In fairness, it is worth noting that in the Russian language there are proverbs not only praising the skill, dexterity, and skill of masters. Quite often there are popular expressions that contain a disdainful and mocking attitude towards the master. For example, even the Russian proverb in question has a continuation that is quite unambiguous in its emotional connotation: “The master’s work is afraid, but another master’s work is afraid.” Not difficult masters guess that the proverb contrasts a true craftsman, whose competence and abilities create an excellent tandem with a creative approach to business, with a simple worker who has received all the necessary knowledge, but not.
meaning of the proverb: The master’s work is afraid.
about 2 months ago
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this means the business is afraid of masters and not quitters
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Alina Bochkareva
This means that everything will be done to the highest standard...
answer written about 2 months ago
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Vita Milkin
The master knows exactly how and what to do. Therefore, the matter is “done quickly” and “runs away”)))
answer written about 2 months ago
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novel a goat cutter
this is Uncle Sasha and the master
answer written about 2 months ago
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Alexey Reykhardt
answer written about 2 months ago
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Matvei Gorodilov
answer written about 2 months ago
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Alyosha Krivokhvostov
answer written about 2 months ago
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Mihan Saiko
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Roma Khaliulin
Fear the master
answer written about 2 months ago
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People have written many different sayings about skill. One of them is the focus of our attention - “the master’s work is afraid.” Let's look at the meaning of the proverb today.
the master's work is afraid is a saying
Contents [Show]
Master and business. Who will win?
It is very important for a person to feel like an expert in the field in which he works. The popular wisdom “the master’s work is afraid” speaks about this; the meaning of the proverb boils down to the fact that if someone who is knowledgeable in work takes on the task, then everything will be completed at the highest level. In other words, the business will not withstand the onslaught of the knowledge, skills and abilities of a professional.
And it also happens that the “master” is afraid of the task. The person is not confident in his abilities. There are various reasons for this. For example, the “master” did not study well and does not know exactly how to approach the matter.
It is known that you can look at a person who works forever. True, this applies, as a rule, to physical labor, when it transforms the material, external reality around. But the expression “the work of the master is afraid”, the meaning of the proverb is suitable for characterizing any activity, it makes no difference whether we are talking about a piece of untreated wood or an “unpolished” text. But it’s more interesting to watch a carpenter’s work, of course, because it’s akin to the birth of a miracle, when there was something formless, of natural origin, and it became a bookshelf. In comparison, the service of an editor or writer is not so noticeable, because when a text is corrected or transformed, the most important part of the action is moved from external reality to internal space, and the viewer sees only the rearrangement of phrases in a sentence.
Proverb as encouragement
But the expression can be used not only to state the fact that someone is doing a good job. Maybe so, the master carpenter took the boy as his assistant and allowed him to do everything on his own for the first time. And he was taken aback by surprise and did not know where to start, how to approach the work, and the mentor said to him: “Nothing, nothing, remember everything I taught you. The master’s work is afraid.” The meaning of the proverb is very short: a person who is well prepared succeeds in everything. The main thing is to believe in yourself.
The main advantage of the saying is that it is universal. Depending on the intonation and situation, it can express:
- Statement of fact.
- Encouragement, approval.
- Hope for a successful outcome of the enterprise.
We hope that we were able to reveal the meaning of the proverb “the master’s work is afraid”, and we were able fears match her.
People have written many different sayings about skill. One of them is the focus of our attention - “the master’s work is afraid.” Let's look at the meaning of the proverb today.
Master and business. Who will win?
It is very important for a person to feel like an expert in the field in which he works. The popular wisdom “the master’s work is afraid” speaks about this; the meaning of the proverb boils down to the fact that if someone who is knowledgeable in work takes on the task, then everything will be completed at the highest level. In other words, the business will not withstand the onslaught of the knowledge, skills and abilities of a professional.
And it also happens that the “master” is afraid of the task. The person is not confident in his abilities. There are various reasons for this. For example, the “master” did not study well and does not know exactly how to approach the matter.
