Play the Sunset

In Mr. Holland's Opus, Mr. Holland inspires a student to go deeper than the notes on the page to the true joy of the music by telling her to "play the sunset."

The epic story of God with his miracles and activity in our history is beautiful. Here we are with our lives - our stories woven into the tapestry.

Like a sunset, the glory of God is shining. The living Jesus is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his being. It is as we get past the notes on the page and play his glory that our lives take on the joy and fun of a life hidden in Christ.

Mr. Hollands Opus also reminds me of a score by Steve Reich. He wrote minimalist music. In the late 70's he wrote "Music For 18 Musicians." It is simple in its concept - building patterns note by note, but it becomes incredibly complex. The different musicians take up the strains at different times. There is no conductor and as a body they undulate and repeat passages as they desire. The piece can last an hour or more. Students at Grand Valley University recently recorded it and I heard an interview with them on NPR's Weekend edition. The pianist called it a spiritual experience - to play and listen to every one playing around you and be immersed in the music for so long. Their experience reminded me of our own experiences in California with Taize and the rest. Our harmonies, counter points and dissonance is woven into a beautiful song in God's glory. As we get behind the notes into the boundless life of God, the real break through happens, just as it did for the New Music Ensemble at Grand Valley.

Their director Bill Ryan said in the interview, "We had been looking at the work for about six weeks, and there were moments in the rehearsal where I started to see the players come out of their own parts — relaxing, looking around, using their ears, listening to parts that were happening across the room. I knew then that our concert would be fine."