Time is precious. Time runs out. Yet, counterintuitively, one of the most important things we can do with our precious time is engage in wistful, fleeting play. Like any number of hobbies which never get the bills paid or make a lasting contribution to the world, sometimes we just need to recreate. It is healthy, even vital.

A few days ago, I watched a livestreamed concert by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. I love listening to live symphony performances: works of music that run a half hour or longer, usually with no spoken or sung words and no soap opera narrative to hook me. Just me and the orchestra, setting the bustle of life aside and immersing ourselves in masterworks of music.

Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony

Though his Fifth and Ninth symphonies are more famous, Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony is incredibly beautiful and pleasing to the ear. The melodies drive forward, the harmonies and textures invigorate and reward the listener. It’s as good as any hour-long TV drama. Nothing boring or esoteric about it. This is music for people who enjoy lively tunes. I was so taken with DSO’s performance that I resolved to revisit this symphony and use it for a personal enrichment activity.

Occasionally, I write poetry to music. This is freewriting. I do not come in with a set theme or idea. I let the music spark thoughts, and then I write them down. The resulting poetry is casual, perhaps even clichéd or trite. The goal isn’t to obsess over every word and write something Dialogue or another academic journal might publish. The goal is simply to spend a block of time engaged in active listening, springboarding into creative expression. It’s as good as journaling. Below are a few samples, written to one of the great recordings done by Maestro Herbert von Karajan and the Philharmonia Orchestra. The numbered subheaders are taken from the title of each of the symphony’s movements.

Pastoral Verse Written to Beethoven’s 6th Symphony

I. Awakening

sublime flourish
simple things start simple
crescendo then relax almost
like a false start
thus saith the oboe
the rush of all strings
like new morning wind through tall grass
melodic opinions

II. Scene at the brook

we sway up and out of our chairs
stand at the open door
begin to miss the cottage
we haven’t even left yet,
long for returning to it,
even though we yet stand
just inside the threshold
looking out at the day ahead
the strings and clarinet begin to agree
about the day’s necessities

III. Peasants’ merrymaking

sun rays pelt our faces and hands
we charge the wind as it races
into us and around us
eddies of breezes embrace us
we twirl our bodies in them
ever children of the sun and morning
the oboe and clarinet and french horn
of one heart and mind
in a world that will not be denied

IV. The storm

in every day, things go wrong
contentions arise like hurried
strings, and blaring minor chords
like a microburst of extreme weather
and we find ourselves ass-down
in a puddle that didn’t exist
five minutes earlier
pockets of silence in time and space
in between thunder crashes and downpours
we are immersed and baptized
by our circumstances
in a day that started with sun

V. Shepherds’ Hymn after the storm

Fanfares play out for all we’ve learned and realized
today. A melody, like a hand on my shoulder,
reassures me of the worthiness of it all.
We risk getting carried away by second winds.
Second winds risk being false hopes,
an inability to know when to quit.
The cottage awaits our return,
standing unmolested by sun or storm,
home as a comforting structure
an inner place, a private reward,
we walk toward images of lit candles
and brewing soups, refreshing salads,
savory dinner and sweet desserts
our smile is the width of the horizon

Writing Exercise and Comment Suggestions

Okay W&T readers, it is your turn. I encourage you to try this exercise. Pick an extended piece of music, ideally a half-hour or so. My recommendation is a symphony free from lyrics or spoken word. Just you and the music. Have a pad of paper and pen, or a word processor, ready to go. You may also wish to put on noise-cancelling headphones. Resist making a writing plan. The only goal is to give time to active listening and creative response. Press play on the music. Then write whatever comes to mind. Don’t worry if it’s silly or doesn’t make perfect sense.

If you would like to try this with Beethoven’s symphony, here is a concert version available for free on YouTube.

I’ve also done this with Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. Very fun! Really, any music will do. For a Latter-day Saint tie-in, you might try putting on a YouTube playlist from the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Once you’ve tried this, feel free to come back and share how it went in the comments below. If you are comfortable, include a sampling of what you wrote. Reactions to my poetry samples above are likewise welcome. Finally, share music suggestions you use for relaxation. Let’s provide each other resources.