Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Christmas music from Fernando Ortega (with apologies for a few cheesy images):

The Twelve Days of Christmas (sort of)

Classic Christmas cheer from "Straight No Chaser":

The Earth Stood Still (Advent Music)

Merry Christmas from Future of Forestry:

Staying-Power (thoughts on music and art)

I have heard from some that "Christian" music is going through a kind of renaissance. The days of crappy pop-culture cloning are dying out, being replaced slow but sure by more substantive musical art. Such a sentiment may be overstating things a bit, but it's not completely without merit. Mainstay and mainstream juggernauts like Anberlin and Switchfoot have carried that torch for the past ten years or so (though the latter has begun to show signs of wear and tear), and current big timers like Mumford and Sons and hidden gems like My Epic cannot help but feed the excitement that the dark ages of CCM are finally fading away.

Like I said, it's overstated. Pop-culture is big business, and "Christian & Gospel" is one of the biggest money-mongers around. Chris Tomlin and WOW Worship aren't going anywhere, and mainstream Christianity's seemingly incurable drive to ape the world and its culture will continue to be an ever-present source of parody and scorn.

But my point here is not to comment on the current state of so-called "Christian" music, but rather to point out how unpredictable it can be. Junk and jewels often get spewed out in the same breath, and there can be diamonds amongst the rough, rough sewage that passes for "Christian" "art". This is a fact no matter what day it is or what generation of music (or film or literature or whatever) we're going through. The dark ages can still produce a Beowulf, and the latest generations can still produce horrors to the ears and eyes.

Case in point, I have two songs to share with you. One is "Light Up the Sky," a single released in 2010 by The Afters (your obligatory generic Christian band). The other is "Calling Out Your Name" by legendary CCM icon Rich Mullins. Let's deal with "Light Up the Sky" first. Regardless of your musical taste, try and listen carefully:

Now, look: I do not in any way question these guys talent or sincerity, and since I believe that God is big enough to use any and every thing for His glory, I don't even doubt the song's ability to touch people. (Its official music video is actually quite inspiring.)

Having said that, be honest with yourself: they sounded like The Backstreet Boys, didn't they? (Seriously, when the chorus hits and they do the "light, light, light"/"I, I, I" thingy, try some choreographed hand gestures. It totally works.) It's fluffy, it's predictable, it's safe, it's...fine. Really fine, mind you, but just fine. It came out two or three years ago, and you've probably never heard of it, since it is not built to last. Canned pop-art is never built to last; when it ever does, it was an accident. Their primary purpose is to be disposable and replaceable.

Again, this does not mean that they weren't fun in their day, but it does mean that there is nothing everlasting about them. And the sign of good art (in any medium or genre) is that it has something everlasting about it. It has "staying-power" across generations. Shakespeare was said to be "not of an age but for all time," and guys like him and Mozart remain, not because dead white guys shove them down our throats forever. How can they (being dead white guys, after all)? Rather, it's because they have staying-power: they resonant down through the ages.

Compare and contrast that song with this one by Rich Mullins. It first appeared in 1991, during the early heyday of CCM. I would argue that while both this and "Light Up the Sky" are perfectly legitimate works of art, there is something inherently different about Mullins', and that difference is its eternal nature. It has staying-power. What it says, how its says it, how the whole composition rolls and rides through the soul like the wind and the waves...it's truly a transcendent experience. There is a reason this song (and other Mullins songs) still speaks while others (though well-intended) fall silent in the end. It's because he's singing to touch eternity, while everyone else just seems to be living for the moment.

See what you think:

-Jon Vowell, et. al. (c) 2013

I am Not, but You Are (music from Current Orthodox Rebels)

I consider this to be a musical postscript to this post, so be sure to read the post before you listen. Once again, the greatest Christian band in the world delivers another stellar song. Enjoy.

 

Lower Still (Advent music by Current Orthodox Rebels)

I consider this to be a musical postscript for this post. Though technically not a "Christmas song," it is still one of the best presentations of the Incarnation (as well as the death, burial, and resurrection) of Christ that I have ever heard.

(Note: This "video" is nothing but the song. No need to watch; just listen.)

