I remember hearing at a Christian Science Sunday church service an organ prelude so inspiring that it impressed me as a musical journey from sense to Soul. It began with movingly beautiful melodies and harmonies and progressed to music so ethereal it seemed almost celestial. The subject of that week's Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly was "Soul," and I thought, "What a wonderful preparation for the service today!"
The organist told me later that she spent much time in prayerful study to find and prepare organ music that would support each Lesson-Sermon. The result of this preparation was not just music in church, but real church music. It proceeded from love for Church as a spiritual idea, and it certainly helped to provide an inspiring atmosphere for the service that day.
If one were to add up the time given to music in a church service—prelude, hymns, solo, offertory, postlude—it would be found more than equal in length to the Lesson-Sermon itself. It is vital that this music have a healing quality! Such music is real church music.
