Description
Blasphemy
John 10.31-42
They found the music, a single manuscript copy, among the piles of unsorted paper the composer had left at the time of his death. It was clearly a piece for solo violin, but it looked extraordinary: difficult, daring, probably unplayable. Above it was scrawled, in his shaky hand: To the City Guild of Violinists.
The City Guild was honoured, but embarrassed. None of them could play the piece. Copies were made, and each member took one home to try it out. When they met later they tried to pass it off with excuses. Surely the old man couldn’t have meant you to play those notes simultaneously? His mind must have been wandering. Anyway, it seemed very strange – not much tune to it, though they couldn’t deny there were interesting passages. All of them declared that they’d give it another try. . . one day. Some even wondered aloud whether the old man hadn’t meant it to be played at all – it was just a strange and impossible idea. And they all quietly forgot about it...
Taken from John for Everyone – by Tom Wright