Sunday, September 06, 2009

Notes and neurons

I was thinking about this this morning and realized I'd never gotten around to posting it; this is wonderful. It is indeed, as Bobby McFerrin says, the power of the pentatonic scale—and of music in general, I think; it's also a remarkable illustration of the beauty of the order of God's creation, and of the ways in which we're made for, and made to respond to, that order, even in our fallen state.


8 comments:

Sis said...

That was so amazing! I was singing along with them with no trouble! And that you point out God's hand in all of this makes it even more amazing. I love it!

Douglas Underhill said...

I watched a few of the other videos from the Festival - amazing stuff. Thanks.

Rob Harrison said...

I'm glad y'all liked it; it really is amazing stuff (there's probably no way I can go to the WSF next year, but I wish I could). As Tolkien said--I'm extrapolating from his point a bit here, but I think permissibly--"We make still by the law in which we're made"; part of our place in the order and harmony of God's creation was to create in our own right within that order, and even as out of tune as we can get, we can still feel that order and harmony, and respond to it.

Sis said...

I love it when you talk Tolkien...teehee! He's my fav.

Rob Harrison said...

One of mine as well, in part because he was a man of deep wisdom and insight. The church does not do well to neglect his essays, I believe.

Sis said...

One of the best reads ever for me was Tolkien's bio. And just knowing he was friends with C.S. Lewis somehow makes the Chronicles of Narnia even more special to me. Just the silly way I think, I guess...


:)

Rob Harrison said...

I really want to get the book on Tolkien and Chesterton; but I'll have to wait until the price comes down. Also Diana Pavlac Glyer's book on the Inklings, The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community, which (if Michael Ward is right) has finally toppled Humphrey Carpenter's account (and good riddance to it, imho); that one's only $30, so I'll probably pick it up late this year (or maybe ask for it for Christmas).

Rob Harrison said...

Too many parentheses. Also, since that first reference was rather offhand, I should note that I blogged about the book in question briefly here.