O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. (Psalm 96: 1-2)

To sing can be to step outside ourselves. To truly sing we must abandon our ordinary self and allow a more fundamental self to emerge.

Singing is slightly - sometimes dramatically - absurd. It requires courage. Cautious singing is almost always pathetic. Egotistical singing is usually painful. Singing with abandon and enthusiasm is inspiring, even when the skill is modest.

The Hebrew for singing in Psalm 96 is shiyr which is derived from the word for traveling or making a journey. When we sing we can find - perhaps create - a new place.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (Psalm 96: 11-13)

Above is Impression III (Concert) by Wassily Kandinsky painted in response to the music of Arnold Schoenberg.