“Space... The final frontier.
These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.
Its continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds.
To seek out new life and new civilisations.
To boldly go where no one has gone before.”
These are the famous opening words of Captain John Luc Picard from the beginning of each episode of the T.V series
Here is the intro:
The beginning is what interests me… It sounds like the Universe, it sounds like being in space looking at stars, it sounds vast.
It is the same note played at every point, very low and everything in between to very sneakily high all together and really quiet.
'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters” - Genesis 1:1
The beginning of the bible starts like this.
If you believe this, and if there was music to the audiobook... I would image the music would start something like the beginning of STAR TREK. Where did he get his idea from?
GUSTAV MAHLER! (Well actually Beethoven but for another time)
Symphony No. 1 is the first symphony I heard as a teenager and the beginning is what hooked me. At the start of Symphony No. 1, you can hear the entire orchestra playing one note all at different points really low to really high like the beginning of Star Trek.
Then we hear TWO notes; “Let there be Light”! - Genesis 3:1
The tune develops… Let there be a vault between the waters”… God called the vault “Sky” and called the dry ground “land”
“Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it” - Genesis 1:11
Earth was starting to take shape and then adds plants and animals that can be heard with the intensifying of the themes together and the Cuckoo motif played in the woodwinds.
At 4 minutes the first main theme is introduced and a man is alive and is exploring the beauty that God has made. It is the most perfect Garden on the most beautiful day!
Imagine peeling the branches away to walk through and first thing you see is the most perfect garden; some plants, a stream and pond, animals, fish, birds flying, insects, colourful flowers all for the first time…
"Isn't it becoming a fine world?; Chirp! Chirp! Fair and sharp!; How the world delights me” (lyrics from the same melody used in a previous song also written by Mahler) - so much so Mahler lets us listen to it twice!
After the second time, we wind down for the the day. The animals go home as the fun for the day is. The man doesn’t know this but is saying bye to all the animals. Its the end of the day, however the ominous one note reappears and it is different to the beginning…
Having to walk through the trees…the sun is lowering and night is coming amongst us. Walking through the garden has become a slightly more dangerous place. Like in the jungle book… Mowgli meets a snake, like Scar in the Lion King, Hyenas lurking. Doubt has started to creep into our character here. He is not sure where exactly to go. The single note continues as birds high up in the tree keep singing “CUCKOO” like the beginning but is almost startling because of the change in mood.
Trying to follow the light out of the trees and danger we get to the edge of the Forrest and the Horns bring first fanfare... he has reached a gap in the trees and can see the stars. A touch of light within the darkness. THE MOON and the STARS!
The world is still beautiful and is still active at night much to the fondness of our character but is slightly more subdued in the evening with new guests, an OWL, a bat, hedgehog, badgers, two hippos in the pond and lasts with the new theme until he sense trouble amongst our furry friends!
The night time animals all of a sudden start to be scared however. They start running away. WHAT IS HAPPENING!?
Then SMASH! BREAKTHROUGH!
SUNRISE!!
DAY has arrived and can see the garden that we fell in love with the animals from the day reappearing.
GOD speaks with the Horns… ALL IS WELL
HUMANS - EARTH - GOD all in Harmony.
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good” - Genesis 1:31
Wonderful words, Jack!
I would politely digress - the universe was created to the sound of Bach 😀
In the spirit of your reflexion, try to read Genesis 1 and the first chapter of the Gospel of John side by side, verse by verse, and take your time between each verse pair.