George Parsons

Please Leave a Comment!

2011-11-29T15:06:00.001-08:00

I have just checked the stats for this blog and found that more people than I thought were reading it...!

Apparently there were four views today, and five yesterday.

I'm intrigued, as I didn't let anyone know I was starting to publish again.

If you're reading this and your not a computer virus, could you leave a comment??

Thanks!

Amusing Telegraph Signs

2011-11-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

Just enjoyed this exhibition on the Telegraph's website of funny signs. Enjoy!

I Need some More Music to Listen To...

2011-11-29T14:59:00.001-08:00

I have just updated the 'On my bookshelf' and 'In my DVD player' lists on this blog. All fine...
But when it came to 'in my CD player', I realised I haven't really listened to anything new/interesting for a while. I go round the same old CDs...

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Why develop a regular Choir in ministry?

2011-10-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

Is there room for a regular choir in the ministry of an evangelical church? We are developing one at Christ Church Fulwood. Having been used to a regular contemporary music group for many years, the time has come to build on previous experiences of using classical and choral music in worship and establish a regular choir.

Why? There are many reasons:

- to increase the diversity of musical style in our meetings
- to get more people serving in music ministry
- to become 'more things to more people' so that we can reach lovers of choral music with the gospel
- to illustrate that Christ's Lordship redeems more than just contemporary music

We're looking forward to seeing how God might use our plans to establish a regular choir, and praying it will be established well!

Downton Abbey Spoof

2011-10-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

I came across this brilliant spoof on Downton Abbey the other day - for Comic Relief:

Behold our God

2011-10-21T08:50:00.001-07:00

We learnt a fantastic new song over the summer, written by some musicians at Sovereign Grace Ministries in the USA. Here it is - enjoy!

If God Created the Arts....

2011-10-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

If God Created music, then there a few really positive things we can say about it:

- It is Good - and not to be held in suspicion, or despised.

- It is Meaningful - music is not 'just dots'; it communicates. We can talk meaningfully about it, even when it has no words!

- It is Revelatory - as a part of Creation that 'declares the glory of God' (Psalm 19:1)

- It is Purposeful - we have a part to play in the world with it, for other's enjoyment and as a part of God's kingdom.

If you don't believe God did create it, and think it just 'is', then do you have a basis for saying any of these things?

I was Glad - on YouTube!

2011-10-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

I played the organ for Parry's I Was Glad... over the summer. Here's the Video! It's with the Abbeydale Singers, a brilliant choir from Sheffield.

Langer on Music

2011-10-21T06:47:00.001-07:00

Reading 'Philosophy in a New Key' by Susanne Langer. Struck by her idea that music's role is revelatory:

Because the forms of human feeling are much more congruent with musical forms than with the forms of musical language, music can reveal the nature of feelings with a detail and truth that language cannot approach. (PNK, 235)

One of Langer's strengths is that she takes seriously the differences between music and language - many of us treat music as though it were a language in the conventional sense, and expect it to communicate in the same way. But this gags music's power to speak by narrowing its possible range of meaning. Music is often wonderfully ambiguous in what it conveys. It speaks truly, but not necessarily specifically.

What do you people think? Can music reveal how we feel?