In speaking of music, Mary Baker Eddy says in her Message to The Mother Church for 1900, (p. 11), "I want not only quality, quantity, and variation in tone, but the unction of Love." In these words is to be found the secret of a good church solo, the value of which surely lies in its healing effects, which, in turn, stem from spiritual qualities. Among these Godderived qualities are tenderness, freshness, compassion, joy, gratitude, and, perhaps most important of all because it opens the door to the obedient and faithful expression of all the rest, the quality of humility.
In "Miscellaneous Writings," Mrs. Eddy goes so far as to say of humility (p. 356:) "This virtue triumphs over the flesh; it is the genius of Christian Science. One can never go up, until one has gone down in his own esteem. Humility is lens and prism to the understanding of Mind-healing."
"Lens and prism"! How precisely applicable are these words, since the humble and meek surrender of human will, human egotism, pride, stubbornness, and the like, opens the heart to the reception of all the lovely and vital spiritual qualities which are man's birthright as a spiritual idea of divine Love.
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth," Jesus affirmed (Matt. 5:5). Desirable as are training and experience, one can in fact be or effect nothing of himself. But by reflecting God, one is able to compass all things, whether it be a question of developing some already recognized talent or the expressing of some unfamiliar quality which the occasion demands.
To quote our Leader again, this time from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 89): "Mind is not necessarily dependent upon educational processes. It possesses of itself all beauty and poetry, and the power of expressing them. Spirit, God, is heard when the senses are silent. We are all capable of more than we do. The influence or action of Soul confers a freedom, which explains the phenomena of improvisation and the fervor of untutored lips."
A good illustration of this truth was provided by the seventh century poet Caedmon Said to have originally been a silent and unlearned herdsman, Caedmon was moved, through religious fervor, to "praise the Guardian of heaven's kingdom, the Creator's might and his mind's thought" to such effect that he has been styled "The Morning-star of English Song."
When one traces the development of a church solo from its inception in the mind of its author to its presentation to a congregation, it should be recognized that, as with any other project undertaken in Science, humble receptivity to good opens the way to the entertainment and employment of divine ideas. Perhaps in some hour of need an influx of angel thoughts has flooded his consciousness—thoughts which have brought him healing and which he longs to share with others. These thoughts may crystallize in lines of poetry which he feels might, with advantage, be developed into a solo.
But the discipline of humility is needed if the poetry is to convey its healing message with simplicity and directness. Therefore the author must firmly resist the temptation to drag in, for the sake of providing a rhyme or filling a gap, extraneous material which, however helpful in itself, or however beautifully expressed, bears no direct relation to the rest of the poem and therefore interrupts continuity and distracts attention. It is humility again which enables an author to open his mind to fresh and lovely expressions perhaps hitherto unfamiliar. Thus he may find himself saying gratefully: "Wherever did that line come from? It is just what is wanted. It must have come from God."
Mrs. Eddy has wisely provided in the Manual of The Mother Church that the music in our churches must be of an appropriate nature and of a recognized standard of excellence (see Art. XIX, Sect. 1) . But whether the solo setting be an arrangement of a classical melody or a new composition, the same humility and open-mindedness must pervade the composer's thought and efforts if his contribution is to support, in its own telling way, the message of the words, rather than merely represent a display of his own musical virtuosity.
In the selection of a suitable solo, one finds that humility is essential if wisdom and love are to overcome personal predilections. Quite a simple solo of a recognized standard, lovingly and intelligently rendered, can have as great a healing effect as a more intricate one.
Much depends, however, on the receptivity of the listeners. It has been said of hymns that they require "a certain spiritual neighbourliness and magnanimity in the congregation" to be successful, and the same may be said about solos. Some members of a congregation may prefer a male to a female voice, a tenor to a baritone, a soprano to a contralto, a classical tune to a modern setting. But when personal preferences are laid aside and the solo, soloist, and accompanist are accorded loving attention in the faith that the solo will bring healing, each one will find himself sharing its message and being blessed accordingly.
Perhaps one of the most gracious Christian qualities which Christian Science fosters is the generous conceding to another's point of view, even though it may seem to conflict with one's own. Where this humble attitude of mind characterizes all concerned, healing will be found to permeate both the solo and the church services themselves.
