North of the Shire

I have wondered why it is that I like this piece so much. Listening to it once more I begin to wonder if it is the fact that the voices are balanced, unlike many chorale pieces.

I had thought it was simply because of the basso profondo but it is more than that. The deep bass voices are there and prominent but I think the beauty is in the way they are balanced with the tenors, altos and sopranos. So much of chorale music stresses the high tenors and sopranos.

I suppose to me this gives a more rounded feel of the human voice and there is nothing as beautiful as the human voice in music. That is why the a cappella chorale is the best.

Here’s another that I love because it features an alto soloist who I find amazing.

The reason I am returning to this issue of Sola Fide is because I recently received John Martignoni’s latest newsletter, and it contains a link to the following video.

But what I found interesting is the novel way that he approaches the Scripture passage James 2:26. (We’ll include the verse of contention #24)

[24] You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
…
[26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.

-RSVCE

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Here’s a comment from Steve to our post “Why Was The Cross Necessary?”. I wish to highlight it because he hits upon something that has bothered me in the past, having come to the Catholic Faith from being raised in a Baptist home and having had the Evangelical experience and all that entails. First, here is the comment; Continue Reading »

Here are a couple of segments that pertain to the discussion from our most recent post.