Title 1: Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defence
Title 2: Worship in Spirit and Truth
Author: John Frame
Publisher: P&R
John Frame introduces himself to his readers as no specialist in music but someone who loves music. Of course his actual field is theology - and it shows. He writes about music as the man enamoured with a subject, not having yet learnt the complications which defy such simple love.
His specific target in these two books is the use of music in worship. The basic thrust of both books is well-summarised in this quotation from Contemporary Worship Music p.25:
"unless it can be shown to be inappropriate for worship, everyone’s music should be heard: old people’s and young people’s music; European, African American, and other ethnic music; complex music and simple music. This is how we defer to one another - serve one another - in the body of Jesus Christ."
Read moreTitle - Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
Author - Oliver Sacks
In this book Oliver Sacks weaves a collection of tales of people’s experience of music, tales that range from the sub-normal to the paranormal.
We read of ordinary people, who are haunted by music. They would give anything for the music to stop “playing” in their heads. But it will not go.
We read the story of a man struck by lightning, who develops an obsession with playing and composing, an obsession that destroys his marriage.
Always amongst the most heartwarming, we have people with physical or mental restrictions, who find that their skills in music are abundant. We can focus upon this small number and, with the arrogance of our age, declare that they are blessed. The fact that such people may be socially isolated or physically incapable of looking after themselves is outweighed by the fact that they give us music.
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