When was the first music written? The question can never be answered exactly, but it is likely that some form of musical expression is nearly as old as language itself. Music seems to come to mankind naturally. Every known society has songs. Children hum and sing nursery rhymes and make up silly songs of their own, or so it seems to adults, for no other reason than to have fun. Infants respond to familiar jungles and advertising music. But what is music? Again the answer is evasive. We know the ancient Egyptians had music yet they were totally ignorant of harmony. The Greeks, arguably the most cultured society of the past, enjoyed the many delights of music, but usually only as a means to more fully express poetry, and they had not even the most basic concept of key. But regardless of the differences between today’s music and the music of the past, music has a long and glorious history indeed. Whether music’s origins were sacred, using simple melodies to accompany early religious rites, or commonplace, arising spontaneously to show pleasure or satisfaction, will remain a mystery. But there is much about music we do know.
Music has the power to elevate our feelings and temporarily place us above the grinding concerns of everyday life. It can make us weep with sadness, or, just as easily, with joy. A grand symphony can stir feelings of passionate national pride while a catchy pop song can bring up memories of a now long distant youth. Music is the most ordinary and accessible of the arts. Everyone, illiterate or a concert pianist schooled at Julliard, has a favorite song. It is impossible to go a day without hearing music. Turn on the radio? Music. Watch television or a movie? Music. Attend a sporting event, observe a group of children playing, or go shopping at the mall? Music, music, and more music. Music enhances all of life’s passions. It accompanies human experience from the base to the most noble. Without music life would be dreary indeed, but there is no cause for concern. Man could sooner live without bread than without music.
【題組】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT discussed as a function of music
(A) healing our ailment (B) expressing poems (C) lifting our emotions (D) being played in religious ceremonies
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