2024-02-16 17:29
Warning: Thickets of parsing through a song’s lyrics word by word ahead. Enter at your own risk! Let me start by quoting myself from the post “How Did We Get the Spirituals?&rdqu&hell…Read More
Blog Directory > Life Blogs > Intentional Living life Blog >
Intentional Living Blog
debisimons.com
Tags:
song
bach
rollicking american folk
musical
hagenberg hits
morten lauridsen
staid british hymn
inspire irving
hit
bouquet
Anything and everything that has to do with how we can create a happier life for ourselves, from media to observations of others to tales from what’s going on with me.
2024-02-12 21:06
Lauridsen and His Love of Poetry Choral composers are always on the hunt for suitable texts. Unless you’re writing something along the lines of the “Humming Chorus” from Ma… Read More
2024-01-23 03:40
Would a musical be produced today that’s built around the idea of sticking with an abusive spouse no matter what and to some extent normalizing the abuse? Could it include the line, &l&hell…Read More
2024-01-15 22:59
Overview There are over 1,000 Bach compositions that we know of, and that number doesn’t include the manuscripts that may have been lost after his death. (Reports of his compositions b… Read More
2024-01-15 22:26
My own choir, the Cherry Creek Chorale, has performed quite of few of Elaine Hagenberg’s choral compositions, and we were privileged to be part of the original commissioning consortium… Read More
2024-01-03 21:14
Well, it’s complicated. “Great Day” is a spiritual, meaning that it falls into the category of true folk music, a genre that starts out with oral traditions and only later… Read More
2024-01-03 03:02
Ludwig von Beethoven wrote only one opera, Fidelio, and it cost him so much vexation as he worked on it, and re-worked it, and re-worked it yet again, that he said he would never write anoth… Read More
2023-11-20 22:39
What started out as a beautiful but, as far as I’m concerned, a little stuffy, hymn for the Christian church feast day of Epiphany, written by the Anglican bishop Reginald Heber… Read More
2023-11-11 04:03
When people first realize what the words to this carol are actually saying, they tend to be puzzled and/or outraged. I remember clearly someone in my own choir, the Cherry Creek Chora… Read More
2023-11-03 11:22
Well, I guess we have to take the composer at his word, since he starts out like this: The sun is shining, the grass is green, The orange and palm trees sway; There’s never been such a… Read More
2023-11-02 22:33
Man, if I went through this song line by line, starting to write as I am on Nov. 1, giving all the variants both of the song itself and also its precursors, Christmas would be long gone by t… Read More
2023-10-29 20:18
I started out this post with what I assumed would be easy-to-answer questions: Why did Stephen Schwartz end up collaborating with Steve Young for this song, writing the music but having Youn… Read More
2023-10-29 07:00
There are many Christmas carols and songs that include the image of the Christ child as a rose. “Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming” is a famous one, made even more so from the m… Read More
2023-10-29 07:00
Hey, isn’t that a pretty dumb question? “Joy to the World” is one of our most traditional of Christmas carols. At least, that’s what most of us would say. But a quick… Read More
2023-10-04 03:20
I had never noticed this before analyzing the carol for this post, but the ivy is mentioned in the first line and then it just disappears. Here are the first two lines: The holly and the ivy… Read More
2023-09-19 16:12
My choir, the Cherry Creek Chorale, is singing a great jazzy arrangement of “I[‘ve] Got No Strings” by Paul Langford. The original song was written for the 1940 Disney movi… Read More
2023-09-11 23:41
Come back after noon on Tuesday, Sept. 12, to read this post.
