In São Paulo, Brazil, in 1931, a great concert was given under the direction of Villa-Lobos, the internationally known composer and one of the greatest of Latin-American musicians. Twelve thousand voices rose as one in response to the baton that led them. These singers, he said, "were students, teachers, soldiers, workers, and society people." The government then asked Villa-Lobos to direct the teaching of music in the schools of Brazil. He has since been director and has taught group singing as an avowed and specific means to an end—"as a form of civic, moral, and artistic education, and," as he puts it, "discipline."
Speaking of discipline, Villa-Lobos recently said in an interview that "discipline in the form of rigid rules, imposed by an external authority, always fails." He added: "Discipline must be spontaneous and voluntary, if it is to have any effect. Now group singing gives ... this sense of self-imposed, inner discipline. It shows them [the singers] the meaning of solidarity among human beings and the importance of co-operative effort. They realize the necessity of subordinating individual vanities and aspirations to a higher common will and purpose. They learn that only when all the voices are properly integrated, is the highest artistic objective gained."
The basic proof of demonstrating Christian Science in human experience is found in working harmoniously together, "singing" together. The Christian Science initiate, when he begins to study the Bible together with the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, learns to take his first faltering footsteps in true inner discipline. He learns to watch his thoughts and to see to it that they are constructive, not destructive. He learns to speak the positive truth and nothing but the truth, learns to speak only the good about himself, his neighbor, his home, his work, his world. And these inner disciplines he should be watchful to maintain. He learns to glorify God through better health of body and attitude of mind, as the Bible admonishes (I Cor. 6:20): "Glorify god in your body, and in your spirit."
