By the way, I'd be curious to know the poster's own view on Mussourgsky and Baba Yaga.

4)    As I've mentioned before, I've been a member of an excellent choral group for about 20 years. Our usual venue is the Kennedy Center Concert Hall but we have sung all over the world.   In this group I've sung huge numbers of choral masterpieces.

Just as it's possible for an atheist to write a wonderful Christian piece, in our group we have Jewish singers, agnostics, and probably also atheists. But every singer can and does belt out a "Credo" when the music calls for it. It's a question of serving the music.

Our conductor has told us the words should be out front on a 'neon sign'--the audience should hear every word if the music demands that at a given point--regardless of the language.



I find that just being in such a group doing these wonderful pieces can itself be a mystical experience--and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. I've just recently heard that one of the reasons people climb mountains is for the mystical experience. I'm glad I don't have to climb K-2 for a similar result.



But acting convincingly is part of a good performance--regardless of your own personal views and background-as anybody who has sung "Sam Hall" for instance should know.



I find that music--especially making it yourself--is endlessly satisfying.

And tends to make you less cynical.

Or maybe it's just not being an atheist which makes you less cynical.

Sure is interesting that the most bitter, nihilistic cynics on Mudcat seem to be without exception also the strongest atheists.

That in itself is a powerful argument against atheism--if any more arguments were needed.