Problems are for Solving

From the Archives, April, 2005

So I’m riding home from work listening to an older Mars Hill Audio Journal (#64 from September/October 2003) and I hear an interview with Dr. Jeremy Begbie regarding his book, Theology, Music and Time.

In the interview (and I presume the book) he talks about how theology and music relate to one another—and especially within the context of time. During the interview Begbie speaks to Myers of chord progression and resolution. At one point, as a way of illustration, he plays what I think is a V⁷ chord which he says leaves us waiting for the resolution in the I chord.

I wasn’t sure I understood much of what he was talking about but he gave examples of how this resolution is put off and delayed in particular musical pieces (like in Fur Elise by Beethoven) and how the delay of this resolution makes the resolution even sweeter. He also talked about the presupposition of the V⁷ where the musical piece starts with the I chord in the pattern home, away, home again. This is the pattern of most western music.

I will want to talk to my friends Aaron, Anthony and Steve about this lecture and have them listen to it (they’re real musicians compared to my own amateur interest in the topic) and see if we can start a discussion that will fill out some of what Begbie was talking about for our own edification.

I hope to write more about this in a later after talking with my friends and listening to the interview again.

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