--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have to be evangelists for music. We…" description: "\"We have to be evangelists for music. We couldn't just be high priests of music.\" — Simon Rattle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/simon-rattle-11291_evangelists_we-have-to-be-evangelists-for-music-we-c_443271.jpg" --- # We have to be evangelists for music. We couldn't just be… ![“We have to be evangelists for music. We couldn't just be high priests of music.” quote by Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/simon-rattle-11291_evangelists_we-have-to-be-evangelists-for-music-we-c_443271.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/simon-rattle-11291_evangelists_we-have-to-be-evangelists-for-music-we-c_443271.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/simon-rattle-11291_evangelists_we-have-to-be-evangelists-for-music-we-c_443271.jpg) > “We have to be evangelists for music. We couldn't just be high priests of music.” [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music should be shared enthusiastically, not guarded by elitist attitudes; everyone can participate. **In simple terms:** Share music, don’t hoard it. Key Takeaway Encourage inclusive musical appreciation. Themes music community accessibility Mood thoughtful encouraging Type cultural educational When to use this quote - concerts - music education - community choirs - public performances Key Concepts cultural democratization participatory art Questions to Reflect On - How can we keep quality while being inclusive? - What barriers prevent people from engaging with music? A Different Perspective Some may argue expertise requires standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evangelists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelists/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Priests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priests/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [Maybe if I knew music, I couldn't do what I am doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberta-hunter/maybe-if-i-knew-music-i-couldn-t-do-what-i-am-doing/) [Alberta Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberta-hunter/) > [I wanted to do music at school but they discouraged it. If you did music you couldn't do technical drawing, which meant you couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-young/i-wanted-to-do-music-at-school-but-they-discouraged-it-if-you-did/) [Paul Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-young/) > [Now I am at the point people are believing in my music, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't talk about what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tones-and-i/now-i-am-at-the-point-people-are-believing-in-my-music-i-couldn-t/) [Tones and I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tones-and-i/) > [But we weren't a phenomenon like the Beatles or Elvis Presley or the Rolling Stones: We were only as good as our last hit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-gaudio/but-we-weren-t-a-phenomenon-like-the-beatles-or-elvis-presley-or-the/) Bob Gaudio > [All I had was the will and the love for music. I couldn't read music or write it. No connections, no car, no money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-white/all-i-had-was-the-will-and-the-love-for-music-i-couldn-t-read-music/) [Barry White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-white/) > [That was a time when I did love music, I couldn't get enough of what was going on. Maybe it was Nirvana that brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-jacobs/that-was-a-time-when-i-did-love-music-i-couldn-t-get-enough-of-what/) [Marc Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-jacobs/) > [Trap music to me isn't just a sound. If we're talking about what I think trap music is, I couldn't say that I created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-gotti/trap-music-to-me-isn-t-just-a-sound-if-we-re-talking-about-what-i/) [Yo Gotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-gotti/) > [I just knew I loved music, and I wanted to do something in music, but I couldn't sing, I can't dance, I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-civil/i-just-knew-i-loved-music-and-i-wanted-to-do-something-in-music-but-i/) [Karen Civil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-civil/) > [Many people in the neighborhood liked hip-hop and house music, and I couldn't play that. You can't perform that on guitar or drums, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/many-people-in-the-neighborhood-liked-hip-hop-and-house-music-and-i/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [When I was about 14, I got on the bus, and my sister's friend's brother handed me a burnt CD that said 'American Idiot,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calum-hood/when-i-was-about-14-i-got-on-the-bus-and-my-sister-s-friend-s-brother/) [Calum Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calum-hood/) > [It is the philosophers, theologians, and evangelists who are said to be filled with pride and bigotry due to the strong convictions that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/it-is-the-philosophers-theologians-and-evangelists-who-are-said-to-be/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Our Lord Jesus Christ, a little before his departure, commissioned his apostles to Go, and teach all nations; or, as another evangelist expresses it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carey/our-lord-jesus-christ-a-little-before-his-departure-commissioned-his/) [William Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carey/) > [The gifts that Yeshua left in the earth realm to enforce His authority were apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. The gift that gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-pierce/the-gifts-that-yeshua-left-in-the-earth-realm-to-enforce-his/) [Chuck Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-pierce/) > [“What that means, in a practical way, is that we strive to know and love a few people deeply. We don’t have to distribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judson-edwards/what-that-means-in-a-practical-way-is-that-we-strive-to-know-and-love/) Judson Edwards > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## More by Simon Rattle > [Every orchestra has its own sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/every-orchestra-has-its-own-sound/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [Conductors make too much fuss about conductors! Humility and hard work are virtues. We're nothing without our musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/conductors-make-too-much-fuss-about-conductors-humility-and-hard-work/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [Conductors start getting good when everybody else retires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/conductors-start-getting-good-when-everybody-else-retires/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [I love Mozart, but I often make a terrible hash of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/i-love-mozart-but-i-often-make-a-terrible-hash-of-it/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [I am old enough to remember the enormous fight over Tate Modern. It is such a part of our cultural landscape now, we forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/i-am-old-enough-to-remember-the-enormous-fight-over-tate-modern-it-is/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [There are a few great orchestras in the world, thank goodness. Although some people do put them in ranking order, it's not like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/there-are-a-few-great-orchestras-in-the-world-thank-goodness-although/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [The grapevine in England is an extraordinary thing. When there is a really brilliant young composer or soloist, we all hear about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/the-grapevine-in-england-is-an-extraordinary-thing-when-there-is-a/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [One of the most extraordinary and all-encompassing forms of communication is music. It reaches places that all kinds of other things cannot reach. I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/one-of-the-most-extraordinary-and-all-encompassing-forms-of/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [With these big Wagner pieces, if I haven't started three years before, I'm screwed. You need time to look at the piece again and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/with-these-big-wagner-pieces-if-i-haven-t-started-three-years-before/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [The necessity for rules and strictness is a way of dealing with an enormously powerful impulse: Germans are among the most emotional people on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/the-necessity-for-rules-and-strictness-is-a-way-of-dealing-with-an/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [The music lovers of London and the country deserve to have something where orchestras can flourish. You have no idea how wonderful an orchestra…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/the-music-lovers-of-london-and-the-country-deserve-to-have-something/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [Sometimes, musicians worry too much about how beautifully they are playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/sometimes-musicians-worry-too-much-about-how-beautifully-they-are/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [My only interest is in sharing great music with more and more people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/my-only-interest-is-in-sharing-great-music-with-more-and-more-people/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [Passionate musicians only come from passionate five-year-olds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/passionate-musicians-only-come-from-passionate-five-year-olds/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) > [One of the most difficult things in opera is for people to suspend disbelief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-rattle/one-of-the-most-difficult-things-in-opera-is-for-people-to-suspend/) [Simon Rattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) [Explore all 60 Simon Rattle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-rattle/) ## More Evangelists quotes > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“What that means, in a practical way, is that we strive to know and love a few people deeply. We don’t have to distribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judson-edwards/what-that-means-in-a-practical-way-is-that-we-strive-to-know-and-love/) Judson Edwards > [The gifts that Yeshua left in the earth realm to enforce His authority were apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. The gift that gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-pierce/the-gifts-that-yeshua-left-in-the-earth-realm-to-enforce-his/) [Chuck Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-pierce/) > [Our Lord Jesus Christ, a little before his departure, commissioned his apostles to Go, and teach all nations; or, as another evangelist expresses it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-carey/our-lord-jesus-christ-a-little-before-his-departure-commissioned-his/) [William Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-carey/) > [It is the philosophers, theologians, and evangelists who are said to be filled with pride and bigotry due to the strong convictions that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/it-is-the-philosophers-theologians-and-evangelists-who-are-said-to-be/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [It was my duty to give them the best show possible. Say you've got a timid little preacher in North Carolina or somewhere. He'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjoe-gortner/it-was-my-duty-to-give-them-the-best-show-possible-say-you-ve-got-a/) [Marjoe Gortner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjoe-gortner/) > [There is no better evangelist in the world than the Holy Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/there-is-no-better-evangelist-in-the-world-than-the-holy-spirit/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [Of course, I don't mean to imply that all writers are working in the deep waters that border on the divine. Most writers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-keck/of-course-i-don-t-mean-to-imply-that-all-writers-are-working-in-the/) [Kevin Keck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-keck/) > [TV evangelists say they don't favor any particular denomination, but I think we've all seen their eyes light up at tens and twenties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/tv-evangelists-say-they-don-t-favor-any-particular-denomination-but-i/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [In childhood our credulity serves us well. It helps us to pack, with extraordinary rapidity, our skulls full of the wisdom of our parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/in-childhood-our-credulity-serves-us-well-it-helps-us-to-pack-with/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Commemoration of Richard Meux Benson, Founder of the Society of St John the Evangelist, 1915 Our critical day is not the very day of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/commemoration-of-richard-meux-benson-founder-of-the-society-of-st/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Evangelists have absolutely no desire to physically or emotionally coerce anyone. In a sense, we are like doctors: we have a duty to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/evangelists-have-absolutely-no-desire-to-physically-or-emotionally/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Now when the historic religions give trivial answers to these very tragic questions of our day, when an evangelist says, for instance, we mustn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/now-when-the-historic-religions-give-trivial-answers-to-these-very/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [I want to submit to you tonight that this country is not gospel-hardened; it is gospel-ignorant because most of its preachers are. And let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/i-want-to-submit-to-you-tonight-that-this-country-is-not-gospel/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [“The greatest evangelists do not have the loudest voices; they have the softest ears.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-r-torgerson/the-greatest-evangelists-do-not-have-the-loudest-voices-they-have-the/) Chad R. Torgerson [Browse all 95 Evangelists quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evangelists/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have to be evangelists for music. 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