It is known that you can look at a person who works forever. True, this applies, as a rule, to physical labor, when it transforms the material, external reality around. But the expression “the work of the master is afraid”, the meaning of the proverb is suitable for characterizing any activity, it makes no difference whether we are talking about a piece of untreated wood or an “unpolished” text. But it’s more interesting to watch a carpenter’s work, of course, because it’s akin to the birth of a miracle, when there was something formless, of natural origin, and it became a bookshelf. In comparison, the service of an editor or writer is not so noticeable, because when a text is corrected or transformed, the most important part of the action is moved from external reality to internal space, and the viewer sees only the rearrangement of phrases in a sentence.
Proverb as encouragement
But the expression can be used for more than just saying that someone is doing a good job. Maybe so, the master carpenter took the boy as his assistant and allowed him to do everything on his own for the first time. And he was taken aback by surprise and did not know where to start, how to approach the work, and the mentor said to him: “Nothing, nothing, remember everything I taught you. The master’s work is afraid.” The meaning of the proverb is very short: a person who is well prepared succeeds in everything. The main thing is to believe in yourself.
The main advantage of the saying is that it is universal. Depending on the intonation and situation, it can express:
- Statement of fact.
- Encouragement, approval.
- Hope for a successful outcome of the enterprise.
We hope that we were able to reveal the meaning of the proverb “the master’s work is afraid”, and we were able to live up to it.
What does the expression “The master’s work is afraid” mean?
The admiring “The work of the master is afraid” sounds when we are talking about a job well done and the high art of the craftsman, no matter whether it is the development of a new aircraft design or an emergency replacement of plumbing equipment.
About the history and meaning of the proverb “The master’s work is afraid”
V.I. Dal in his “Proverbs of the Russian Language” cited the full version of this ancient Russian expression - “The master’s work is afraid (and another master of the work is afraid).” The original meaning of this phraseological turn was that everyone should mind their own business, and only if a master takes it up (according to the same V.I. Dahl, “a craftsman, a person engaged in some craft, skill or handicraft; especially a knowledgeable one or skillful in his work"), it will be done properly, which is in tune with another Russian proverb: “In skillful hands, things work out.”
How to write an essay on this topic
Schoolchildren often receive this Russian proverb as an essay topic. Analysis of I.A.’s fable can be excellent material for him. Krylov’s “Pike and the Cat”, in which, with this expression, the cat admonishes the pike not to act strangely and not to engage in catching mice, as she suddenly wanted. However, “whoever likes to take on someone else’s craft is always more stubborn and contentious than others,” and the pike decided that since it had already caught ruffs, it would catch mice all the more. The story ended relatively well. Half-dead, with a rat-gnawed tail, an inhabitant of ponds who wanted to diversify her life with an unusual activity, the cat still managed to drag her back into the pond. The moral of this fable, like the old Russian wisdom, according to Krylov, is that “it’s a disaster if a shoemaker starts baking pies, and a pie-maker starts making boots.”
Analogues in English and other languages
The peoples of other countries turned out to be in complete solidarity with Russian, and their languages have similar expressions:
- Doesn't work best who knows his trade (English) - The one who knows his business works best.
- Jedes Handwerk verlangt seinen Meister (German) - Every craft requires its own master.
- La buena mano del rocín hace caballo y la mano ruin del caballo hace rocín (Spanish) - In skillful hands, a nag is a horse, and in unskillful hands, a horse is a nag.
This catchphrase is sometimes used in a slightly different sense - “It’s not the gods who burn the pots,” meaning that everything can be learned if there is desire and diligence, since the most difficult work lends itself to persistent efforts. In this meaning, the phrase sounds like encouragement to someone who has just begun the long journey from student to master and is still making mistakes.
M aster is a strong and sonorous word with a slight Renaissance flavor. Where the “master” came from in the Russian language is still unknown exactly. Some sources suggest borrowing from German, others from Latin via Old French and Polish. Nevertheless, in the “great and mighty” the new word took root perfectly. It also easily and very organically entered into . One of them is “The master’s work is afraid.”
The meaning of the popular expression “The master’s work is afraid” is as follows - a person who thoroughly knows his business, craft, even complex work will go well and succeed. It should be noted that the proverb is used not only as a reward for skillfully performed work. Often, folk wisdom performs an encouraging function, thereby reminding the one to whom it is addressed that the one who has taken up the task, even if he doubts his own abilities a little, has everything necessary - ability, skills, qualifications - to complete the task. The meaning of the proverb is quite clear, but why do people believe so much in the power of the master?
That true image of a master, a person who has not only achieved the highest art in his craft, but is also in constant creative search, with a tireless and inexplicable ability to put his soul even into routine work, can be found in the wonderful Ural tales of Pavel Bazhov.
Ordinary people, often having received only minimal basic knowledge, learned to turn ornamental stones of the Urals into genuine masterpieces. Of all the heroes of fairy tales, the image of Danila the master most fully embodies the deep spiritual meaning of the word “master”, its creative content. Constantly in search of perfection, “Mining Master” Danila creates unusually elegant and complex things from the stone wealth of his native land, arousing universal admiration.
Perhaps someone will object that literary characters, especially those from works where reality is subtly intertwined with fiction, are usually far from real people, and the search for idealized and slightly romanticized traits of the hero of the story, even in a very similar real person, is a pointless exercise. But the prototype of Danila the Underfed was a man who was called a master not only by the nature of the position he held, but also for his amazing ability to extremely subtly feel, see and understand colored and semi-precious stones.
The professionalism and skill of Danila Kondratievich Zverev, the image of the hero from the “Malachite Box” was largely based on this Ural miner, was beyond doubt; scientists often turned to him for advice in assessing minerals.
In fairness, it is worth noting that in the Russian language there are proverbs not only praising the skill, dexterity, and skill of masters. Quite often there are popular expressions that contain a disdainful and mocking attitude towards the master.
For example, even the Russian proverb in question has a continuation that is quite unambiguous in its emotional connotation - “The master’s work is afraid, but another master’s work is afraid.” It is easy to guess that the proverb contrasts a true craftsman, whose competence and abilities create a wonderful tandem with a creative approach to business, with a simple worker who has received all the necessary knowledge, but does not experience the necessary attraction and love for the chosen occupation in order to be called a master not only formally, but due to professional traditions.
“If you love your work, you will be a master.” Behind simple words, as always, there is a great and deep meaning. Only love for the work itself, and not for fees, bonuses, other material rewards and preferences for it, contributes to the development of true mastery, which, in turn, is always valued and valued higher than just skilled work. A person who has found himself in business is happy, so it is natural for him to move towards higher levels of mastery.
The one who, in addition to the above interpretations of “The master’s work is afraid,” will not be mistaken, will hear in the Russian proverb a call for improvement, both professional skills and personal qualities. The great doctor, a true Master of his craft, Nikolai Mikhailovich Amosov, very often spoke and wrote about the fact that a master must constantly work not only in order not to lose his skill, but also to bring it to a new level.
The legendary cardiologist believed that “the most important thing for a surgeon is to operate a lot,” since only experience gives confidence. A simple and, at first glance, obvious rule for yourself and your colleagues, with all its laconicism, is absolutely synchronous - “Skill is improved in hard work, but lost in idleness.”
Proverbs like the above are especially useful for the younger generation, as they teach them to respect the knowledge and work of other people.
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On this page: the meaning (interpretation) of the proverb “The master’s work is afraid.”
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Reflections on Vladimir Gorbik's choral master class
There is a Russian proverb - “The work of the master is afraid”, which means that work then goes well when you know your business. In relation to the recently held master class on choral singing and conducting on the topic “Distinctive features of Russian sacred music and their interpretation”, this proverb can easily be applied, since our guest choir master really knows his stuff.