Rich (a song of sweet desire by Current Orthodox Rebels)

Why is this band awesome? Because this song is literally the musical version of Lewis' essay "The Weight of Glory" (an excerpt of which can be found here).

Further Up / Further In (a song by Current Orthodox Rebels)

Think of this as Homily 40 in song form:

Why Animation Trumps Live-Action: Reason #43,987 (some nostalgia by an orthodox rebel)

Because 80s awesomeness is too much for Michael Bay:

Mozart Metalheads (musical musings by an orthodox rebel)

It is amazing what human beings can do with music, not just the musical pieces themselves but also what can be done with those pieces. A piano piece can be played on the guitar, which can be played on the violin, which can be played on the xylophone, which can be played on a piccolo. Something loud and thunderous can be made soft and gorgeous while something contemplative and quiet can be made into a rock ballad. The expressive possibilities seem endless, and they can be quiet fun to explore, though the exploration can produce some surprising results.

I once heard someone (some anonymous voice in a comment section somewhere) say that the musical style of "metal" lends itself well to classical interpretation. Simply put, those shredding guitar rifts and heavy-handed back-beats can be quite effectively transposed into a string ensemble. I have found (from random suggestions and searches on iTunes, Facebook, and Youtube) many "tribute" albums to various bands where all of their songs were played on the piano (or a violin and piano, or with a string quartet), and I had seen many of those albums pay tribute to "metal" bands as well. Thus, the assertion did not surprise me.

Recently, however, I was visiting a blog that I frequent often. Every Monday it posts something about music, and this Monday it had a professional video from a concert for a band called Apocalyptica. They are a Finnish metal band that specializes in something called (brace yourself) "cello metal". That's right: cello metal. Three out of the four members are classically trained cellist (and the fourth one can play one as well), and they make their cellos the centerpiece of their act. As proof of this, I present to you the video from that blog, and I want you to pay attention to this video. Nevermind that the four men on stage look like a typical "metal" band (i.e., they're aptly dressed for Halloween, and one's missing his shirt), or that the stage looks like it is set for a "metal" band (complete with skulls!). Instead of all that, pay attention to these two things: 

(1) The song itself. It is a rendition of "Nothing Else Matters," by Metallica (I've linked to the song in case you want to listen to it for reference). I've randomly heard this song before (on Pandora Radio), and it sounded like a typical metal song I suppose (my experience is very limited); but I've never heard it done like this before. Apocalyptica takes it and transposes it into a cello quartet piece that is (no joke) hauntingly beautiful. It sounds like something any Mozart-purist would be in tears over. Listen to that and then think: that used to be a metal song by Metallica. Amazing.

(2) The people in the audience. "Metalheads" one and all, yes? Perhaps, yet when the classical sounds begin to resonate from the stage, there is no chorus of boos or chants of "BORING!". They are all into it. Seriously into it. I don't know why, but I found that to be pleasantly surprising (which I fear means that I am a snob).

Anyway, check out the video and see what you think:

-Jon Vowell (c) 2011

"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" (a favorite Christmastide carol of an orthodox rebel)

"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" is probably my favorite Christmas carol. The sadness and beauty of the sounds mixed with the depth of its theology affects me deeply every time. Here you can find the lyrics and tune, and here is one of my favorite renditions of it by Fernando Ortega:

Earth Stood Still (a Christmastide carol by Current Orthodox Rebels)

An original Christmas song from the new Advent Christmas EP, Vol. 2 by Future of Forestry:

Pie Jesu: Lyrics and Renditions (a Christmastide post by an orthodox rebel)

Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu,

Pie Jesu, Pie Jesu,

Qui tollis peccata mundi

Dona eis requiem,

Dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei,

Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei,

Qui tollis peccata mundi

Dona eis requiem,

Dona eis requiem.

Sempiternam, sempiternam requiem.

[Translation: 

Faithful Jesus, Faithful Jesus,

Faithful Jesus, Faithful Jesus,

You who take away the sins of the world

Grant them peace,

Grant them peace.

Lamb of God, Lamb of God,

Lamb of God, Lamb of God,

You who take away the sins of the world

Grant them peace,

Grant them peace.

Everlasting, everlasting peace.]

Charlotte Church version (apologies for the random Japanese text):

Sarah Brightman version:

Celtic Woman version: