Beyond Good Enough

We have expressions for it, such as “notching it up a level” or “a whole new order of magnitude.” But these simply are not adequate to describe what Anita and I recently experienced at the Salzburg Music Festival.

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra as seen from our wonderful
center section seats in the Salzburg Festival Music Hall

One of Anita's “bucket list” dreams has been to hear a live concert of the Vienna Philharmonic in their native Austria. So, after ironing out the wrinkles in her dress and my shirt after our trip from Nigeria, we prepared for a special evening during our holiday stop in Salzburg on our way home to Spokane.

Married to someone who has been singing for the past forty years in community and symphony choirs, I am no stranger to classical concerts; but nothing I’ve heard in the past equaled this experience in Austria. With renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim on the podium, world-class principals soloing in each section of the orchestra, and each member of the orchestra playing with their whole being, I learned just how amazing orchestral music can sound. The newly remodeled, wood-paneled Festival Music Hall seemed perfectly tuned to enhance the symphonic richness and vibrancy of this event. Also, it was a special treat for Anita to hear opera superstar Placido Domingo as guest soloist and the excellent Vienna Singverein as the choir for Reger's Requiem.  

Why a blog post about a classical music concert? Because there is much that reminds me of what it means to serve God with excellence. So often I feel that I (and many of my fellow Christians) become all too satisfied with OK performances in ministry endeavor. Worse yet, when I make OK good enough, it quickly becomes my performance standard, and I don’t even stop to think about what true excellence could or should be. Maybe I’ve become too influenced by an American culture overly sensitive to building up self-esteem by cheering every Little Leaguer who strikes out or giving a standing ovation at every single concert, regardless of the performance quality. Whatever the case, I realize that striving for something more—something really excellent—has not always been my top priority.

Anita had the special privilege of meeting  Placido Domingo after the
concert and getting his autograph on our concert program

That is one reason listening to this concert was such a stunning experience. From the execution of the first notes of the Adagio movement of Mozart's Maurerische Trauermusik in C minor, which were played so quietly that I wasn’t even sure the concert had begun, to the gripping themes of Bruckner’s Symphony  No. 4, I felt I was in the presence of something truly special. The orchestra could play so softly and exquisitely in one section of a piece; then it could expand in volume and palpable power to a truly magnificent finale. It was as if my soul was telling me, “Yes! This is the way a great performance sounds.”

On top of that, I was personally inspired to see outstanding musicians like Barenboim and Domingo, who have been performing for several decades, still demonstrating uncompromising professionalism in the execution of their craft. It was clear they have not allowed OK to be good enough for them.

And neither should I.