#6 Man of Truth
This post is a very quick writeup, but I am super excited and had to get something here! I was looking for repertoire for my TTBB choral ensemble, and I accidentally stumbled into a gem that is Tolkien related.
The song is “Man of Truth” by Shawn Kirchner. If you don’t know Shawn’s work, his songs capture a certain sense of Americana: The heartland, camp meetings, bluegrass, and a bit of jazz. Many choral directors are familiar with “Unclouded Day” from Heavenly Home. Recently, I had the privilege of hearing “I’ll be on my way” performed by the Stetson University Concert Choir, twice. Both performances were sublime and I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Shawn’s compositions are fantastic and traditional yet relevant. One of my favorite things about Tolkien and his literary themes is how he was rooted in a tradition, but wrote about things still relevant today.
One of the things I try to talk about with my TTBB groups is what it means to be a man.
I was fortunate to be raised by wonderful parents and surrounded by many good people. I was taught that being a real man is to keep your word, help others less fortunate than you, and protect those who can’t always speak for themselves. My thoughts are shaped by the good experiences I’ve seen. My mother is a huge advocate for the deaf, blind, disabled, and elderly. My father was stern when it was needed but always kind, loving, and honest. Funny, all these qualities that describe good humans aren’t exclusive to men! That is obvious. I am a teacher who teaches many students that come from traditional values backgrounds. I hope to reach those students and show them that it is ok to be a man, if you accept the positive and reject the toxic traits.
On Shawn’s website, he talks very candidly about what was going through his mind while composing this song for the 2018 California All-State TTBB chorus: Fake News and Russian bots, #MeToo.
I never would have thought to read the next part. He connected this to Tolkien, and a particularly moving part near the end of The Lord of the Rings:
“
I often find inspiration in the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, and it was certainly true for this piece; the image of stars seemed fitting as I kept working at the lyrics, and I thought of a special moment in the Lord of the Rings when Sam and Frodo, deep inside Mordor have almost given up hope. Yet, right then, the clouds clear for a moment, and a single star is visible:
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end, the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
Such stars became the central image in the piece’s repeating refrain:
I’ll chart my course by stars eternal, shining bright in crystal skies.
I’ll chart my course by stars eternal, far beyond the reach of lies.
I call upon their light to light my way,
To lead me back when from my path I stray,
To shine until the darkness turns to day,
And the wind has swept the veiling clouds away.
”
Link to Shawn Kirchner’s Website: Man of Truth — Shawn Kirchner
As a teacher of young men, I find that they can struggle with having an expressive or emotional outlet that is healthy. In the world of singing and chorus, we try and create a place where it is ok to have these things, for all people. I walk a careful line of encouraging positive behavior and calling out behavior that I think is negative, without shaming. I have found that shaming people tends to make them double down and not take give room for growth and maturity.
ADDENDUM
One last thought on the word man and its etymology. I do use and prefer the term human in day-to-day use, especially with my students. While we celebrate our unique life experiences, we still realize that all humans are, well, human. Two humans that may be different in ethnicity, faith beliefs, age, appearance, identity, and even place in time…..are still connected by virtue of being human. Just like using the term humans or people, Tolkien used men to describe an entire race of people, regardless of gender. It still favors the male, to be sure, but it does not intentionally come from a place of patriarchy.
Tolkien uses the word man and mannish because they are Anglo/Germanic as opposed to Latin in origin. Another example is that he used the word orc more than goblin, for the same reasons.
I could write an entirely separate post about criticisms of Tolkien and gender, but I won’t. There is a multitude of scholars who have written dissertations and articles about this, all quality stuff.