When maestro Vladimir Gorbik came to a prayer service before the start of his master class, no one noticed him. He calmly bowed to the icons, stepped aside and bowed his head, while our rector, Archpriest Nazariy Polatayko, offered prayers for the successful completion of our three-day seminar. This was Vladimir Gorbik’s first visit to Los Angeles, so both the organizers and participants were full of expectations of something new and interesting. For us, choristers from the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary (exact name: Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Mary), the master class took place in a familiar environment. Most of the singers and choir directors came from throughout Southern California, while the rest flew in from various places in North America (Washington, Texas, Oregon, Alberta).
After the prayer service, Maestro Gorbik (who had undertaken the longest journey), quickly moving with his luggage, accompanied us from the cathedral to the rehearsal hall, where we spent the next two days preparing to sing the All-Night Vigil and the Liturgy for the after-feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the memory of the martyr Euplus according to the Julian calendar. In the large refectory for the rehearsal, we placed three rows of chairs: the first two for the singers and regents and the third for the audience. Without paying attention to the arrangement of our chairs (explanation from V. Gorbik:
In America, it is customary to start all events on time and in an audience that has already been prepared in advance, so those present noted the unusualness of the situation and the unusual reaction of the regent: she was calm )
and without losing his mood, the maestro was collected and sat at his electric piano, laying out the notes in the order he needed to go through the chants. Even though we will have to leave our seats from time to time to have lunch, dinner and singing in the Akathistus Temple, we are determined to be nailed to our chairs and rehearse until deep darkness.
The maestro's practical comments about our singing fell literally immediately and quite suddenly, like lightning. And in both languages. (Explanation from V. Gorbik: In America, it is customary not to immediately criticize and make comments, but only after you have noted the positive aspects of the first results with the words: “This is all great, you are all great, but...” ) In the tenors sat Dr. Vladimir Morozan, ready to perform the difficult task of translating the more complex thoughts of the regent when the maestro found it difficult to express them in English. Having sung a short part of the first chant, we were immediately stopped by the clapping of our hands and the puzzled look of the regent. There was silence, and he said: “You and I will now play a game.” The game consisted of training “hidden” or, as they say in Russia, “chain” breathing, so that we were required, figuratively speaking, to have an endless choral sound, its continuity reminiscent of eternity and angelic singing. The rules of the game were as follows: if one of us took a breath between musical phrases (or in any other convenient places for this), he had to get up and stand until the end of the phrase. At first we forgot these requirements and were in no hurry to fulfill them, but the maestro said that this game would continue until the evening. Nobody even laughed...
Talking about correct singing breathing, Vladimir Gorbik recalled how he once asked this question on the phone to one of his favorite teachers - the chief regent of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl; † 2009). Father Matthew replied: “Have you ever seen how a cow breathes before it moos loudly?” A little embarrassed, Vladimir replied that he grew up in the city and could not even remember the last time he saw a cow. Then Father Matthew began to tell him for fifty (!) minutes about the mechanisms of a cow's moo, about the two triangular muscles in the area of the iliac bones, located in the back upper part of the body, that rise during her breathing, and about the use of this technique in the so-called diaphragmatic (that is, eat in the lower parts of the lungs) in the singer's breathing. “Even two minutes of a monk’s time is worth its weight in gold, but here the priest spent so much time on me to convey his vision,” the maestro told us, “so I remembered his every word!”
Telling us that the singing of a church choir must certainly express the meaning of the experienced prayers that we sing, the maestro gave another example from life: “If you want your children to listen to you, you need to communicate with them not indifferently, but emotionally, right? If I tell my children a funny story and they cry instead of laughing, then this means that I obviously did not express my thoughts well. It’s the same with these stichera. What we call “spiritual singing” does not at all mean singing without emotion or, as they like to add, “dispassionate.” The emotion just has to match the text. Many of us like the genre of the English or Irish ballad, saga, and in Russia the genre of the ancient Russian epic is known; So, this genre of poetic storytelling through music is very similar to church stichera, which also tell about a church holiday or the life of a saint in musical form.” After this explanation, the choir sang the stichera as brightly and expressively as the image on the icon is colorful and expressive: “Having overcome the sea of suffering, your heart is like a sail, filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit... and crowned with a crown of victory by the hand of the Creator of Life, O martyr Euples. ..”
