George Talben-Ball was Australian-born, but he studied music at the Royal Academy in London. He was the longtime director of music at Temple Church, after succeeding Sir Walford Davies in 1923. He is most known for his Elegy, an organ piece which was first improvised at the end of an evensong that was being broadcast on the BBC. This was in the 1940s. Because the service had ended a few minutes early, and as any good organist would have done, he simply improvised to cover the space. There were so many listeners who phoned in to inquire about what the composition was, that he decided to write down his improvisation as well as he could remember it. In 1997 the piece was made even more famous, when it was played at the funeral service of Diana, Princess of Wales.

An elegy, in literary terms, is a poem of serious reflection, usually for the dead. In music, it’s a generic title given to compositions which seem to be more somber, sad, or reflective in nature. Although not named “elegy,” Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is often considered one.

I’d hardly say that Thalben-Ball’s Elegy is particularlysad, however. Just because something is slow and lyrical doesn’t make it sad, per se. Take the offertory anthem this morning, as an example. It’s slow and lyrical, but by no means sullen. Those of us who like to take our time get bad rap in modern times. Stopping to smell the roses is old-fashioned, isn’t it? But sometimes slowing down is just what we need to extract a more meaningful existence, to allow emotions to run their course, and to approach life in a more subtle and deliberate way. Too often, modern church music just hits us in the face, leaving us no time to reflect on profundity, or to drink in the fullness of the present moment.

Sometimes low and slow is the way to go. It works for perfectly cooked scrambled eggs, and it often works for music too. I don’t think Thalben-Ball’s Elegy is sad in the least bit. It’s meditative, and it’s the perfect balance of build-up, tension, and release. It’s a lot like being human, it gives the emotions a chance to run amuck, all the while reminding us of a constant presence, a binding agent of eternity that exists within all of us. Slowing down is indeed a way to heal the sin-sick soul, to notice when it’s time to just allow the embers to cool off, so to speak. Taking your foot off of the gas pedal is all it takes. Tap on the brakes every once in a while, and let this kind of music help you experience the glorious, healing balm of the present moment. Soli deo Gloria!