Il Silenzio-Remember!

Recently, I received an email with the video of a trumpet solo played by a 13-year old girl. The music is beautiful, but the Wikipedia article accompanying it set my mind to thinking.

This weekend we celebrate those who gave their lives for the freedom of others. Jesus had something to say about that, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) We know that ultimately, it is the Lord Jesus Himself who laid down His life for our salvation. But Jesus' words are just as true for those who sacrificed their own goals, joys, and lives for those who may never know them and for those who will forget them.

I thought about that as I listened to this beautiful piece--the original rendition of what we know as "Taps". Maybe it's just the music that put me in this frame of mind, but it made me sad to think about the reason that this piece is played. It should remind us of the dangers of tyranny and the ugly cruelty of unbridled power. In this case, the Dutch remember their struggle against the forces of Hitler. Then I thought about how today's generation is largely ignorant of the reality of that sad history.  Today's pop culture glorifies self with self-esteem philosophies, "selfie" photos, and the false promises of our "best life now". The demand for instant gratification fueled by technology that delivers it makes us ripe for a false deliverer or a false messiah who will promise peace and prosperity to all, just as the youth of Germany fell for the promises of the Fuhrer. It is a seductive anesthesia that numbs us.

But I also thought about a very different trumpet solo--one that I eagerly wait to hear. This one will not call the darkness of night, but will announce the brightness of the coming of Dayspring from on high. Now that is something to celebrate! (Scroll your cursor over these verses to read the promises of God) Matthew 24:20-31, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 1:7, Philippians 2:9-11

May you be blessed as you read the story and listen to the music. And remember. Remember.

"Il Silenzio (song)" is a memorial piece commissioned by the Dutch and first played in 1965 on the 20th anniversary of Holland's liberation.

In a cemetery about six miles from the Dutch city of Maastricht lie buried 8,301 American soldiers who died in "Operation Market Garden" in the battles to liberate Holland in the fall and winter of 1944-5. Every one of the men buried in the cemetery, as well as those in the Canadian and British military cemeteries has been adopted by a Dutch family who tend the grave and keep alive the memory of the soldier they have adopted. It is the custom to keep a portrait of "their" American soldier in a place of honour in their home. Annually on "Liberation Day", Memorial Services are held for "the men who died to liberate Holland." The day concludes with a concert, at which "Il Silenzio" has always been the concluding piece.

In 2008 the soloist was a 13-year-old Dutch girl, Melissa Venema, backed by André Rieu and the Royal Orchestra of the Netherlands. (Wikipedia)