While Sir James could have named any of Beethoven’s symphonies, he chose Beethoven’s sixth—the “Pastoral”—because it draws attention to the beauty of God’s creation. Moreover, we can also find an examples of storytelling through this music. It can be a metaphor of how we participate in God’s great story of salvation.
Performed by West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Daniel Barenboin, conductor; Royal Albert Hall, 2012:
