Article August 26, 1916 Issue

Music

MARGUERITE D. KITCHEN

Desire to help bring out a more intelligent and hearty singing of hymns in a Christian Science Sunday school led the writer to give the subject of music some earnest thought in the light of Christian Science. A study of the numerous references to music and song in the Bible and in the writings of Mrs. Eddy brought the inspiration which lifted thought out of a limited, material preconception to discern a higher, spiritual viewpoint.

In Science and Health (p. 304) Mrs. Eddy writes : "To be master of chords and discords, the science of music must be understood. Left to the decisions of material sense, music is liable to be misapprehended and lost in confusion. Controlled by belief, instead of understanding, music is, must be, imperfectly expressed." She also says (p. 126), "All Science is divine. . . . Human belief has sought and interpreted in its own way the echo of Spirit, and so seems to have reversed it and repeated it materially; but the human mind never produced a real tone nor sent forth a positive sound."

Since God is the divine Principle of all that really exists, we perceive that Mind, God, is the source of every right idea, hence the origin of all real music. The melody of this music is the unceasing song of joy and praise which has been going forth ever since "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Its harmony is the expression of one infinite Mind governing its ideas in perfect accord, divine Love correlating its own ideas. Its rhythm is the harmonious, unlabored action of divine Mind expressed by man, the obedient idea, moving under divine direction. Music then does not concern just the few, but all, since music in the true sense is universal and should be universally expressed.

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