Musik och teologi ur en kyrkomusikers synvinkel Ett försök till kartläggning av några nutida strömningar

Abstract

My Personal Perspective

Music is an enigmatic language beyond languages. Discussing music and theology can seem impossible. This article starts from the very practical view of a full-time working Church of Sweden parish church musician, and so a fictitious study session with a worship team (of any parish) is being sketched. The importance of not taking things too much for granted is stressed.

Our Society’s Current Perspective

In the form of summaries of selected literature, various aspects on music and theology are discussed, always from the viewpoint of the still fictitious worship team.

As a reminder that music is primarily a very human occupation with many facets also in the fields of Christian music, references are made to the Swedish ecumenical periodical Trots Allt (eAfter All). The ambition of not being mainstream enable the editors to give a lot of space to articles on musicians and songwriters from virtually all kinds of (contemporary) music styles. 

The first hook to he discussed is Nicholas Cook’s Music. A Very Short Introduction, where the author invites his readers to think about music and the values and qualities we ascribe to it. Cook examines personal, social, and cultural values that music embodies, revealing some shortcomings of the traditional concepts of music, all very valuable for a wide discussion. He implies a more inclusive approach emphasizing the role of performers and listeners.

The next hook to he discussed is The Story of Christian Music by Andrew Wilson-Dickson, translated and adapted for Swedish conditions by the musicologist Folke Bohlin. The hook’s initial chapter is here of interest when relating aspects on the power of music and its ecstatic, symbolic, and rhetoric dimensions by historical causes mainly in the tradition of western classical music. 

Further authors with relevant—and sometimes disparate—contributions are Andrew Maries, Paul Westermeyer, Anders Ekenberg, Henrik Tobin, Oskar Söhngen, and Dorn Joseph Gelineau, all of whose works are here referred to hut not deeply discussed.

The Church's Current Perspective

At the practical level where theological reflection concerning the goals for worship is related to the music customarily used in our parishes, The Church Musician, a hook by Paul Westermeyer, might he useful. His five headings in answer to what is the nature of the church’s song are clarifying: a Song of Praise, a Song of Prayer, a Song of Proclamation, the Story, and, finally, a Gift of God. Westermeyer exemplifies how various denominations through­ out the ages have put different stress on singular aspects.

A Broader Perspective for the 21st Century

Here, the three subheadings refer to some main themes in the Swedish debate concerning church music— Musica Sacra— and varying them accor­ ding to present developments.

Tradition and Renewal in the Year 2001

In the eighties tradition and renewal used to he a catch-phrase for the development of church music. As a reminder to what extent recent technical developments— as the IT revolution and the new conception of “edutainment”— can renew a tradition, namely the tradition of western classical music, the still fictitious, yet hard-working, worship team in this article is recommended to leave their books and watch TV: Howard Goodall’s Big Bangs, a TV series which has recently been broadcasted in Sweden. Howard Goodall, fairly unknown in Sweden, is a composer of virtually all sorts of music, both prolific and successful.

The observation is made that it is crucial for any discussion on music and theology to note that three out of the five major changes in western music that Goodall describes as “Big Bangs” are directly related to the western church or indisputably Christian individuals; e.g., the monk Guido and the organist J. S. Bach. Musical notation, equal temperament, and the keyboard with twelve half-tones within the octave have spread throughout the world, thereby making silent witnesses of “a (re)sounding sacrament” (Anders Ekenberg’s phrase, and the title of an important book by him in Swedish on the issue).

Fit for Ecclesiastical Use— A Closed Issue for the Post-Modern Church of Sweden!

Music with church dignity or, phrasing it differently, “fit for ecclesiastical use”, was an expression very much in use from the forties onward, carrying an implication toward an excluding approach concerning church music which, among other reasons, makes it unfit for use today.

By following Goodall’s example I argue that today’s church musician might learn how to meet new demands with a creative and active approach, avoid being passive and suspicious of new tendencies, and still maintain a positive and necessary sense for quality.

Ecumenical Co-Operation, a Sign of the Times— in Sweden, A Part of the World

The present discussion in Sweden about finding and choosing appropriate music for various ecclesiastical events tend to lead towards dead-ends, as long as we do not find a new approach or another level for the debate.

Paul Westermeyer presents in his book Te Deum— The Church and Music a tentative angle which might be fruitful in the future. A more detached set of values is needed, without any implication of harsh judgement that will enable us to classify different types of religious music. Westermeyer suggests a holistic approach that is in fact a definite attitude concerning music and theology. What we need to do is estimating the charism of any denomination as witnessed in its music, despite the conflict and tension that caused the division.

This holistic view-point is also very much a testimony of our time, as it seems that contemporary currents move towards ecumenical and comprehensive views, although the consequences for the local parishes in the Church of Sweden have not been given much space. Maybe this is caused by us musicians being reluctant to carry on the discussion. As for the issue of ceremonial music, a sensitive ear with consideration and respect for the other party is crucial for mutual understanding.

Looking into the Future

By the help of musicians and authors, such as Nicholas Cook, Andrew Wilson-Dickson, and Paul Westermeyer, I have tried to mirror some current viewpoints on music and the interrelation between music and theology.