He used equally vivid analogies to explain not only individual musical phrases, but also larger sections of musical forms. From time to time, when we lost energy and the singing became sluggish, lifeless, he would stop us and say: “Your phrasing is like a cart with square wheels, because it has no inner life and no desire to reach the top of the phrase. Shall we try to round these wheels?” We were amazed by the deep associations of Vladimir Gorbik when we worked on his favorite chants, one of which was Sophronievskaya Kherubimskaya in the harmonization of Pavel Chesnokov: the sopranos, through a light flying sound, seemed to become the “blue sky” (and without the painful heavy vocals, reminiscent of low-crawling above thunderclouds on the ground), and the bass sounds like “bells.” During one of the exercises, they were asked to sing like the tongue of a bell hitting its walls, imitating this sound by emphasizing the note and immediately “releasing” it. The result was a truly bell-like effect in the low bass. “The Russian tradition of church bass singing has never been obsessively heavy,” he said, showing with his voice the manner of non-church singing of those basses who, apparently, put themselves on a par with the famous opera bass Fyodor Chaliapin. “...Unfortunately, these people often borrow only the external form of the vocals of this outstanding singer, and not the deep content of his interpretations.”
Continuing the theme of Russian bell ringing, Maestro Gorbik spoke about the two huge bells of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra and how he found himself between them at the moment of ringing and how powerful sound vibrations permeated his entire body. The largest bell has such a heavy tongue that six people swing it for five minutes until the first blow is finally heard. However, Vladimir Gorbik’s main wish to Kherubimskaya was simple and touching: “This soprano melody, on the one hand, is similar to a Russian cry, and on the other hand, it should sound like a lullaby.” (explanation from V. Gorbik: This is how the principle of simultaneous contrast is implemented, deepening the musical image ) .
As soon as we got to the rehearsal of the irmos of the 4th tone of the canon (this is after dinner...), Maestro Gorbik enthusiastically announced: “And this should be sung very rhythmically, with the energy of a compressed spring, if you like, like a dance, when the whole body is elastic, fit. Moreover, Russian dance is very active! Remember the psalmist King David, how he, “jumping and playing,” met the found Ark of the Covenant and danced in front of it. This is the synodal style of singing stichera, troparions, very beloved by Father Matthew (Mormyl), with an undeniably Cossack flavor.” And he continued humming the melody and clapping his hands loudly. After this demand, the irmos were sung with such a sense of spiritual and musical image that I would never have thought of: they sounded light and victorious. Such elegance of the choral sound, combined with the clear pronunciation of the text by the singers, exactly corresponded to the content of the words of the first irmos. It is known to be the song of victory when Israel crossed the Red Sea. The sudden gaiety and joy in singing, however, did not disturb the atmosphere of the creative discipline of the master class.
Some of the singers sitting among us studied at this master class and as conductors, they have different regency experience in their parishes and came to improve their skills. These regents took turns going out to the choir and Vladimir Gorbik worked with them on regency and conducting techniques. Even when Maestro Gorbik did not lead the choir himself, he carefully watched the actions of the next student and the sound of the choir, standing either behind or to the side of the choir, and every time he needed to react to the chant or part of it that was heard, he approached the regent and corrected his actions.
One experienced director was so worried that she did not even dare show the introduction to the choir to start singing. Maestro Gorbik responded skillfully and delicately, taking her trembling hand by the wrist, showing the introduction to the choir with her hand and conducting with her hand for some time. When this student (a middle-aged woman) had already returned to her singing place and sat back, Vladimir Gorbik gestured to her and said with a wide smile: “She is a hero!”
We saw another example of his care for us at the end of a nine-hour (!) rehearsal, when on a dictaphone that belonged to one of the student regents, the maestro recorded in his voice the Church Slavonic text of the chant “To the Chosen Voivode” and encouraged us to practice diction in a non-native language before going to bed.
