Singing for Joy

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Currently browsing thread: Singing for Joy Petersen Oct 28, 2008 10:00:45

Singing for Joy
Petersen email Posted on: Oct 28, 2008 10:00:45	When I attended a Stammtisch for accordian players I was surprised at how lustily they sang the old German folk songs. It was quite delightful. Americans don't gather to sing - except in Church. That is a shame, because there is a great deal of joy in singing together. One of the musicians there (who is heavily into all types of folk music) lamented to me that music has become something one consumes rather than something one produces. I was even more surprised at how little singing I heard during my two Sundays in church in Germany. Perhaps it was circumstantial, the services were lightly attended or the hymns were unfamiliar. I don't know. But compared to American Lutheran churches the singing was quite subdued and left me a bit sad. Perhaps there is a hidden strength in not having any public signing outside of Church. Do the Germans take music and singing for granted? I don't know and doubt they do, but being back at Redeemer on Sunday I felt like I hadn't sung in years. It was a tremendous joy. I embarrassed my daughter at how loudly I sang. I wasn't showing off. I am not a first year sem student looking over my shoulder to see who notices that I know the words to "A Mighty Fortress." I am not trying to prove anything. I was simply full of joy, thrilled to hear the organ blasting, and I was overtaken by both words and tune. Part of that is that Redeemer enjoys great acoustics and I have missed that. It is easy to sing here, easier than anywhere else I have ever been. That is not just acoustics, of course. It is also the fruit of a fantastic service player (Kantor Reuning) at the keyboard. I also had the advantage of not doing anything else so I had no need to save my voice. But whatever it was, it was wonderful and joyful and I wasn't the only one. There were loud, American singers all around me. And if I had to choose (and I hope I don't) the joy of Edelweis in a bar with friends or the joy of confessing the faith with brothers, I'd choose the later.

Singing for Joy

Petersen
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Posted on:
Oct 28, 2008 10:00:45

When I attended a Stammtisch for accordian players I was surprised at how lustily they sang the old German folk songs. It was quite delightful. Americans don't gather to sing - except in Church. That is a shame, because there is a great deal of joy in singing together. One of the musicians there (who is heavily into all types of folk music) lamented to me that music has become something one consumes rather than something one produces.

I was even more surprised at how little singing I heard during my two Sundays in church in Germany. Perhaps it was circumstantial, the services were lightly attended or the hymns were unfamiliar. I don't know. But compared to American Lutheran churches the singing was quite subdued and left me a bit sad.

Perhaps there is a hidden strength in not having any public signing outside of Church. Do the Germans take music and singing for granted? I don't know and doubt they do, but being back at Redeemer on Sunday I felt like I hadn't sung in years. It was a tremendous joy. I embarrassed my daughter at how loudly I sang. I wasn't showing off. I am not a first year sem student looking over my shoulder to see who notices that I know the words to "A Mighty Fortress." I am not trying to prove anything. I was simply full of joy, thrilled to hear the organ blasting, and I was overtaken by both words and tune. Part of that is that Redeemer enjoys great acoustics and I have missed that. It is easy to sing here, easier than anywhere else I have ever been. That is not just acoustics, of course. It is also the fruit of a fantastic service player (Kantor Reuning) at the keyboard. I also had the advantage of not doing anything else so I had no need to save my voice. But whatever it was, it was wonderful and joyful and I wasn't the only one. There were loud, American singers all around me. And if I had to choose (and I hope I don't) the joy of Edelweis in a bar with friends or the joy of confessing the faith with brothers, I'd choose the later.

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