My Music & My Faith
St Catherine's college
While I am grateful to have had the opportunity of attending Charterhouse because of the excellent standards of the music, I am even more grateful for having come to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as my saviour while I was at school. At Oxford, I was blessed to go to St Catherine’s, a college with an active Christian Union and my faith was considerably strengthened during the three years I spent studying for my music degree.
Upon graduation, I was involved for some years with churches sympathetic to the Charismatic Movement, although I have to admit, with my classical music background, I was always struggling with the rock music-based worship that is the norm in such churches, even though I tried hard to pretend I wasn’t! Wondering if I might be called into Christian ministry, I spent two years at Moorlands Bible College, during which time I re-thought my theological position, rejecting the Charismatic Movement (and its music!) and fully embracing the Doctrines of Grace. Since leaving Bible College in 1998, I have been a member of conservative Reformed (Calvinistic) Baptist or Independent churches, at present being a member of Mayfield Baptist Chapel in East Sussex.
Upon graduation, I was involved for some years with churches sympathetic to the Charismatic Movement, although I have to admit, with my classical music background, I was always struggling with the rock music-based worship that is the norm in such churches, even though I tried hard to pretend I wasn’t! Wondering if I might be called into Christian ministry, I spent two years at Moorlands Bible College, during which time I re-thought my theological position, rejecting the Charismatic Movement (and its music!) and fully embracing the Doctrines of Grace. Since leaving Bible College in 1998, I have been a member of conservative Reformed (Calvinistic) Baptist or Independent churches, at present being a member of Mayfield Baptist Chapel in East Sussex.
Mayfield Baptist Chapel - East Sussex
Evangelical nonconformity – and Calvinistic churches in particular – historically have stressed the primacy of preaching and deliberately keep the worship very simple – no choirs, anthems or grandiose organ voluntaries. I am fully in agreement with this principle while acknowledging that some of the finest music ever written was composed for use in churches that have adopted a different stance on worship – the Lutheran and Anglican churches in particular. Furthermore, although some Evangelical church groupings have shied away from virtually all forms of music except hymns and/or metrical psalms, historically, many Calvinists - including the English Puritans – have enjoyed instrumental and even some choral music outside of worship services.
My approach to composition as a Christian has been based on my understanding of the Bible’s teaching, aided by the study of how Christian composers in the past have interpreted the various relevant texts. Music is a gift from God to all mankind. I therefore see no reason merely to stick to writing “sacred” music. Indeed, I agree with the sentiment of the German composer Andreas Werckmeister (1645-1706), who called all music “a gift from God, to be used only in His honour.” Just like J S Bach, who wrote “in Nomine Jesu” or “Soli Dei Gloria” not just at the beginning and end of his cantatas but also in his didactic works, I seek to glorify God in all my compositions, whether choral or instrumental, sacred or secular.
I should also mention the influence of the American theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984). Although primarily associated with visual art – i.e., drawing and painting, Schaeffer’s starting point is much broader. As man was made in the image and likeness of God, in being creative, he stresses that we are reflecting something of that image. When he published Art and the Bible in 1973, however, his endorsement of Christian involvement in the arts in general was somewhat revolutionary. However, following my “musical renaissance” in 2017, I have found his writings extremely helpful as I seek to compose music in a way that is consistent with - and indeed part of – my walk with God.
Although virtually all my current choral pieces are based on sacred texts, I would not have any rooted objection to setting secular texts, as long as I was comfortable with the sentiments of the author. I just simply haven’t got round to writing any such pieces yet! The predominance of sacred texts is a result of being a member of a choir which sings a lot of sacred music plus, of course, the importance of the Bible to me.
As for the sacred choral pieces, I have considered the whole subject prayerfully and do not feel that it would be appropriate to restrict their use by forbidding their performance even by professing churches with whose theological position I profoundly disagree. I would never set a sacred text that I consider to be unsound, but have no problem with setting historic Latin texts (including the five texts which constitute a “Mass” setting. which are essentially either scripture, early hymns or ancient statements of faith) as long as the words are consistent with the Bible’s teaching.
Perhaps I should leave the final word on this subject to George Frideric Handel who, along with Praetorius, Schütz, Bach and Mendelssohn, must rank as one of the greatest Christian composers of all time, May I recommend his simple statement which I fully endorse:- “What a wonderful thing it is to be sure of one's faith! How wonderful to be a member of the evangelical church, which preaches the free grace of God through Christ as the hope of sinners! If we were to rely on our works, my God, what would become of us?”
My approach to composition as a Christian has been based on my understanding of the Bible’s teaching, aided by the study of how Christian composers in the past have interpreted the various relevant texts. Music is a gift from God to all mankind. I therefore see no reason merely to stick to writing “sacred” music. Indeed, I agree with the sentiment of the German composer Andreas Werckmeister (1645-1706), who called all music “a gift from God, to be used only in His honour.” Just like J S Bach, who wrote “in Nomine Jesu” or “Soli Dei Gloria” not just at the beginning and end of his cantatas but also in his didactic works, I seek to glorify God in all my compositions, whether choral or instrumental, sacred or secular.
I should also mention the influence of the American theologian and philosopher Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984). Although primarily associated with visual art – i.e., drawing and painting, Schaeffer’s starting point is much broader. As man was made in the image and likeness of God, in being creative, he stresses that we are reflecting something of that image. When he published Art and the Bible in 1973, however, his endorsement of Christian involvement in the arts in general was somewhat revolutionary. However, following my “musical renaissance” in 2017, I have found his writings extremely helpful as I seek to compose music in a way that is consistent with - and indeed part of – my walk with God.
Although virtually all my current choral pieces are based on sacred texts, I would not have any rooted objection to setting secular texts, as long as I was comfortable with the sentiments of the author. I just simply haven’t got round to writing any such pieces yet! The predominance of sacred texts is a result of being a member of a choir which sings a lot of sacred music plus, of course, the importance of the Bible to me.
As for the sacred choral pieces, I have considered the whole subject prayerfully and do not feel that it would be appropriate to restrict their use by forbidding their performance even by professing churches with whose theological position I profoundly disagree. I would never set a sacred text that I consider to be unsound, but have no problem with setting historic Latin texts (including the five texts which constitute a “Mass” setting. which are essentially either scripture, early hymns or ancient statements of faith) as long as the words are consistent with the Bible’s teaching.
Perhaps I should leave the final word on this subject to George Frideric Handel who, along with Praetorius, Schütz, Bach and Mendelssohn, must rank as one of the greatest Christian composers of all time, May I recommend his simple statement which I fully endorse:- “What a wonderful thing it is to be sure of one's faith! How wonderful to be a member of the evangelical church, which preaches the free grace of God through Christ as the hope of sinners! If we were to rely on our works, my God, what would become of us?”
