I suppose everyone has a favourite song. Mine changes regularly, but at the moment it is probably still The Goodness of God, as sung in SCC but also as sung by our niece at her parents’ golden wedding anniversary.
If I were asked to list what were for me the 10 greatest pieces of music ever, that would be difficult. What would you choose? Some of these would make it to my list:
- The Hallelujah Chorus, from Handel’s Messiah (I used to think this was what I would hear first on my arrival in heaven – still not sure I was wrong).
- Widor’s Toccata and Fugue – massive organ work, often heard at big weddings and great occasions.
- Somewhere from West Side Story as sung by Barbara Streisand
- The Lord’s Prayer sung by Andrea Bocelli, with a huge choir and orchestra (fantastic!)
- You raise me up sung by Josh Groban (yes, really!)
- Any one of Beethoven’s symphonies
- The Triumphal Chorus from Aida
- ‘The Football song’ – also known as Nessun Dorma, sung by Luciano Pavarotti during the 1990 World Cup
- She Loves You by the Beatles (!!!)
- A jazz version of Blessed Assurance sung to us by our daughters at our 50th birthday celebrations!
A fairly varied selection, I think you’ll agree! (And it would probably change if you asked me next week – I can hear some objecting: ‘What, no piano music?!’). What would be on your list? Something more consistently high-brow? Or something more modern, that I’ve never heard of? Maybe some Rock ‘music’ of the kind favoured by our youngest daughter?
There is such a huge variety of musical styles and types that it’s actually hard to know where to begin writing such a list. Voices, instruments, rhythms, mood – all combine to produce the sounds we love. And probably no two people would come up with the same 10 favourites. And then you have to remember that for some, music does nothing; they are more moved by art, or architecture, or engineering …….
It just goes to show something of the infinite variety God has placed in the human soul – or if you like, how different we all are.
But every one matters. Every one is an important part of what He is building, the Body of Christ. Never say ‘because I’m not like that person I have nothing to offer’. Never say ‘my role is so much more important than yours’. ‘In fact God has arranged the parts of the Body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be’.
YOU are important. YOU are just as God wants you to be. YOU have a unique role in the Body of Christ.
We need YOU.
