The Power of Music

Delivered On: January 20th 2013
Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Music Gives Voice to Hearts and Souls

Music is inseparable from life. Its influence is felt both in our personal lives and in the course of history—perhaps most powerfully in the way it has given voice to noble causes throughout the ages. Never was this more evident than during the civil rights movement of decades past. Martin Luther King Jr. said of that era’s "freedom songs,” "I think they keep alive a faith, a radiant hope, in the future, particularly in our most trying hours.”1

Martin Luther King loved music; his messages vibrated with stanzas of sacred songs, from "Precious Lord, Take My Hand” to "Amazing Grace” to the "Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah.

When they weren’t being quoted in speeches, these hymns, spirituals, and other folk songs were being sung at rallies and gatherings—the historic march on Washington in 1963, Martin Luther King’s funeral in 1968, and many others. On one occasion, at the conclusion of a meeting at his home, King stood with his colleagues as they sang, "There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole.” It was one of his favorites, for the words soothed his soul:

Sometimes I feel discouraged

And think my work’s in vain,

But then the Holy Spirit

Revives my soul again.2

Martin Luther King’s work, thankfully, was not in vain. And we owe at least part of his success to the beautiful music that inspired, encouraged, and unified those who devoted their lives to that work—the work of freedom and liberty.

And though our personal needs and causes may seem less lofty, music can do the same for us. Whether we need comfort and peace, encouragement, or a reminder of God’s love, music can—like nothing else—revive our soul and give voice to the yearning of our heart.

1 In "Songs and the Civil Rights Movement,” The Martin Luther King, Jr., Encyclopedia, http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_songs_and_the_civil_rights_movement.
2 See Adelle M. Banks, "Favorite Songs Carried MLK Through Troubled Times,” Huffington Post, Jan. 11, 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/11/mlk-favorite-songs_n_1200393.html.

Program #4349

La música y la vida son inseparables. Su influencia se siente en la vida de cada uno y en el curso de la historia; quizás su mayor poder sea el de dar voz a las causas nobles. Esto fue muy evidente en el movimiento de los derechos civiles en los Estados Unidos. Martin Luther King dijo de las "canciones de libertad” de aquella época: "Yo creo que mantienen viva la fe y la esperanza radiante en el futuro, particularmente en los momentos más difíciles”.

A Martin Luther King le encantaba la música; sus mensajes vibraban con el texto de canciones sagradas, desde "Toma mi mano, divino Señor”, hasta "¡Sublime gracia!”, y el coro de "Aleluya” del Mesías de Handel.

Cuando no los citaba en sus discursos, se cantaban esos himnos y otras canciones folklóricas en eventos especiales, tales como la marcha histórica en Washington en 1963, el funeral de Martin Luther King en 1968, y muchos otros. En una ocasión, al concluir una reunión en su casa, King y sus colegas se pusieron de pie y cantaron: "Hay bálsamo de Galaad para sanar al herido”. Era uno de sus himnos favoritos, y sus estrofas sosegaban su alma:

A veces me desanimo

Mi obra en vano considero

Mas luego el Espíritu Santo

Mi alma revive de nuevo.

Afortunadamente, la obra de Martin Luther King no fue en vano. Y al menos en parte, su éxito se debe a la hermosa música que inspiró, animó y unió a los que dedicaron su vida a esa obra: la obra de la libertad.

Aunque nuestras causas y necesidades personales parezcan menos trascendentes, la música puede hacer lo mismo por nosotros: darnos consuelo, paz y ánimo y recordarnos el amor de Dios. La música puede revivir el alma y expresar la añoranza de nuestro corazón.

Musical Selection:

1. When the Saints Go Marching In

American song; arr. John Rutter; Hinshaw Music

2. Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit

African-American Spiritual; arr. Mark Anders Emile; Arrangement Unpublished

3. The Battle of Jericho

African-American Spiritual; arr. Moses Hogan; Hal Leonard

4. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (organ solo)

African-American Spiritual; arr. Richard Elliott; Richard Elliott

5. Down By the Riverside

African-American Spiritual; arr. Arnold B. Sherman; AGEHR

6. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

African-American Spiritual; arr. Mark Anders Emile; Arrangement Unpublished

7. Spoken Word

8. He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands

African-American Spiritual; arr. Mack Wilberg; Arrangement Unpublished

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