Music is Next to Godliness

As we have discussed so many times in this class, the importance of the accessibility of music is paramount. We have said that this accessibility makes it an agent of change, a political vector, and a common factor in all of humanity. This commonality of music makes it a great way to make people feel included and connected, either to a cause or another person even, which is why music is used as a large part of many religions and spiritualities.

For a long time, religion, Christianity to be specific, was very exclusive and people were only allowed "access" to God through Indulgences and members of the clergy. It was not until more recent times that Christianity became attainable to lay people and not just high powered members of the church. Music plays a huge role in making Christianity easily attainable for everyone because even if you don't know verses from the bible or aren't baptized or in other words "traditionally devout", you can still feel a connection to the church and to God through songs.

I grew up in the Episcopal church which is the American version of the Anglican church of England. As one can imagine, being such a close descendant of the Catholic church, it is very much like Catholicism in that we have set services, readings, seasons, and hymns. I always felt like a little kid who did not know anything and could not be a part of God's church growing up because I could not read yet or I did not have verses memorized like my friends, but one thing that always made me feel a part of the congregation was the music. We sing beautiful traditional hymns every Sunday and on holidays we even bring in a string quartet to accompany the choir and perform instrumental pieces like Cavalleria Rusitanica's Intermezzo. This piece has no words, but is hauntingly beautiful, using a wide range of notes along with minor and major flips back and forth. This song has always been my favorite, but oddly enough, it isn't even a religious song. Intermezzo incorporates traditionally "heavenly" instruments such as harps, violins, and an organ which when played all together in a beautiful and powerful ascending scale sound like something that should be considered divine.

Another song that makes me and my whole family feel as if we are connecting with God is the Irish Blessing. This song reads "May the road rise with you, may the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. May the rain fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you, in the hollow of His hands."

Music is a way for any person of any education, language, or socioeconomic standing to connect with a congregation and a higher power just by singing and sharing something so familiar.

Cavalleria Rusitanica - Intermezzo:

https://youtu.be/jxAbK8Rr5g8

Irish Blessing Lyrics (I could not find the version that I grew up with):

https://youtu.be/ieVMf7MGXxU