The post The Many Mysteries in “The Mission” appeared first on Behind the Music Read More
2023-09-04 19:53
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Falls in Love with Spain and the Guitar How likely is it that an 18-year-old Italian Jewish boy was given a trip to Spain as a graduation gift by his parents and fe… Read More
2023-08-28 16:07
Sometimes the genesis of a now-popular piece can be almost unbearably poignant in light of the situation on the ground now. Such is the case with the popular Five Hebrew Love Songs with musi… Read More
2023-08-28 16:07
Sometimes the genesis of a now-popular piece can be almost unbearably poignant in light of the situation on the ground now. Such is the case with the popular Five Hebrew Love Songs with musi… Read More
2023-08-20 14:00
No. Hey, that was easy, wasn’t it? You can just stop reading now if you want to. However, if you’d really like to know what “Scarborough Fair” is about, I’ll sa… Read More
2023-08-20 14:00
I’d always kind of assumed that the answer to this question would involve something high-flown and theological about the incarnation of Christ, but that’s not really the case. Th… Read More
2023-03-27 23:10
John Tavener was one of the most intriguing, unconventional, and prolific composers in British music, but it’s fair to say that at least for Americans he’s known for only a coupl… Read More
2023-03-23 17:51
To answer that question it’s necessary to delve into the following ideas: 1. A history of British coronations dating back to 973. 2. An explanation of why a German composer, George Fre… Read More
2023-02-20 00:09
The miniature gem “Gaelic Blessing” written by John Rutter in 1978 has an interesting connection with the choral music scene in the US. How did that happen with an English compos… Read More
2023-02-15 23:02
It’s always a bit of a facer to track down some lovely, idealized idea about a person or artwork and find out the real story. So it’s been with Robert Burns and two of his famous… Read More
2023-02-05 00:09
You’ll probably think as you read the words below that they sound familiar, and you’d be right. This song has had a very long and popular life, starting with its first publicatio… Read More
2023-01-31 16:43
Oh my goodness to gracious yes. You just never know until you start diving into a piece how much background there is to find. Such is the case here–I’ve had a ball finding out ab… Read More
2023-01-27 02:58
the breath of life The contemporary choral composer Dan Forrest had no way of knowing when he was contacted by the professional choir Bel Canto for a commission that he would write something… Read More
2023-01-20 22:10
I’ve had the privilege of singing most of the pieces I write about on this site with my wonderful choir the Cherry Creek Chorale, and I remember getting the sheet music for “Kerr… Read More
2023-01-17 00:07
Duncan Gray cam here to woo … Read More
2023-01-05 11:09
We left John Newton on the way back to England after having been rescued from slavery to the African Princess Peye. Be sure to go back and read Part I if you haven’t done so already to… Read More
2023-01-04 06:40
Probably everyone who’s attended some kind of Christian funeral has heard this hymn, as it’s especially popular for those occasions. And you can see why. The words are beautiful… Read More
2022-11-27 22:26
I classify this carol along with “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” as having a very confusing title. In order to understand the meaning we’ll have to dive into a little gramma… Read More
2022-11-22 16:10
Let me start out with the correct way to punctuate the title; it should be “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” So the title actually comprises two sentences. “Hark!” is a… Read More
2022-11-15 03:13
In a word: No. Why not? Because he was in a tuberculosis sanitarium. How weird and sad is that? Very. So, back in the winter of 1934, 33-year-old Richard Smith was sitting in his room at the… Read More
2022-10-09 22:25
Image by falco from Pixabay; do you recognize what story is being portrayed in this sculpture and how it relates to the concept of mercy?The choir to which I belong, the Cherry Creek Chorale… Read More
2022-10-02 22:41
Image by Avery Fan from PixabayI’m not really going to cover the millennia of this word’s usage; there are whole books on the subject. Instead, I’ll concentrate on the word… Read More
2022-09-29 02:25
Image from the website “The Expeditioner”The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoret… Read More
2022-09-17 01:53
Image by Tobias Hämmer from PixabayI’ve said this many times before and will say it again here: You just never know what you’re going to find when you start looking up infor… Read More
2022-09-01 20:43
“The Ritual Dance of the Shakers,” Shaker Historical Society, public domain, image accessed via Wikimedia Commons“I Will Be a Child of Peace” by Elaine Hagenberg offe… Read More
2022-08-27 00:18
Image accessed via website humanistseminarian.com; no attribution givenWho wrote the text of “Even When He Is Silent” and under what circumstances? Do these questions matter?
I b… Read More
2022-08-24 20:27
image accessed via zrstroope.comA Rich Vein of Influence
The “Z” stands for “Zane.” Just in case you’re wondering.
