he became a popular figure through out the world. His musical career has been a solid success ever since. He returned .from Russia to face the hardest task of his career. He met President Eisenhower, got the first New York ticker tape parade ever given to a classical musician: ^ but, he had to prove that his Moscow suc cess was genuinely deserved and not just another Soviet cold-war tactic. How well he succeeded can be summed up in the words of the New York Times, reviewing his first con cert on his return homfe: “ The pian ist lived up to expectations, some thing that hardly seemed possible after so great a build-up.” Van Cliburn returned to the Soviet Union in the summer of 1960, spon sored by the United States State De partment as part of the Cultural Ex change Program. Once again his mod esty, friendliness, and technical skill made him the idol of the people. Following his return from his sec ond Russian tour, he scheduled a ser ies of concerts in Western Europe, followed by a North American tour. It was during this latest series of performances that he visited Mexico City and gave the interview from which the following excerpts are tak en. We trust that each of our readers will remember Van Cliburn in pray er, asking that his talent may be used to the glory of the Lord. While playing a concert tour in Mexico City recently, Van Cliburn consented to be interviewed by Rev. Virgil Gerber and Rev. Tom Fountain, Conservative Raptist missionaries who are in charge ‘of Publicaciones de la Fuente, an. evangelical Christian book publishing enterprise located in the Mexican capital. A portion of the interview is print ed verbatim below. Fountain: I’m told that you are a member of a Baptist church. Is that right?
Cliburn: Yes, I certainly am. I’m a member of Calvary Baptist Church in New York City. Gerber: We’re well acquainted with Calvary. In fact, a number of our Conservative Baptist missionaries are supported by that church. I un derstand you’re also a tither. Cliburn: Yes, I am. I believe very strongly in tithing. Fountain: You were in Russia some years ago and captured their en thusiasm. Did you attend services while you were there? Cliburn: Yes, on Sunday we attended the Moscow Baptist Church, Cliburn: Yes, indeed. My parents are active in the Baptist Church in Shreveport, La. In fact, my great grandfather, Dr. S. G. O’Bryan, was a Baptist pastor. He was the first president of Waco College, which later merged with Baylor Univer sity. Fountain: Would you like to tell us how you came to know the Lord? Cliburn: Well, I of course grew up in a Christian home. I heard the Gos pel from childhood up. And you know how it is, sometimes it is very hard to point your finger to just the time and place where you are taught to love and appreciate God; you are taken to church and Sunday School, etc. Fountain: What bearing did your home training have on your con version? Cliburn: Well, we always prayed to gether and the Bible was read in the family daily. Gerber: Mr. Cliburn, I believe your mother is a Christian also.
Fountain: Then, I suppose you know what they used to call “ the family altar” ? Cliburn: I certainly do. We always had family altar daily. Gerber: Then Christ is important to you? Cliburn: Yes He is. In fact, I don’t know what I would do without Him. I don’t see how people can live without Christ. Life has very little meaning apart from the Lord. It’s like going arourtd in a circle. Apart from a Christ-consciousness, it’s just a mere repetition of the same things over and over again—- experiences of which you become tired awfully fast. There’s no con tinuity to life, apart from Christ. I think people today need an aware ness of spiritual values. Fountain: What do you believe is the relation between art and the Chris tian? Cliburn: Well, if art inspires man to a deeper concept of God, it is good. But without a proper spiritual con cept of life, it has no real meaning. Gerber: Which one of the Bach Pas sions do you like best? Cliburn: Well, that’s hard to say. Each is so different. I love that part in the St. Matthew Passion where you have the soprano solo, “ For love my Saviour died.” I love that. And without a spiritual experience, you can’t really appreciate this. In photo at left, the famous pianist is shown during his appearance in Russia, sponsored by the U.S. government. His mother is at his side.
MARCH, 1963
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