By Melissa Nugent //
Every Sunday at 10am, the Quaker community of Swarthmore can be found congregating in 12 Whittier Place, a small building just past Singer Hall. I’ve been attending Quaker meeting there almost every Sunday since the school year began, and I’ve always felt welcomed by the warmth and inclusivity of the regular attendees. So, in the hopes of getting to know these intriguing Quakers better while building a deeper understanding of the community, I corresponded with a few Friends over email to discuss their feelings toward music and spirituality. The following answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Name: Sue Edwards
How long have you been attending Swarthmore Friends Meeting?
I was born into a Quaker family (my parents became Quakers after my mom attended Swarthmore College). I quit in my 20s, not finding it meaningful. But I returned in my 40s, when I sought the quiet of meeting for worship. I am an atheist, but that doesn’t seem to matter. I experience occasional messages to offer in meeting, and I suspect that they may be the same kinds of inspiration that others call God.
What are some of your favorite songs or artists?
I love Brahms’ Violin Concerto, “Amahl & the Night Visitors,” “Wake Up Everybody” by Harold Melvin, “Get Up Stand Up” by Bob Marley, Bobby McFerrin’s “Twenty-third Psalm,” “I Feel Good” by James Brown, and “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. One that is beloved by myself and many in our Meeting [is] “A Song of Peace” (tune of Finlandia by Jean Sibelius in 1899, excellent words by Lloyd Stone in 1932). One more song that I absolutely love is “Il Saltarello Romano” by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, sister of Felix Mendelssohn. I really like its energy and the fact that it’s written by a woman, whose compositions were sometimes attributed to her brother, Felix, as I understand it.
What is one song that you find perfectly encapsulates a Sunday morning?
“Dark of Winter” by Shelley Jackson Denham (#40 in our hymnal).
Does music help you connect with your faith and spirituality? If so, what are some examples of music that does this?
“Here I Am, Lord” (#260 in our Quaker Hymnal). It always makes me cry.
Do you think music should be more incorporated into Quaker tradition?
It means the world to me that we sing for a half hour or so before meeting for worship. But I wouldn’t want to incorporate music into our meetings – they’re designed to be silent, except for any messages people are inspired to offer.
Name: Ali Faour
How long have you been attending Swarthmore Friends Meeting?
I’ve only attended two meetings, starting from last month.
What are some of your favorite songs or artists?
These days, I mostly listen to Icaros, tribal chants from the Amazon. I also listen to traditional tribal chants from around the world – from Siberia to Africa, in native dialects to extinct languages like Aramaic.
What is one song that you find perfectly encapsulates a Sunday morning?
It’s hard to say. For me, it’s varying. These days it is “Cura Da Floresta” by Txai Fernando (Musica de Rezo).
Does music help you connect with your faith and spirituality? If so, what are some examples of music that does this?
As mentioned, I am new to Quakerism, and cannot answer in that context. However, for me, my strongest spiritual experiences have been with plant medicines, specifically Ayahuasca and mushrooms. In both, music is a fundamental element of the experience. In Ayahuasca, sound perception becomes especially acute. There is a clear connection between the chants of the Shaman and their music with the medicine. You feel and see the music. It interacts with the medicine and guides the experience. Chanting and music are integral to most religions in one form or another, from the simple chant of ‘Ohm’ or ‘Amen’ to elaborate drums, horns, and strings. In plant medicine, the effect is multiplied significantly.
Do you think music should be more incorporated into Quaker tradition?
I don’t think so. Silence seems to be the foundation of the meeting. There may be a place for it before and after the meetings, or on special occasions, but it seems to me as a new visitor that music is not called for. Stillness is.
Name: Wyatt Bixby
How long have you been attending Swarthmore Friends Meeting?
Since 2019.
What are some of your favorite songs or artists?
I find myself gravitating towards pop music from the 2010s ish. Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding, Rihanna, Sia. I grew up on Rock like Led Zeppelin and some Metal like Metallica but I don’t seem to prefer these anymore.
What is one song that you find perfectly encapsulates a Sunday morning?
“Diamonds” by Rihanna.
Does music help you connect with your faith and spirituality? If so, what are some examples of music that does this?
There are times where a song strikes me from a spiritual sense, that’s probably why I like “Diamonds” so much. It’s catchy too.
Do you think music should be more incorporated into Quaker tradition?
I’m not sure I have an answer to that. We do do it. I’m not a huge music person though. I’m still trying to figure out ways to incorporate Star Trek into Meeting.
Name: Kavi Grab
How long have you been attending Swarthmore Friends Meeting?
Since the start of this school year.
What are some of your favorite songs or artists?
My favorite artist is probably Morrissey or Carissa’s Wierd. Recently, though, I’ve been listening to a lot of Cynthia Dall, specifically the album Sound Restores Young Men.
What is one song that you find perfectly encapsulates a Sunday morning?
The entirety of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Does music help you connect with your faith and spirituality? If so, what are some examples of music that does this?
For me, I think I understand faith a lot more when there’s quiet. Birds chirping and wind blowing allow me to connect with higher powers in a way that I don’t otherwise.
Do you think music should be more incorporated into Quaker tradition?
The other day, I came to Quaker meeting earlier than I usually do, and I caught the tail end of the hymnals some of the Friends were singing. I think it’s likely that music is already incorporated, but I just don’t wake up early enough to hear it.
Whether you are a devout Quaker or have never heard of them outside of the context of breakfast, you are welcome at Swarthmore Friends Meeting. To join this wonderful community and learn more about what makes it so special, stop by 12pm Whittier Place on Sunday mornings at 10am for silent meeting or at 11am for coffee and Fellowship.