{"id":2189,"date":"2025-01-15T13:26:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T13:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.calligrafee.com\/en\/?p=2189"},"modified":"2025-01-15T13:33:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T13:33:35","slug":"sacred-music-and-spiritual-calligraphy-a-beautiful-appreciation-of-the-gospel-of-st-john","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calligrafee.com\/en\/sacred-music-and-spiritual-calligraphy-a-beautiful-appreciation-of-the-gospel-of-st-john\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacred Music and Spiritual Calligraphy – a beautiful appreciation of the Gospel of St John"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Garrett Martin is organist and choirmaster at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, New York.\u00a0 He was kind enough to write this review of my Illuminated Gospel of St John: a tribute which touched me very deeply, and which highlights the relationship between music and scribal art.\u00a0 I hope you will enjoy it!<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Review from Garrett Martin, Buffalo, NY<\/u>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10 January 2025<\/span><\/p>

When I hear the words “the Gospel of John,” the first melody that springs to mind is Orlando Gibbons’ elegant and reverent setting of “This is the record of John.” As a church musician, Gibbons\u2019 work has always encapsulated the profound mystery and dignity of the opening verses of John\u2019s Gospel\u2014”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” His interplay of voices, the luminous counterpoint, and the measured unfolding of text evoke an atmosphere of awe and contemplation.<\/span><\/p>

Jane Sullivan\u2019s illuminated Gospel of Saint John visually parallels Gibbons\u2019 musical mastery. Just as the composer arranges words and sounds over time to reveal beauty and meaning, Sullivan\u2019s calligraphic hand and illuminations create a sacred choreography of word and image. Her work, published by Cambridge University Press, invites us to experience the Gospel text as both art and revelation.<\/span><\/p>

Sullivan\u2019s craftsmanship goes far beyond transcription; it feels as though each letter, flourish, and illustration has been shaped with reverence. The precision of her letterforms mirrors the elegance of choral phrasing. Her work honors the text\u2019s theological gravity without losing its poetic tenderness, drawing readers into a meditative space\u2014much like Gibbons\u2019 interplay of soloist and chorus draws the listener into the text.<\/span><\/p>

Moreover, her choices in illumination echo the theological themes present in the Gospel. The use of light and intricate designs conjures the Gospel\u2019s emphasis on Christ as “the true light, which gives light to everyone.” The decorative details are not merely ornamental but commentaries in themselves, illustrating Christ\u2019s role as the Logos who reveals and redeems.<\/span><\/p>

From a musician\u2019s perspective, I was particularly struck by how Sullivan\u2019s artistry allows the text to breathe, much like a well-placed rest in music. The white spaces on the page provide moments of pause and contemplation, while the rhythm of the text’s layout draws the eye forward in gentle procession. This pacing feels akin to the unfolding of a musical line, where silence and sound are balanced in perfect proportion.<\/span><\/p>

Sullivan\u2019s Gospel of Saint John is not merely a book\u2014it is a liturgy of form and color, a harmonious dialogue between tradition and innovation. Each page sings in its own right, turning the experience of reading into an act of devotion. It stands as a visual masterpiece that resonates with those of us who seek to proclaim sacred texts in any medium, whether through music, art, or worship.<\/span><\/p>

I wholeheartedly recommend this illuminated Gospel to anyone who longs to encounter the text with fresh eyes. Just as Gibbons\u2019 setting of John\u2019s narrative has endured as a testament to its composer\u2019s reverence and skill, Jane Sullivan\u2019s creation will surely be cherished as a testament to the enduring beauty and power of the Word.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Garrett Martin is organist and choirmaster at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, New York.\u00a0 He was kind enough to write this review of my Illuminated Gospel of St John: a tribute which touched me very deeply, and which highlights the relationship between music and scribal art.\u00a0 I hope you will enjoy it! Review from Garrett […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ofc_meta_disable_footer_callout":"","ofc_meta_callout_button_url":"","ofc_meta_callout_button_txt":"","ofc_meta_callout_text":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-classe","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nSacred Music and Spiritual Calligraphy - 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