麻豆约拍

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Jonathan Rea

SCRIPT

Good morning.

120 years ago today in a hotel room in Milan, the Italian tenor, Enrico Caruso, made his first audio recording. It was captured using so-called portable equipment - that required 6 large crates to ship it.

Like most singers, Caruso wasn鈥檛 keen to have his voice recorded for posterity 鈥� so he commanded a huge fee of 拢100 to let it happen. Hearing the price, the record company sent a telegram to tell the recording engineer to stop. But instead of stopping, the engineer underwrote the fee - convinced he was on the brink of success.

He was right. Caruso鈥檚 album went on to sell 300,000 copies. Caruso became very famous and the record company became very rich. Even the sales of gramophones were boosted because of Caruso鈥檚 recordings. He had earned his place in music history as the world鈥檚 first recording superstar.

Now of course, we record everything. Meals are photographed. Our scores in word games are shared on social media. Parents attend school performances and watch their kids on a stage through a lens. Relationships are put on display. Personal successes are celebrated publicly. Personal failures are judged publicly.

I鈥檓 grateful for technology that gives us access to music, film and to each other. It helped us in recent times of isolation and it keeps us aware of what is happening in our world, not least in the ongoing horror in Ukraine.

But I also think the Psalmist David was right when he sang 鈥淏lessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.鈥�

Lord, if you kept a record of sins, who could stand?鈥�. But there is forgiveness with you so that you may be revered. Amen.

Show less