Sing out

David Harries encourages Friends to raise their voices in song

Afew thoughts have come to me and have combined into a prompting. I have been impressed (as usual) by the high standard of music playing and, in particular, of singing (solo, duet and choir) at the 2016 Welsh Eisteddfodau. This reflects the time and effort put in, the value attached to it, and the tradition.

I have been thinking about the stewardship of a 200-year-old Meeting house in our area: both Meeting and Meeting house need support, especially as the number of Friends is small and the building is in need of much attention. It may well prove necessary, and desirable, to elicit the support of the local community, to raise awareness and interest, to generate wider use of the Meeting house and, indeed, to generate funds. Could music play a part here?

I have just listened to a Radio 3 programme about the work of the Hungarian composer and teacher Zoltán Kodály. He believed that everybody can sing and he devised techniques to bring this about. His influence is widespread.

In my work as a social worker I have often remarked how useful and powerful music is in communication with, and stimulation of, people suffering from dementia.

In my own lifetime, and during my long association with Friends, the arts have been warmly embraced in various ways. This has represented a cultural shift. Examples of our achievements in the field of artistic expression include the Quaker Tapestry and the work of the Leaveners. The opening up of Friends House in London to host exhibitions, such as the recent one entitled Echo Chamber, is a further example of this shift.

I wonder whether, in the seventeenth century, Friends missed a trick when they turned their back on music and concentrated on silent waiting in Meeting for Worship. I love the silence (and the vocal ministry, of course) and our tradition must be retained. However, to others our form of worship may appear austere and off-putting.

Music is a part of all cultures on the planet. All people sing and perhaps as Friends we should think about using music and, particularly, get involved in organised singing. This has several connected purposes: therapy, community generation, the understanding of our message, the conveying of our message to others, and potentially bringing new people in to sing with us. Preaching in a public space is one thing; but singing is quite another – engaging and not threatening.

I envisage local groups of Friends practising singing together and getting better. If they already exist then let’s have more. This may involve training, and it may mean payment. But I see this as an investment. I also see it as a singing movement. I foresee unaccompanied singing, at an early stage, but instrumentalists can be drawn in.

The material? We have Quaker songs. There are peace songs. We can also have new songs and lyrics composed and written for us. We have many singers and musicians among us. Where do they perform now – surely not much in Quaker contexts? I would like us to ‘sing out’ our message to the world, wherever and whenever we can. What do Friends think?

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Comments

We have a small group of Quakers in Nairobi who practice “unprogrammed” worship. We sometimes have an hour of silence when there is no spoken ministry. But we usually end by singing a hymn. This brings a sense of “togetherness.” We have photocopied some hymns which members like and even though some members may find the theology antiquated, the sense of sharing in a joyful activity seems to outweigh intellectual scruples. I have been hugely impressed by the movie “Pete Seeger and the Power of Song” which shows how much singing helped to bring about social change in the USA in a non-violent way. Donald Thomas, Nairobi

By Kenya Quaker on 17th February 2017 - 5:27

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