Now that we have that out of the way we can g… Read More
2022-08-19 23:33
Image accessed via Wikimedia Creative Commons, Piccadilly Square pictured as supporters celebrate VE Day, May 08, 1945. Photo taken by Sgt. James A. Spence, during his service in World War I… Read More
2022-08-19 23:33
Image accessed via Wikimedia Creative Commons, Piccadilly Square pictured as supporters celebrate VE Day, May 08, 1945. Photo taken by Sgt. James A. Spence, during his service in World War I… Read More
2022-05-06 21:05
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve finished a new book, this one on the Mass for Peace/Armed Man Mass by the contemporary British composer Karl Jenkins. This work is still hugely… Read More
2022-05-04 21:47
Introduction to the work and its composer Dan Forrest
Image accessed via ixabay.My first experience with a Forrest composition/arrangement came in 2014 when my choir, the Cherry Creek Choral… Read More
2022-04-09 15:42
Come back by noon on Monday, April 10 if you’re seeing this message. You’d be surprised at how much there is to say about this seemingly-simple song! (Well, if you’re a fai… Read More
2022-04-06 23:15
Original sheet music cover accessed via Wikipedia; no, this isn’t the actual Jeanie.Poor Stephen Foster! He wrote a romantic song about his wife and it’s been turned into endless… Read More
2022-04-04 16:51
The New Jerusalem. Armenian manuscript by Malnazar and Aghap’ir in New Julfa bible, 1645; accessed via Wikimedia Commons.There are so many areas of interest implicit in this brief arra… Read More
2022-03-29 07:00
The poem by James Agee has inspired several composers to set it to music. In this post I discuss two of the versions, but first I have to talk about the text itself.
WARNING: INTENSE LITER… Read More
2022-03-28 07:00
Image by Mystic Art Design from PixabayThe lyrics to this piece come from the contemporary poet Charles A. Silvestri, who “specializes in providing bespoke poetry for choral composer… Read More
2022-03-27 07:00
“Deep River,” like “My God Is a Rock,” belongs in the category of slow, quiet spirituals. These songs of despair and hope were sometimes forbidden by slaveowners or o… Read More
2022-03-25 07:00
This seems like a pretty simple question, doesn’t it? But let me tell you, it isn’t! I’ve done lots of trolling the internet looking for answers and come across some pret… Read More
2022-03-18 20:37
Just ran across this on YouTube–so beautiful!
The post John Rutter’s “Prayer for Ukraine” appeared first on Behind the Music Read More
2022-03-03 02:45
Cover of cast recording, accessed via Wikipedia and used here in accordance with fair use guidelines.What would you say about a career that started with a chance encounter in an advertising… Read More
2022-02-25 02:34
Image by Aline Berry from PixabayI am reminded of this quotation: “It is not enough to be right. You must prevail.” Let me rephrase that wording to fit here: “It is not eno… Read More
2022-02-21 23:36
Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayI’ve had this experience many times: I get my new music for an upcoming concert with my choir, the Cherry Creek Chorale, take a look, and see composer… Read More
2022-02-11 03:15
Actress Giulietta Masina in Nights of Cabiria; licensed under Creative Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcodeThe Sourcing
The Broadway musical Sweet Charity opened… Read More
2022-02-08 02:25
Image by StockSnap from PixabayIt’s an unusual concert at which there will be in attendance two composers of the music being performed. It’s even more unusual to have one of thos… Read More
2022-01-24 19:16
A Commissioning Conundrum
Image by Stefan Keller from PixabayWell, that title is a bit misleading. I actually have quite a bit of information about how this whole process works. One big sour… Read More
2022-01-07 00:08
Image by Fotoauge from PixabayOh my goodness. As I’ve said before in these posts, a huge plus for me as I research and write about the texts, composers and backgrounds of the programme… Read More
2021-12-15 20:00
Not terribly inaccurate! Image accessed from https://donnagawell.com/2020/12/17/away-in-a-manger-at-migdal-eder/; no attribution given.I never want with these posts to make musical texts les… Read More
2021-11-30 18:08
Image by falco from Pixabay. Kind of a cool contemporary stained-glass depiction of the angels and shepherds.Let me start out by questioning the very supposition in the above title: did the… Read More
2021-11-23 18:00
So, to begin, let me just say, once again, with feeling, that the Magi did not come to the stable. The Gospel of Matthew 2:11 says, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with hi… Read More
2021-11-21 12:38
Note the nicety of the double question mark, please!
