August Post For Peace

This month the Bloggers for Peace challenge from Kozo at everyday gurus is to invoke the power of music, and to post something about the intersection of music and peace.

After my husband got satellite radio and set it up in our house to blat away 24/7, our son, here on a weekend visit, wondered aloud why we kept it tuned to a station playing such bizarre and eclectic random stuff.  Those weren’t his exact words, but close enough. W told him “because that’s the only station your mother doesn’t turn off.” 

That was rather enlightening for all of us, illustrating, among other things, what a joy I am to live with.

I used to wonder why my dad seemed to be so sensitive to what he called “a bunch of damned noise” when it came to our teenage tastes in music, but now I get it.  There is music I like a lot and will listen to selectively when the rare mood for it hits me, but over all I prefer the sounds of silence.  Listening to nothing greatly reduces the chances of getting a song stuck in my head for hours on end.  Or maybe my longing for quiet is a throwback to the days when we all took music lessons and hammered away on the piano giving the entire household pounding headaches.  It was a great relief to walk away and escape outside for some peace and quiet.  I’m pretty sure that’s how I got a beautiful heart out of the whole piano lesson experience.

So what kind of music do I find peaceful?  Lullabies are lovely.  Anything soft and slow and barely audible.  Deep wind chimes in a summer breeze.  Something with beautiful lyrics, or no lyrics at all.  There are some classical pieces (like Chopins Nocturnes for instance) with the power to soothe the soul.  I like R&B and Jazz.  I especially love instrumental mood music with background water falls and thunder storms.  Yep, I’m one of those people.

I also like Gregorian chant, and its immitators.  And the pure, clear, incredibly beautiful and haunting Celtic solo voice.  Put these two together and it’s hard for me to imagine music any more easy listening and peace inspiring than this.

I hope this video gives you a few moments of blissful peace and relaxation.  And then, I promise, you can go back to your polkas or hip hop or hard rock or whatever it is that works for you.

 

Come now, come by our side
A place where you can hide
We are the sunshine
Rest your soul here and you’ll find
We are the energy
We give the world to thee
Hold up your heart now
We will ease pain from your brow

In a world without dangers,
Where destruction is near
You can come with us here.
Where the people are strangers
You will rest here with me
In a moment of peace.
In a world without dangers,
Where destruction is near
You can come with us here.
Where the people are strangers
You will rest here with me
In a moment of peace.

Light up the dark below
See through the stars
Reach to the earth’s flow
Drift in the joy of our hearts
Unleash the energy
Taste of the wine
Drink as a soul that knows now
The power divine

In a world without dangers,
Where destruction is near
You can come with us here.
Where the people are strangers
You will rest here with me
In a moment of peace.
In a world without dangers,
Where destruction is near
You can come with us here.
Where the people are strangers
You will rest here with me
In a moment of peace.