“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
This quote is by Berthold Auerbach, who was a German poet and writer who lived in the 1800s.
One of my friends and I have season tickets to the performances of a musical group based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, called Cantus. There are eight men vocalists who make up the group, and they are both very talented in their singing ability and also have a stage presence that adds to the excellence of their programs. They often sing a capella but sometimes they have instrumentalists accompany them, and they too are very talented. My friend and I went to one of their performances recently, which reminded me once again of how special music is in our world. That specialness is reflected in Auerbach’s words.
Whenever I’ve gone to a live performance, whether it was musicians singing or musicians playing instruments, I’ve been impressed by and appreciative of the performers. They have worked hard to develop their skills, from the music lessons that for most of them started when they were young children to the many rehearsals they do to prepare for each performance. At today’s program and at others I’ve gone to, the applause of the people in the audience made it clear that they were appreciative as well. For them and for my friend and for me, it was an hour and a half mini-vacation from our everyday lives.
And of course it’s not just the music performed by professional musicians that is special. There are many celebrations by various cultures where music is central to those celebrations, and they often include dancing and the performers wearing colorful traditional costumes. Also, most elementary schools and high schools have choral, band, and/or orchestra concerts that students present that are very enjoyable. And how fun it is to hear little children sing just for the joy of it. Recently, my three-year-old grandson entertained me with his rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
We are also fortunate that music of all genres is readily available to us from many sources, including our smart phones.
I’m thankful for many things, including for the gift of music in our world.