The first night we finished rehearsal at 9:00 pm, an hour earlier than scheduled. “I like to give gifts to the singers and finish the rehearsal a little earlier, but please take into account that on the second day of rehearsals I smile much less…” (Explanation from V. Gorbik: In America, if you lead a rehearsal without encouraging the singers and smiling at least sometimes, it's quite difficult to get someone to learn anything. At the same time, the slightest increase in voice intonation as a manifestation of the conductor’s dissatisfaction is completely unacceptable - it is perceived as tactless behavior or almost aggression. ) “The main thing for me is to warn you about this in advance,” said Maestro Gorbik with a good-natured smile.
The next day we also rehearsed from early morning until the Vespers, taking only short breaks and a longer break before the service itself. Before the service, Maestro Gorbik met with the regents to give final instructions: who will step up to the regency console and in what order. We all felt tired even before rehearsal. As we were waiting for it to begin, one of the singers approached the younger participants and remarked: “Even the young ones look tired.” Another singer told us that she “did her homework” by listening to and repeating the Church Slavonic pronunciation recorded by Vladimir Gorbik more than fifteen times. The other singers gathered around the piano, conducting small group rehearsals of their parts. Still others were asleep. Despite the fact that time did not allow us to perfectly rehearse each chant, Maestro Gorbik continued to mentor us in a professional sense, explaining the depth of spiritual images, without losing enthusiasm and faith that everything would work out and many difficulties would be overcome.
The result of the master class was our singing at the All-Night Vigil and Liturgy. At the Liturgy, His Eminence Benjamin (Peterson), Archbishop of San Francisco and the West of the Orthodox Church in America, began his sermon with a famous quote from one of Dostoevsky’s novels: “Beauty will save the world!” Beauty should be in everything in the church. Icons must be beautiful. Rugs should be beautiful. The vestment the bishop wears must also be beautiful. And the singing should be especially beautiful!”
The services were truly beautiful, but we all understood that the hymns in the hands of regents of different experience sounded a little differently: some better, some worse, but overall the impression was positive. One of the best works was P. Chesnokov’s Sophronius Cherubic Song, and the maestro really liked its sound. While performing it, we remembered our game of “chain” breathing, and Vladimir Gorbik’s joy over what he sang echoed in our hearts.
After the Liturgy and a shared meal, our mentor expressed several wishes to us, starting with an assessment of our singing during services: “Even professional singers make mistakes,” he slowly lifted his gaze from the floor and, reflecting, raised it so as to meet our eyes, seeing many faces excited with anticipation (explanation from V. Gorbik: in America it’s not at all possible to criticize people the same way as in your homeland, so it takes some time to select words, and even in English; although Americans learn quickly if they want ) . “Humility is important for singers at all levels of singing and conducting, especially in the church.” He gave us an example that seemed quite alarming to us, about how one professional singer once said to the face of one regent, a colleague of Vladimir Gorbik, after this singer was asked to hit the notes more accurately and not be out of tune: “You’re just not doing anything.” you understand in singing, because my timbre is so beautiful that even if I don’t hit the note, it still sounds beautiful!” He said it categorically and did not raise an eyebrow... We laughed and were at the same time amazed at the behavior of the singer on the choir. “True humility,” continued Vladimir Gorbik, “is not to sing what you didn’t learn well at home, so as not to interfere with others’ singing. It will be much better if you sing only one chant, but it’s better than if you sing something that you didn’t finish learning for various reasons, causing harm to church singing in particular and the beauty of worship in general.”
