October 17, 2008

  • Voice Recognition

    aa In the American Airlines Magazine of October 2008, I read an article with the heading “Voice Recognition”. I associated the heading with several aspects that I did not find in the article.

     

    voice-recognition  This article spoke about “voice-over” techniques that were used by Hollywood and by the TV: how important, even crucial, a voice is; its tone and its timbre. People recognize voices and make associations with a voice. It is an industry by itself, and there are businesses and jobs out there that deal with the particulars of selecting the right voices for the right purpose. The person you see on the big screen might not have the voice you hear!

     

     

     

     

    I had to think about the builders of a pipe organ and the voices of a pipe organ. The so called ‘pipe organ voicers’ work to create a sound, give the organ the distinct voice, that serves the right purpose. They consider the environment (room) as well. The right timbre, the right colour, the right volume. That gives the listener experiences that make them enjoy listening and participate in singing.

     

    Pipe organ builders accomplish also another thing: recognition. There is a clear difference between voices, human voices, but also pipe organ voices. Pipe organ voices can be clearly recognized in e.g. the Netherlands. The Hinsz organ in the Bovenkerk in Kampen has a totally different sound than the Vater-Muller organ of the Old Church in Amsterdam, although both (famous) instruments are centuries old. More recent organs, such as in the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam, sounds completely different than the VandenHeuvel organ in the Nieuwe Kerk in Katwijk aan Zee.

     

    Here in (Western) Canada we experience the same: the organ in Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria (Helmutt Wolff, 2005) sounds completely different than the organ in the organ in the Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver (Kenneth Jones, 2004).

     

    At the organ inauguration of our new Casavant organ, I met a lady who came from Regina. She shared with me that her church had a 1960’s Casavant organ that just had been cleaned (after 48 years). She commented that it sounded again as beautiful as our new Casavant organ. She recognized the voice!

     

    Computers also recognize voices. But they make mistakes . Words are incorrect or missed and a distorted message follows.  

     

    shepherd Voice recognition is important.

    Training our ears is important.

    Learn to listen, learn to recognize.

     

    Some ears are trained and recognize any Hollywood voice or TV star voice.

    Other people recognize the voice of different pipe organs.

     

    But one voice we should all recognize and train our ears for: the voice of the Shepherd.

    When we hear His voice, we need to follow Him.

     

    Voice recognition…

    Train your ears and mind to recognize the Shepherd’s voice!

     

     

    John 10:27-28

    "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

     

    I was thinking about this after I read the article "voice recognition". I hope you recognize it too...