Saturday, March 10, 2012

James MacMillan: The Future of Music, Modernity and the Sacred



This was our first venture into the Courtyard of the Gentiles.
We did our best to invite as many Brighton arty people as possible, it was very received in the audience were a few Buddhists, some Jews, quite few Christians from other churches and more than few atheists and agnostics.
What James had to say about music could well be applied  to the other arts, indeed to other disciplines too. He spoke about the stranglehold Boulez and co had over music and how atonality dominated continental music, there seemed such clear parallels with what had happened in theology and philosophy.
But listen to it the talk was just over 40 minutes, it is towards the end he speaks about religion and music.
The only problem I have is having invited James anyone else will be an anti-climax. In a way that will be the problem after the other speakers too: Aidan Nichols on the future of the Church in England, Mgr Keith Newton on the future of Ecumenism, Mgr Andrew Wadsworth on the future of the Liturgy and Fr Alexander Sherbrooke on the future of Ecumenism.

One nice thing was, Tessa, who is writing a dissertation on James' music. She came down from Nottingham just to hear him, it gave me enormous pleasure to not only introduce them but to invite her to dinner.

We had dinner for a dozen and at the end also had a little improvisation on my baroque racket.

10 comments:

P Standforth said...

Thank you for making the video available Father, I really appreciated being able to hear the lecture, not being in a position to be able to attend. It's well worth the time invested to watch.

gemoftheocean said...

What's the picture of that's hanging on the wall behind you? [Nice grandfather clock!]

Marc said...

Thanks so much for your good work at St Mary Magdalen, and your public witness. Am also glad to see that you can still enjoy tobacco after dinner in Brighton without being concerned that the political correctness police will turn up at your door!

Nicolas Bellord said...

What a line-up of speakers! I am almost wondering why I do not live in Brighton.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Gosh! You chaps are very nosey about another chaps domestic arrangements - regular Miss Marples!

Picture: an oil, is by a Russian, it is a Latvian Pre-Revolutionary street scene.
Other picture, an oil, not seen is a called "After the rain" by a collaborator of Stanley Spencer.
Clock: 1810, Liverpool, made by Anderson. I've forgotten to wind it!
Nicotine: yes, it doing all things it should do, but...

Lawyeratwork.com said...

Father

Very nice, thank you.

Lawyeratwork.com

gemoftheocean said...

Everyone gets one vice (otherwise, you'd be insufferable.) Is the Latvian one a copy from one of the Peredvizhniki? [I have a particular love of Repin's work.]

Fr Ray Blake said...

Gem, no it is not a Repin, is vaguely original, I can't remember the painter.

Fr. Gary V. said...

Father, Is Mr. McMillan playing a musical instrument or smoking on waterpipes(Bongs)?

Fr Ray Blake said...

The Racket/Ranket is a multi-bored Baroque reed instrument, it sounds like a bassoon
http://youtu.be/JIy86HTy9oc

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