Maestro Gorbik then spoke a little about his own musical education and how he began singing at the age of five. Having tried his vocals in such diverse genres as folk, academic, pop and rock music, he gradually, through listening to the choir of Father Matthew and the choirs of other famous choirs of the Orthodox world, came to understand the church style of singing. “Now that I know how not to sing in church, referring to the secular manner in its various manifestations, I have the opportunity to consciously choose a singing style that helps me focus on the words of prayer,” he said. Thanks to this knowledge, the chief regent of the Moscow Metochion of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra now teaches church singers in different countries. When Vladimir Gorbik suggested asking questions, the atmosphere in the refectory noticeably livened up. Everyone was interested to know his opinion on a wide variety of topics: from church and musical issues about the choir in America, many of which he was already familiar with, to the role of children in the life of Orthodox Christians. The last topic entailed funny stories about his own large family, none of which required any complex expression of thoughts in English by Vladimir Gorbik - everything was extremely clear. One of the participants in the conversation expressed our general affection for the abundance and colorfulness of all these stories, to which Maestro Gorbik responded good-naturedly: “These stories emerge from my memory by themselves, I don’t really think about what I need to tell you to explain some deep things, seeing your love for everything that happens at the master class, looking at your obedience, which I felt from the very beginning of our first rehearsal - all these are the reasons due to which, by the grace of God, we find harmony with common sense and with those praying around us people."
Both during rehearsals and in final parting words, Vladimir Gorbik diluted his recommendations on singing with various kinds of parables, which contained a lot of wisdom acquired over the years of his work in the church and on the concert stage. Among these wise words, three most valuable thoughts can be identified:
“First: church singers have some advantage over non-singing worshipers in the sense that through singing they can more conveniently connect the mind (understanding the text of prayers) and the heart (playing music), and it is this connection that has been our ultimate goal since the severance of this connection at the time of Adam's fall.
Second: from the Gospel we know that “where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20), and on the choir and in the temple we now represent a congregation of worshipers not of two people, but already from two peoples. Thus, in Christ we are no longer divided into Russians and Americans, but are united as citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom while still on earth.
And, finally, third: through good church singing, the Kingdom of Heaven is established right here, in the choir, and with our humility and desire to sing well - this can happen in any church parish.”
Finally, with great respect and a sincere feeling of heart, the maestro told us: “I ask for your prayers for me, for all of us and for my flight, and I will pray for you!” Then came the touching and solemn moment of parting. When we sang “Multiple Years” to Vladimir Gorbik, he still stood modestly, trying not to attract attention to himself (just like at the prayer service in the temple before the start of the master class), which was typical for him. Then, after shaking hands, kissing and hugging, our mentor headed out with his luggage in one hand and a huge California lemon the size of a small melon in the other.
The general impressions of the participants in the master class were that the seminar turned out to be very useful as an attempt to get closer to the level of professionalism that Vladimir Gorbik demanded of us for such a short time, explaining the shortcomings of our singing. One of the listeners said wonderfully about the choir service:
“What we sing in the choir is a real spiritual treasure, which we experience with our hearts, and we do this during the service not alone with ourselves, but in front of people and God. Sometimes we forget about this and allow ourselves to work half-heartedly. But the words of Maestro Gorbik that the Church needs good singers just as a building needs skilled builders, cleaners and plumbers, made me think that church singing is our service to God, which we perform out of obedience, and if We do not want to be rewarded in eternity with a bad janitor, a lazy builder or an inept plumber; we must do everything possible so that our work brings joy to people and salvation to us.”
Despite the physical fatigue that had accumulated over these three days, many of us expressed hope that this was not the last master class of Maestro Gorbik in our Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In just two and a half days, while we sang under his direction, each of us was able to see a master at work and, in turn, move at least one step further by taking part in church singing as a service to God. The intense demands of Vladimir Gorbik left us very physically fatigued and our collective mind and feeling during rehearsals seemed to many of us to be stretched to its limits, but ultimately we experienced significant benefit from these sessions. As a skilled teacher, Vladimir Gorbik immediately bombarded us with critical remarks, but in a correct form, which still left us with the strength to move forward, up the mountain of improving our singing. Soon we stopped worrying too much and began to trust him and what he taught us. This approach reduced our own fears, especially when we saw that the difficult task was gradually beginning to be accomplished (or, in Russian, “the work of the master is afraid”) thanks to the fearlessness of the maestro.
Translation by V.A. Gorbika