Music That Makes Me Weep

 

Have mercy, Lord, on me,
Regard my bitter weeping,
Look at me, heart and eyes
Both weep to Thee bitterly.

(Text from St Matthew Passion, Bach)

 

I will return in this blog to chart some more of my journey with music, but I am interrupting it with this little musing about music that makes me cry.

And, there are some songs and pieces of music that almost always cause me to cry; things I cannot listen to without being moved to tears… and it is getting more so the older I get. In certain circumstances, there are a very many songs and musical pieces that can move me deeply, and sometimes to tears. But the following five just about always do this.

 

Erbarme dich, mein Gott, um meiner Zähren Willen! (Bach)

Peter’s aria from Bach’s St Matthew Passion after the cock crows following his denial of Jesus is so deeply moving. (see the translation quoted at the head of this post). While it is set in the context of Peter’s grief at realising that he has so grievously failed Jesus, for me it reflects my own sense of falling short and failing Jesus in so many ways. And it makes me cry.[1]

 

Don’t Give Up (Peter Gabriel with Kate Bush)

I have referenced this song more than once in my blog. It is – for me – so powerful and so moving. Again, it is my own sense of letting people and God down that it speaks to. I first heard it in a situation where I had let others, God, and myself down and when I hear it I am back in that moment, and I can’t stop crying.[2]

 

 

Somewhere (There’s A Place for Us) (Bernstein and Sondheim ‘West Side Story’)

I may post at a later date about the impact that West Side Story had on me (although I did reference it a few posts ago). But this song (and especially when it is briefly reprised at the end of the film by Maria after Tony dies in her arms) is just so terribly moving. It is wistful, poignant, hopeful… and – I would say – spiritual, even theological![3]

 

Symphony Number 6 (Pathétique) (Tchaikovsky)

This last of Tchaikovsky’s works (first performed with the composer himself conducting,  just 9 days before his death) is an immensely passionate and powerful work. But that last movement is the one that always gets to me. So moving! [4]

 

Awaken (from the album ‘Going for the One’ by Yes)

Yes are one of my favourite bands (or – at least – the 1970’s incarnation of them was one of my favourite bands, probably second only to King Crimson, although the similar era Genesis, and Van Der Graaf Generator – whom I am going to see and hear on Saturday evening, also come close). In my view, the best Yes album is ‘Close to the Edge’. But, for me, the best track is this one, from ‘Going for the One’. And it is at the very end (around 14.35) that Jon Anderson sings, in his distinctive voice, these words ‘Like the time I ran away, turned around, and you were standing close to me’. And once again, there I go, and the tears start flowing! Whether I think of these words in terms of human love, or Divine love, they just get to me. I suspect that it is more likely that it touches that part of me that can so easily turn away from God and then find that God is still close.[5]

 

Reading all of this over, I realise that it is an interesting mix of music from very different genres, which fairly well represents the diversity of my musical taste (although no folk or jazz I guess!)

Now, I think I will go and put on some music and have a good cry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] https://open.spotify.com/track/2H4DnggkcJLymT1aYtjkrP?si=83b461340cb7425c

[2] https://open.spotify.com/track/2t77hjgJY4sC9DoX5uaVUD?si=61c4cf9f7aed419f

[3] https://open.spotify.com/track/7DhQXwTYALJHMqoYaVaTFg?si=652f89e48aa24684

[4] https://open.spotify.com/track/37Sx42ecraWiai21ZiW6se?si=83b2df71b0d74c74

[5] https://open.spotify.com/track/5QzZDAATnQhIEQSyktZFEU?si=0412dd69bc33493b