The healing power of music—a conductor’s perspective

Alastair Willis
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
2:00pm EDT - 3:00pm EDT

A new songlist on your iPod, a favorite hymn in church, a Bach concerto…music has a way of opening all of our hearts to greater possibilities and joy. Mary Baker Eddy wrote that “Mozart experienced more than he expressed. The rapture of his grandest symphonies was never heard. He was a musician beyond what the world knew. This was even more strikingly true of Beethoven, who was so long hopelessly deaf. Mental melodies and strains of sweetest music supersede conscious sound” (Science and Health, p. 213). Often, healing can happen in moments of quiet listening to those melodies. Join conductor Alastair Willis to explore more about music that inspires and takes us to new places of spiritual understanding.

About Alastair Willis: Alastair Willis has served as Assistant Conductor for the Cincinnati Symphony and Seattle Symphony. In the past few years he has guest conducted orchestras around the world, including the Silk Road Ensemble and Yo-Yo Ma. His recording of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortileges and Sheherazade with Nashville Symphony on Naxos received a Grammy nomination for best classical album earlier this year. He has conducted hymn singing workshops at The Mother Church, in branches, and at Youth Summit meetings. He lives in Seattle, WA, and is a member of The Mother Church.

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