Soothing the Savage Beast

Opening remarks, welcome and prayer

12/13/2024

I am truly pleased that Immaculate Conception Church can host this Christmas classical music concert, titled “Under the Rose Window.” Think about it: classical music has always found its home in the Church. After all, a funeral Mass inspired Mozart’s “Requiem in D minor”.

Beethoven composed a “Missa solemnis in D Major”, a solemn Mass for his patron, Prince Nikolai Golitzin. And who can forget Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Mass in B Minor” for a Lutheran service? It is no exaggeration to say classical music not only finds its truly proper home in the Church but perhaps  here it even reaches its most sublime heights.

And this should not surprise us since, even going all the way back in the Old Testament to 1000 BC, King David composed his Psalms as liturgical - that is, church - music. And by the way, do you remember what effect his church music produced in the hearers? We read in 1 Samuel 16:23, “Whenever [a tormenting] spirit came upon [King] Saul, David would take the harp and play, for the evil spirit would leave him.”

It’s like the old saying “music soothes the savage beast.”  In other words, liturgical music, especially music like David’s Psalter and Beethoven’s Missa solemnis, is designed not only to lift the spirit in prayer (which it most certainly does) but also to heal the spirit from wounds (which we most certainly need).

Perhaps we can make that perspective our prayer this evening. Let us pray, “Heavenly Father, you delight in the music of your children. As your Holy Spirit inspired the great musicians of the past - David, Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach - to help your people down the ages to lift their minds and hearts in prayer, so bless the musicians this evening – the IC Treble Makers, Ben Henderson, Judith Norton, Grant Harper, Lori Fay, and Ben Keating.

May their talents and training serve to give you all the glory and to give your people healing, hope, and a touch of the joy of Christmas. May their music soothe the savage beast in each of us. We ask this as all things through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

One small house-keeping item before I turn the evening over to Dr. Rick Foti, our Emcee. The proceeds from tonight will benefit our "Yesterday, Today, and Forever Campaign", the centerpiece of which is a new back altar in the sanctuary. So, a very hearty thanks to our sponsors who made this evening free for everyone.

But that also means you should have a few extra shekels in your pockets that you can leave for our campaign by dropping them in the baskets at the exits of the church. Your gift will make this church a worthy home for the heavenly music you are about to hear. Magnificent churches like this is where such music was born. Thank you, and Merry Christmas!