2023  Another life-changing Lesson – Use your whole body!

It was not long before Harvey’s teacher noticed how his body was full of nervous tension, while he played his new instrument.

A few years of total abstinence from playing, his memories of ‘failure’ in the past, his preference to regard himself as ‘second fiddle’, his sense of insecurity while playing fast and high-pitched notes, his struggles with his hearing – all contributed to a tightening of Harvey’s bodily frame and a noticeable restriction in his movements.

‘Use a full bow stroke, expand your bodily frame and fill every part of your musical space!’

was another revelatory word of advice from Harvey’s new affirmative teacher. Harvey’s bowing arm now began to move in ever-expanding circles, not in jagged and stiff straight lines.  It was like a ‘Resurrection of the Body’!

There was an immediate improvement and a stronger resonance coming out of Czechia’s young body; Harvey became more relaxed, and his problems ‘keeping in tune’ were now replaced with a cleaner and more accurate sound.

Analysis and intellectual understanding of the music became less important, and the way Harvey used his whole body – not just his brain – took on huge significance.  His whole body was now physically moving with the music he played, and he became more emotionally engaged and committed.

All this has confirmed so much I have noticed and experienced during my long life since 1810 – how both Music and Theology are not subjects to be studied solely with the intellectual ‘part’ of human nature.  Being played by Beethoven, Schleiermacher et al, and becoming engrossed in the lives of great thinkers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, have shown me that Theology and Music are living organisms and experiences needing to engage the whole of our bodies, with all our feelings and emotions, our instincts and our imaginations.

Many theologians and musicians have encouraged us to be suspicious of our bodies. Think of the disparaging comments from St Paul and others about the ‘flesh’ and ‘body’, making generations of believers ashamed of their bodies, even denying and abusing them!  How ironic this seems, when the BODY of Jesus Christ is at the heart of the Church’s devotion and love!

I think I would like to share some further ‘body-thoughts’ with you about a particular musical work mentioned a few years ago – ‘The Mass of Life’ by my friend Frederick Delius, with words from Friedrich Nietzsche.  Next time, perhaps………………………