There was profound nostalgia for me in the experience. Every song that James Taylor sang on Saturday had an emotional hook for me, because I have been listening to–and learning to play–his music since I was 18 years old. His music has been with me at every stage of my life since then, and music has a visceral power to bring the memory back to moments in life that happened years or decades ago. The concert itself also evoked nostalgia because the singer is 75 years old and doesn’t have the energy and power as a musician that he did decades ago. HIs music is good today, but there was a backward-looking theme present in the concert as well.
Finally, I found meaning in the performance. James Taylor’s songs are often personal, sometimes whimsical–and occasionally have deep meaning. One such song is “Shower the People,” which contains the lyric,
Shower the people you love with love,
Show them the way you feel.
Things are going to be much better if you only will.
Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King,
And recognize that there are ties between us,
All men and women, living on the earth:
Ties of hope and love, of sister- and brother-hood.
PRAYER:
May every person be blessed by beautiful music. May we each find meaning and beauty in our way and according to our own taste.
May those who compose and perform music be blessed with vision, power and courage to share their gifts with the world.
May it be so.
Rev. Andrew Frantz
August 30, 2023