Evening star., 1948-12-26
music Shares
Yule Message.
In Special Way
By Alice Eversman

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This past week, the close alliance
between music and religion has been
demonstrated again through the sa-
cred programs given in the churches.
There have been many performances
of oratorios appropriate to the sea.
son, most notable among these be-
ing Handel's Messiah" The loved
carols that every one knows by heart
and the hymns with their sweet,
simple texts have been sung by
countless fervent worshipers. It has
been a time when worldliness has
been put aside and people have
given themselves up to the purest
sentiments Of the heart and spirit.
The trends Of the present era are
away from such practices. 1t affects
music as well as religious beliefs and
moral attitudes. It Is well to con-
slider just what the traditional OBJ
servance of yuletide through sacred
song means to humanity as whole,
and whether there Is any brighter
lights beckoning in q future void Of
such commemoration.
It Is a great significance that
Christ's birth was announced by
choir Of angels singing in the mid
night sky. Such music was never
heard before nor since that night.
1t was not the overstimulated imag-
ination Of the simple shepherds that
created the vision they saw in ths
heavens but a fact recognized by
history and substantiated by more
reliable evidence. A glorious star
shone with unearthly light and
three wise men, and the adjective
must be taken literally, followed It's
course until they reached the Nam
ger.
Music Was Chosen as Medium.
OF all the arts, music was chosen
to be associated with that event
which meant the redemption OF the
world. AS time is counted, that
happened a comparatively short time
ago. Too short, in fact, for us to
forget quickly. 1t was the apotheo-
sis Of the finest gifts bestowed on
men, an all-embracing love. destined
for sacrifice, truth. purity and faith.
The star illumined the heavens with
a promise and the actual appear
ance Of the angelic choir con-
firmed it.
AS much Of the teachings Of
Christ, the heavenly Phenomena at
tending His birth were symbolical.
It gave to music. for all times, q
special essence that can never be
overlooked if the art Is to survive.
1t also showed to the people Of the
world the good life and the relation
of music to it. At this point In his
tory we are in danger of dismissing
these symbols as too childish for our
sophisticated minds and the magni-
tude of sentiment underlying them
as a weakness to be avoided.
In the first Christian teachings,
people were admonished time and
again to become "as little children"
Not to assume the unreasoning level
of early childhood but to cherish
and cultivate the simplicity and
genuineness Of faith, the trusting
acceptance Of goodness and the
clarity of vision that recognizes
beauty even in little things. The
immortal composers guarded In their
innermost hearts q childlike inno-
cence from which they could draw
inexhaustible inspiration, These
men, outwardly often Of forbidding
mien, revealed this secret source in
their writings. That they felt their
mission as composers a sacred one
Is evidenced in their prayers, the
acknowledgment of Gods help on
their manuscripts and many other
instances now matter of record.
1t Could Be Very Different.
Were we to accept the ideologies
that have misled so great a part Of
the world, all Christmas observances
would be forbidden. No more would
the heart melt at the strains OF the
simple carols and hymns. Handel's
Messiah" would be q decadent work
and Bachs sacred music abolished.
All the great music written since the
star appeared, and under the sub
liminal inspiration of the heavenly
song, would have no value, would be
useless for layman or artist. There
would be no reason to return for
even q short while to that state OF
"little children" where the good Is
deified.
In all the centuries since Christ's
coming, the story Of 1t has set In
motion the art in the souls Of spe-
cial individuals. If gradually through
the centuries, the events themselves
have not been used so often, the
sentiments 1t embodies were active
still. What future is there for
music, II the cultivation Of the finer
values of life, its spiritual signifi-
canoe and its human association, be
banned? Material things are soon
emptied of their inspiration-and
what remains then? Will intellec.
tual stimulation sufflce?
All those who serve music in any
capacity have greater responsibility
toward it than ever before. Remenl-
Der, it was allied to the tenderest
moment in history. Only by foster
ing the virtues glorified at that time,
individually and collectively, can the
destiny of music be fulfilled. Then
it will be in truth the voice that
speaks of the spiritual and human-
itarian principals of nations follow"
ing the light of the star.