Music talk: 彩虹下的約定

In my discipline of study (i.e. musicology), we view musical works as cultural product. I'd like to think that we appreciate music through understanding and interpreting it in its historical and cultural context. Now, to some of my friends, the word "history" means digging into something irrelevant and that happened long time ago. If you think that too, read on.

The idea of death and dying was commonly used as a euphemism for love consummation in the 16th- & 17th-c. English literature. Religious writers and poets were inspired to use this metaphor to denote spiritual union. Famous examples include George Herbert, John Donne, and Richard Crashaw. A number of musical works by Henry Purcell (1659-1695) also play with this metaphor.

Now, back to the present. Let's take a look at the SOP (Stream of Praise) song "彩虹下的約定" (The Covenant under the Rainbow). The subject of the song is the convenant between God and man, as 歌詞中的"與祢有約, 是永恆的約" 的 "祢" refers to God. The SOP Vol.5 CD cover states as much, "在詩歌中體驗造物主對人永恆不變的愛."

However, this is not its only source of meaning. Since once the music is published, the meaning of the song is no longer limited by the author's original intent but rather open to the public's reading and re-reading. "彩虹下的約定" has often been sung in weddings, and the idea of love covenant is used to depict that of the bride and bridegroom. In addition to being sung in weddings, "彩虹下的約定" has also been performed in funerals (and may be more so since the Christian movie "天作之盒"). Thus "約定" may also mean both the convenant of the bride and the groom, and that of the dead and God. Thus, like Henry Purcell's works, "彩虹下的約定" serves as yet another conflation of "death and dying" & the ultimate union of Christ and man.

Hope you enjoy reading this piece of music talk -- sort of.