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where is my joy?~
I am working on the classical piece, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”
It was penned by J.S. Bach and as is typical with many of Bach’s works, it has a fast moving melody and a strong bass line. I have played it in a healing music setting when there is a need to start a session out with a song that is a bit more “up.” This technique is called “entrainment.” If a patient is a bit agitated, or has a heartbeat faster than normal resting rate, then it can be helpful to start with a song that is faster and more lively. This way the music healer can “match” the heart rate and then begin to bring the tempos and timbre down, in which the heart rate will normally follow and the patient will experience more peace.
I have felt for a while that I’d like to do the melody a bit slower…maybe change the time signature so that the song could be used for a more peaceful setting. So I decided to look up the “lyrics.”
The song was based off of an old German hymn…
Well for me that I have Jesus, O how strong I hold to him
That he might refresh my heart, when sick and sad am I
Jesus have I, who loves me and gives to me his own
Ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus, when I feel my heart is breakingJesus remains my joy, my heart’s comfort and essence
Jesus resists all suffering, He is my life’s strength
My eye’s desire and sun, my soul’s love and joy
So will I not leave Jesus out of heart and face
I will meditate on these beautiful lyrics with guitar in hand and see what happens!
May the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you!
~Brad~
