We publish a Parish Magazine 4 times a year and in each Magazine there is a letter from Jonathan Smith, the Vicar at St John's. Here is the Summer 2007 letter:
Of all the seasons of the year it is perhaps Spring which most engages our senses. From the sight of the bare branches sprouting their vivid green, to the smell of blossom and the sound of birdsong, one can virtually taste and touch the signs of new life which this season brings in such full measure.
Perhaps it is only when we begin to experience their diminution that we really appreciate the wonder of the senses. I remember the days when I could read a newspaper or even the telephone directory unaided. Now my invariable cry goes up "where are my glasses?" for without them everything except the heaviest and boldest print is a blur. Recently I was reading about the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven. His gradual deafness was an ongoing tragedy and by the time of the premier of his great ninth "Choral" Symphony, Beethoven could not hear a note of it.
Like many people music plays a cherished and important part in my life. It gives a value and enhancement which is difficult to convey in words. Music can soothe, it can invigorate, it can embolden, and it can be reflective and stirring. My life would be so impoverished without music and the sense of hearing. From time to time, when I gather with a certain group of friends, we embark upon a recitation of our Desert Island Discs. That long running radio programme is deservedly popular because it informs our curiosity about well known people. Someone's choice of music tells you a huge deal about them. In some ways it is more informative than their autobiographical reminiscences which can get distorted by the passage of time. So, over the years, the eight disks chosen by my friends and I have varied. There are some constants but others get promoted to, or relegated from, the list. One thing though is common to us all. The music we choose, naturally, has great personal significance but, more specifically, it reminds us of particular periods of our lives. Thus one of my disks will always be the piano duet "Berceuse" from the "Dolly Suite" by Gabriel Faure. It is a beautiful piece certainly, but it was also the theme tune to "Listen with Mother" and the opening strains of it take me back to early childhood with its warmth and security. Likewise I would pick "Hotel California" by "The Eagles" because it transports me back to the carefree days of my student life.
One of the most poignant parts of the Bible is where we read of the young David playing his harp and so assuaging the madness of poor old King Saul (1 Samuel chapter 16 verses 14 to 23) Music; and the ability to hear it, is a wonderful and precious gift from God. We thank Him for all composers and performers who so enrich our lives.
By the way, if you are interested in what would be my choice of just the one disc to take to the desert island, it would be J S Bach's Goldberg Variations played by Murray Perahia.
All good wishes
