THE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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“The first E ssential in Gospel Song In terp retation is an unwavering belief in the message of th e song. W ithout this, tru e In terp retatio n is out of the question. Let th e gospel song pianist fully realize th a t an E tern al Issue is involved in th e message of gospel song, and th is rig h t a ttitu d e will enable In te rp retatio n to play its p art to th e full. How is th is a ttitu d e to be realized? You cannot appreciate the gospel mes sage in song unless you appreciate th a t for which th e gospel message stands. The foundation of th e gospel is Christ, and your attitu d e toward Him, will de term ine your a ttitu d e toward th e gos pel in song. If you appreciate Him, you will appreciate His gospel. And you can only dem onstrate your apprecia tion of Christ by your acceptance of His finished work of Atonement. In these days of innum erable “ isms” and “ cults” it behooves every gospel song pianist to be loyal to Christ. Such loy alty alone can make possible a power ful and inspiring In terp retatio n of the gospel in song. Is your a ttitu d e righ t? (Note: Mr. H arkness is on th e Music Staff of the Bible In stitu te of Los An geles. His course is prepared for the musical development and education of pianists of ordinary ability. The sp irit ual element referred to in th is article makes the course a specially desirable one for Christian young people). m Egl ate ate HASTY DEPARTURES
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INTERPRETATION J
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BY ROBERT HARKNESS
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|H E one g reat purpose of' Gos pel Song Is the presentation in an attractiv e and in terest ing form of th e Gospel mes-
saved goes immediately to hell, a place sage. The music is merely the vehicle to convey the life-giving m essag e/ to needy souls. Many musicians fail to realize the value of Gospel Song. The sp iritu al element of Gospel music gives it a distinction and elevation which no other muse attains. Hence it re quires sp iritual insight, vision and in terest on th e p art of the musician to properly in terp ret th e message of th e gospel in song. The Apostle Paul, h it th e nail on th e head when he said in F irs t Corinthians, 2:14 “ But th e n a t u ral man receiveth not th e things of the sp irit of God: for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.’’ Many a church choir fails in its g reat mission of rendering the gospel mes sage in song because it lacks spiritual vision and interest. And th is applies also -to th e sacred pianist. It is said said th e re are over two hundred th o u sand Sunday-Schools in the United States. One wonders how many pianists in these Sunday-Schools really possess th e sp iritual vision and in terest which enables them to in te rp re t th e gospel in song as it should be interpreted? Realizing the trem endous need of a sp iritu al awakening amongst sacred pianists I have called special atten tion to th e subject of Gospel Song In ter p retation in th e Correspondence Course in “ Gospel Song Piano Accompani m ent.” A paragraph tak en from Study No. 11 of th is course will explain what is in my m ind :—
“ It is th e ten m inutes afte r prayer th a t m atters,” said th e Bishop of Lon don lately. “You say your prayers, but before God has tim e to answer you are up from your knees and off. We do not hear w hat th e answer is: we do not w ait to hear w bat it is. It may be th a t for years God has been trying to say something to us, bu t we have never given him tim e to speak to us, "Be still, and know th a t I am God!”— YOU CAN INSURE YOUR INVESTMENTS FOR
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