The new millennium, the third in the Christian Era gave cause for a boost in many movements that were somewhat foretold in the changing flow of culture that followed World War II. There were significant changes that occurred following World War I, commonly summarized as the Jazz Age. It never matured because of the onset of the Great Depression and the second world conflict barely twenty years after the first one. At this writing almost seventy years have passed since the end of World War II, early in 1945 in Europe and later in 1945 in Asia. My life was deeply impacted by the world economy and warfare. Although no world warfare has occurred since, many smaller wars have, and continue, sometimes in the form of terrorism that showers fear and death upon civilian contexts more than military. The larger conflicts have been somewhat reigned-in by the awareness of atomic weapons that could wipe out whole nations in a matter of hours. Further, the advances of communications, transportation, technology, pluralism and education have widened some areas of influence as have also youth interests, perceptions of freedoms and rights, accents of preferences relating to emotions over intellect, and a decline in commitment to traditions (like marriage and the family) – that which incorporated life before the current raucous era.
The focus here relates to music, and the need to understand the matter of music and noise as perceived in Scripture. We might use other factors, like grooming, recreation, diets, gadgets, values in general, but we choose music for this occasion. If space permitted I would summarize the book, A Language of Its Own, by Ruth Katz that manages the flow of music forms from ancient times. I liked the review of it by a London writer (Penrose) entitled, Making Sense of Sound. The book not only takes on the emotions related to sound making, but the science of sound as found in melody and atonal sounds, in sense and emotion. Our interest here is to address the theme of sound represented in Christians in faith expressing sound to God. The study of that matter rightly accents the concepts of King David, a musician both lyrical and instrumental in both concepts and skill, especially with the Psalms (poetry/songs) and instruments. He was so gifted in instrument that he could comfort Saul, who was sinking into mental illness, and is said to have reinvented the harp so as to have a tone for each letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. (The Greeks so adept in architecture, drama, philosophy, and other factors, did not improve music in the ancient centuries.) The Jews became a singing people, and have distinguished names in popular and sacred music.
Noise has both an affirmative and a negative meaning in Scripture. Much of the treatment of the word, in Scripture, is negative – found in the rabble, in tumult, in trouble making. In other passages it is related to joy, to unity of belief, to praise of God. Each reference finds its meaning in its context. It is assumed that the crashing noise of ocean waves hitting rocks is taken as praise to God, if so translated by those registering the noise. Persons of faith are told to make a joyful noise to God. It is a command from David, appearing several times in the Bible. David does separate music from noise, even instruments, from their refined meanings to their larger representations in mass participation. He offers the trumpet to noise, and the harp to music. There is relationship, but there is also distinctiveness. Moses had used the noise feature in the response of Israel at Ebal and Gerizim centuries before David verbalized the value. David would use trumpets for music but was open for joyful treatment in any style. There is much to be said about sounds (noises) that are perceived beautiful (somehow filling the life and emotions of the participants/listeners) and those evaluated in negative terms. The differences, I imagine, relate to the degrees in which the musicians evaluate music and the lay persons evaluate it. What serves the standard set by those who identify music and those who use it casually? The individual decides. Music sustained slaves, who made soulful music about God and heaven. The great cathedrals were filled with massive music that seemed to fill the space of the soul. I am not ministered to by that music which has taken hold so widely in the new century, but the new generations appear to be. The newer generations do need to remember that they too may be challenged by style change – when they age. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020