Sunday, May 15, 2022

Brahms' Requiem at Duke

Duke University was the site of tonight's Brahms' Requiem performance by the Choral Society of North Carolina and the Orchestra Pro Cantores. 

Rodney Wyncoop directed. 

For all the music I listen to, forgive me, but this is the best kind of music there is. Without a doubt, with its amalgam of human ingenuity and divine-enabled creativity, all music played today is born from Classical Music. Every human being born with the gift of hearing must listen to this at last once in their life. Imagine what the heavenly choir will be like. Will we sing in all the different languages? Tonight's program, as you can see, was thankfully published in both the German and its English translation. 

The director had an absolute command of the score and the dynamics for every instrument group and every vocal chord. They got a much-deserved standing ovation. 

Congratulations to the maestro, the orchestra, and the vocalists. I know how hard this piece is. When Becky and I sang with the Northeast Piedmont Chorale, we performed this piece, though in English. 

So wonderful to have the honor of hearing these musicians tonight. The singing and playing was flawless. How could you not be inspired when the words were from Scripture? Luther once wrote, "After the word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." Music has the power to embed the words of Scripture deeply into our minds. Thanks be to God.