Well, the pacifist B. Britten was drawn to the War Requiem text to
decry the atrocities of war ... but I get your point, which is well
taken.
Dean
On Apr 14, 2005, at 11:57 PM, Mark D Lew wrote:
On Apr 13, 2005, at 1:42 PM, Dean M. Estabrook wrote:
I happen to know at least two very well known choral conductors
(self-professed as Godless) who perform sacred music with their
choirs in a manner which would bring saints to tears (if one admits
the possibility of their existence in the first place). Why not
atheistic composers setting sacred texts? (though I'm not sure why
they would be attracted to said texts in the first place).
Why is a pacifistic composer drawn to a libretto about war? Why is a
faithful husband composer drawn to a libretto about adultery? Why is
a male composer drawn to a libretto that tells the story of a woman?
One does not have to be the text in order so set it. I'm a
nonbeliever, but I find many sacred texts to be beautiful poetry.
mdl
_______________________________________________
Finale mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
"There are some people, I suspect, who would feel obscurely cheated
if, when they finally arrived in heaven, they found everybody else
there as well. Heaven would not be heaven unless those who reached it
could peer over the celestial parapets and watch other unfortunates
roasting below."
Karen Armstrong
Dean M. Estabrook
Retired Church Musician
Composer, Arranger
Adjudicator
Amateur Golfer
_______________________________________________
Finale mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