Okay. If you’ve ever thought about it at all, didn’t you assume that this Christmas carol was along the lines of an old folk… Read More
2021-11-19 02:46
Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayYet another of my many posts that starts out with the words “I assumed,” as in “I assumed that the ‘Bell Carol’ was a traditio… Read More
2021-11-13 22:43
I’ve written quite a bit about Hanukkah in previous posts, specifically about the significance of latkes as traditional food during this holiday and about the meaning of the… Read More
2021-11-10 22:25
Image by marian anbu juwan from PixabayO-o-o-o-h man! Are there ever going to be some deep theological highways and byways in this post. So hang on and let’s get started with this wond… Read More
2021-11-02 00:00
I remember back in elementary school being teased a bit by some Jewish classmates about the superiority of Hanukkah over Christmas: “You only have one day to get presents, but we ha… Read More
2021-11-01 23:06
This image represents copy C, object 8 of Blake’s original poem, currently held by the Library of Congress, public domain.Let’s start with the author of the text, William Blake… Read More
2021-11-01 00:00
First question: Why is the pictured lamp stand more authentic and correct as a part of the Hanukkah celebration than the usual candelabra?
Answer: Because the whole story of Ha… Read More
2021-10-13 18:12
. . . We have done that which is our duty to do” (Luke 17:10).
Note: This post was originally written in April 2016 and has now been updated.
I’m not going to try to give the f… Read More
2021-09-27 15:26
In other words, is there a true story behind the musical? And of course there is, and it’s much more interesting than the plot that could be crammed onto the stage or into a film. (Not… Read More
2021-09-20 19:00
Image by Lukas Bieri from PixabayI think this is the second time I’ve had a double question mark in a post title. Always up for a grammatical challenge, that’s me. (That’s… Read More
2021-09-13 23:58
Image by Anastasia Gepp from PixabayThis post may come across as rather self-indulgent, but I thought it might be helpful for followers of this blog to read about my long and frustrating exp… Read More
2021-09-13 23:58
Image by Anastasia Gepp from PixabayThis post may come across as rather self-indulgent, but I thought it might be helpful for followers of this blog to read about my long and frustrating exp… Read More
2021-09-06 22:48
This is the cover art for Bohemian Rhapsody. The cover art copyright is believed to belong to the record label or the graphic artist(s). This low-res image was provided to Wikipedia and is u… Read More
2021-08-29 22:00
Image accessed via Wikipedia.The long road to this song started with a novel, State Fair by Phil Strong, written in 1932. Its unifying event is . . . wait for it . . . the three days of the… Read More
2021-08-18 22:50
Image by DEZALB from PixabayOne of the greatest pleasures for me in writing these music posts lies in finding out about choral composers who are active today. Yes, it’s always rewardin… Read More
2021-07-28 22:00
Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Eldest son of Prince James Francis Edward Stuart. Painted by William Mosman around 1750; accessed via Wikipedia.I’ve written about the history of conflict… Read More
2021-07-27 22:01
Image accessed via the “Why Donegal?” Facebook page; no source given.We know this because it has so many different versions, points of origin, and people claiming to have had a p… Read More
2021-07-22 21:34
By Unknown author – Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons. Shakers dancing.It seems a little unfair that the word “Shakers” nowadays calls up only a furniture style and, probabl… Read More
2021-07-01 21:02
Image by William Adams from Pixabay–these are obviously costumed actors/dancers, but they are quite true to the Romantic idea of this people group.In May 2013 the community choir to wh… Read More
2021-04-15 02:17
Image by ponderconnect from PixabayGood question! Do you mean the place, the actual isle or island? Or do you mean the song? Or perhaps the poem? As you can see, it’s complicated.
Let… