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One aspect of the Bible that has always fascinated me is the study of Biblical numerology. That is, the study of individual numbers along with their meaning found in the scripture, both literal and symbolic. This can indeed be taken to the extreme and lead some to believe that these numbers can mystically reveal to us the future, or uncover hidden truths, which would eventually lead one to Gnosticism. However, there is a certain amount of validly in taking a close, critical inspection of the consistent usage of certain numbers in the scripture. Certain prophetic books in the Bible introduce to us a complex yet interconnected system of numerology. The book of Daniel and Revelation are examples of this. Through close inspection we can see particular usage of numbers, along with their apparent meaning, that remains consistent throughout the Bible as a whole. I have used the idea of Biblical numerology as the foundation of my thesis. This has influenced my usage of meter and frequent metric modulations, phrase lengths, the selection of pitch classes for many parts of my work, and its architecture overall. My selection of orchestra size has also been influenced by this idea. There are 13 instrumentalists + 1 vital musician often overlooked and not counted, that is, the conductor. Therefore, the number of musicians taken to perform this work is 14, or 7 + 7. Seven is a very key number in Biblical numerology, meaning divine completion, perfection, and totality. The three movements of the composition itself are contained in the three supplemental files. They are titled thusly: File One: Movement I - The Mystery of The Trinity: Three In Person, One In Essence; File Two: Movement II - The Mystery of The Church: Sovereign Redemption, Chosen Before Time; File Three: Movement III - The Mystery of Marriage: Two in One Flesh, United by God.
A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music.
Bibliography Note
Includes bibliographical references.
Advisory Committee
Ladislav Kubik, Professor Directing Thesis; Clifton Callender, Committee Member; Mark Wingate, Committee Member.
Publisher
Florida State University
Identifier
FSU_migr_etd-7529
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