Mike Leghorn asks:

>what is the big deal about Bach's Mass in B minor? ... I find it
>boring.  Is my recording faulty?  Should I get my hearing checked?

I went through a similar thing.  Back in college there were a number
of my dormmates who revered the B minor Mass.  So I listened to it over
and over and over again, and just never "got it".  I too thought it was
boring.  Many years pass.  One day for some reason I decide to give it
a listen again (probably some discussion like this one).  And what do
you know, it's a masterpiece.  Even better, it's a familiar masterpiece.

Regarding the more general issue about the words: I don't think you can
divorce the words from the music, especially in religious music, but you
don't need to believe the words to appreciate the sentiments they express,
and the way the music expresses or supports those sentiments.  I think
if you ignore the words you're ignoring an important part of the music.
This is not to say that you can't appreciate the music, only that you're
missing something.

And finally, Mike, it was nice to hear someone else acknowledge that
"Worthy is the Lamb" and the Amen from Messiah are fully as magnificent
as the Hallelujah chorus.

len.