The religion of music

Music really does have an amazing ability to transform, to lift spirits, to reveal emotion, to transport. Music is one of the few constants in my life. It has always been by my side, especially when I’m lonely. It drowns the loudest sound of all – the sound of silence.

‘The theologian, HH Farmer, says: “the experience of being lifted right out of the world by choral music induced a refreshing withdrawal and escape from the everyday pressures of things”’ (Partridge, 2010: 183). I couldn’t agree more, although maybe not about the choral music thing.

Music is absolutely apart of our identities and our social constructions. Music is not simply fleeting or ephemeral; it has a really big impact on our lives. The argument here is that music is not just something we indulge in that reveals our tastes and characters. Music has helped construct all of that, and continues to form a part of the reconstruction of identity that is always at play (Partridge, 2010).

Music can affect an individual as much as religion can. Both serve to construct personal and shared meaning. The power of religious music, an intersection of these two hugely influential entities, cannot be underestimated.

References:

Partridge C. 2012. Popular Music, Affective Space and Meaning. In Lynch G. and J. Mitchell with A. StrhanEds., Religion, Media and Culture: A Reader. 182-193. London and New York: Routledge.

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