Uplifting Thoughts for the Isolated and Depressed in Times of Plague

[bellesouth]

Just an observation from the late Terry Pratchett - .. it's one thing saying you've got the best god, but sayin' it's the only real one is a bit of cheek, in my opinion.' Or as the late Dave Allen might have said in these troubled times, "May your God go with you."

 

[twonines]

I shall post and encourage others to add positive thoughts of life in this time. Those who reject or disparage religious faith are welcome to their beliefs. But please to not attack mine here.

In the hymns he wrote for the Christian church, 17th-century German theologian, pastor, and hymn writer Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) provides some answers. Gerhardt lived through plague, war, the deaths of his parents during his youth, the deaths of his wife and four of his five children, strife in the church, and lengthy periods of unemployment. Yet his hymns never falter in testifying to the hope and comfort found in Christ.

The evening hymn “Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow” is a lullaby for all ages, bidding the Christian to sleep in peace, knowing that Christ watches over him: “Lord Jesus, since You love me, Now spread Your wings above me And shield me from alarm. Though Satan would devour me, Let angel guards sing o’er me: This child of God shall meet no harm.”

Thanks for that,it is beautiful. Apart from 3 years in the military,I have sung in a Male Voice Choir since 1952 and it is probably the thing I am missing the most during the lock down.

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

Thanks for that,it is beautiful. Apart from 3 years in the military,I have sung in a Male Voice Choir since 1952 and it is probably the thing I am missing the most during the lock down.

You can always sing-along here.

 

[twonines]

Unfortunately, it shoes as "Video not available" but thanks anyway, I have plenty of discs and tapes to keep me going. PS its working now.

 

[Eulalia]

The piece of music that has always affected me most deeply is this,
Ne irascaris Domine, Be not wrathful with us, Lord -
and especially the second part (begins at 4'20) Civitas sancta tua,
'Your holy city is laid waste ...'
by William Byrd, contemporary of Shakespeare, and for me he is the Shakespeare of music

Incidentally, the performers are Stile Antico, among the finest performers of renaissance polyphony.

As for my beliefs - I cultivate Keats's 'Negative Capability,
that is, when a man (or woman!) is capable of being
in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason'

At the heart of our experience of being human is a mystery beyond words,
and, as Wittgenstein put it, Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen.
(“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”)

 

[twonines]

The piece of music that has always affected me most deeply is this,
Ne irascaris Domine, Be not wrathful with us, Lord -
and especially the second part (begins at 4'20) Civitas sancta tua,
'Your holy city is laid waste ...'
by William Byrd, contemporary of Shakespeare, and for me he is the Shakespeare of music

Incidentally, the performers are Stile Antico, among the finest performers of renaissance polyphony.

As for my beliefs - I cultivate Keats's 'Negative Capability,
that is, when a man (or woman!) is capable of being
in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason'

At the heart of our experience of being human is a mystery beyond words,
and, as Wittgenstein put it, Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen.
(“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”)

Byrd is certainly one of the giants of polyphany with Lassus ,Palestrina and Victoria.

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

At the heart of our experience of being human is a mystery beyond words,
and, as Wittgenstein put it, Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen.
(“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”)

I am not far from that. I come closer to Blaise Pascal - « Le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point » ("The heart has its reasons that reason does not know").

 

[Darkprincess69]

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain."

- Frank Herbert, Dune

 

[twonines]

Byrd is certainly one of the giants of polyphany with Lassus ,Palestrina and Victoria.

As one grows older, one attends more and more funerals. Recently, I went to my cousin`s funeral at the Methodist Church in our native village. Our 3 times great grandfather was a leading light in the Primitive Methodist movement, so the old hymns were sung and a large part of the congregation could sing the harmonies which made the experience moving and strangely fulfilling.
Primitive Methodism was said to have been born in song and many of its hymns are very powerful and have the ability to draw people together.

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

As one grows older, one attends more and more funerals. Recently, I went to my cousin`s funeral at the Methodist Church in our native village. Our 3 times great grandfather was a leading light in the Primitive Methodist movement, so the old hymns were sung and a large part of the congregation could sing the harmonies which made the experience moving and strangely fulfilling.
Primitive Methodism was said to have been born in song and many of its hymns are very powerful and have the ability to draw people together.

My Mother's Favorite hymn we sang at her funeral, Swedish traditional melody and a poem written by Carl Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden

I do not hear it without copious tears of heartfelt joy.

 

[Gibbs505]

 

[Gibbs505]

I have always enjoyed Bolero and Music box Dancer.

 

[twonines]

My Mother's Favorite hymn we sang at her funeral, Swedish traditional melody and a poem written by Carl Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden

I do not hear it without copious tears of heartfelt joy.

That was indeed one of the hymns we sang, you are right it comes to us from Sweden but there is a theory that it is initially of Russian origin.

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

For me, Bolero is more arousing than uplifting. But that is a good part of why I cum to CF.

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

In the Time of Plague, we all must make choices about service.

​

Joshua 24:15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.​

 

[Praefectus Praetorio]

As sop to those sad Uker's whose pubs have shut, one of my favorite Monty Python skits from just the third show.

 

[elephas]

Not Brook but Ocean should be his name. - Ludwig Van Beethoven
("Bach" is the German word for "brook")

"Nicht Bach, sondern Meer sollte er heissen."
Ludwig van Beethoven

 

[Apostate]

As sop to those sad Uker's whose pubs have shut, one of my favorite Monty Python skits from just the third show.

Decades after first watching this I finally decided to look up Purley.

Purley, London - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Barbaria1]

My Mother's Favorite hymn we sang at her funeral, Swedish traditional melody and a poem written by Carl Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden

I do not hear it without copious tears of heartfelt joy.

A classic imho

 

[twonines]

My Mother's Favorite hymn we sang at her funeral, Swedish traditional melody and a poem written by Carl Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden

I do not hear it without copious tears of heartfelt joy.

One of my favourites too.