci, balanced religiously based masterworks with secular/world music throughout the academic year.
It did not matter what your background: we sang with Jewish students, African-American students, Asian students, Agnostic students, Christian students, Atheistic students, Gay and Lesbian students, and from other varying orientations and beliefs. Repertoire was never an issue. What we were doing, was singing great choral music-from Bach’s B Minor Mass to the madrigals of Emma Lou Diemer, White Christmas to Robert Shaw’s Angels we have heard on High, Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata to Randall Thompson’s Choose Something Like a Star, William Dawson’s Out in the Fields to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and many more, together, without prejudice.
Ronald Richard Duquette says