This week someone asked me the question “where do you find God?” It has made me think about the ways and places I see God in daily life. One of the places I see God is in music, particularly when it intersects with theology in a meaningful way.
This week I had the privilege to sing in a choir for a Masters of conducting examination recital. The conductor, Kaveinga Vaka has been sent to NZ by the Anglican diocese of Tonga to study conducting and return with his skills back to the Pacific Islands.
One of the pieces we sang was Mozart’s Coronation Mass which I had not sung before. One part of the mass is the credo or creed- sung in Latin it is very wordy and usually missed out if sung in a liturgical setting.
In Mozart’s setting the credo is very fast paced and energetic but when it comes to the words of the creed “He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.” The music slows completely, and sombrely and slowly expresses this truth. Mozart has done this deliberately to emphasize and illustrate the significance of Christ’s birth and death.
Then at the words about the resurrection the music again picks up the pace in the spirit of rejoicing. “He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father;”
It was a joy to be a part of this, singing with very talented people in both Tongan and Latin, using and enjoying the gift of music that God has given humanity.
Where do you find God?
Catherine Perich