I love a great tune, a memorable melody. Who doesn’t? Sometimes so-called contemporary music lacks a good, singable melody. It’s hard to say what makes a good melody, a good one. Generally speaking, a good melody is appealing, catchy, and unique. One of the catchiest melodies ever composed was “The Fishin’ Hole,” by Earle Hagen in 1961. You might not recognize it by its official name, but it was the theme music to The Andy Griffith Show. If you’re a fan of the show, you could probably whistle a few bars, even without thinking. As a matter of fact, “The Fishin’ Hole”is a popular earworm for many. An earworm is a song that gets stuck in your head. Has that ever happened to you? Another, yet more annoying earworm, is the theme to Jeopardy.

Hymn tunes get stuck in my head sometimes. One of them is Coe Fen. It probably isn’t one you’re familiar with, because it isn’t in any of the American hymnals, of which I am aware. It’s certainly not in The Hymnal 1982. It’s a tune written by British Composer, Ken Naylor, set to John Mason’s text, “How Shall I Sing That Majesty?” You will find it in The English Hymnal, as it’s a well-known tune in Britain. I first learned of this hymn on a trip to England, where we sang Sunday morning services at Winchester Cathedral with the Baton Rouge High School Choir. I was the visiting organist for that Sunday, accompanying the choir and playing the hymns for the service. This particular hymn was the sequence hymn for that particular Sunday. I fell in love with it, the minute I heard it.

Today, you’re going to hear Coe Fen, twice – once as the basis of the organ prelude, and then again, the choir will sing it at the offertory. Coe Fen is the name of the small fen (a rural wetland) on the outskirts of Cambridge. It’s intersected by The Fen Causeway, one of the major routes into the city. The Leys School sits right afront The Fen Causeway, and just next door to Coe Fen. The Leys School is a prestigious, independent school where Ken Naylor was music master and later Director of Music from 1953-1980. The beauty of the natural wetlands, Coe Fen, was certainly the inspiration of this terrific melody.

Nature has inspired many-a composer. In 1957, Ferde Grofe composed his famous Grand Canyon Suite, after visiting there and being inspired by the vista. Another example is Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, a hauntingly beautiful orchestral piece, inspired by his visit to Fingal’s Cave, a stunning, natural wonder off of the coast of Scotland. And I’m sure Earle Hagen’s scenic fishin’ hole was just as inspiring!

We don’t always appreciate the inspiring nature of nature. We often don’t even take the time to put ourselves in the mindset or situation to be inspired. We don’t take in the preciousness of the moment, the simplicity of being, nor do we fully appreciate our own awareness of it all. It seems like when we take a moment to “breathe in” the beauty of nature, good ideas flow. That’s what inspire means – from the Latin inspirare ‘breathe or blow into.’ The word was originally used for the divine or supernatural, in the sense of imparting truth or an idea to someone. Good ideas come from the divine intelligence all around us, in the form of nature. If you need a solution, a good idea, or just a bit of motivation to get more creative, you don’t have to go very far. The natural wonders of God’s creation can ignite just the right amount of inspiration that you need. Spend a little time in nature this week. Who knows, you might even be inspired to compose a new tune, one that becomes the world’s next, greatest earworm.  Soli deo Gloria!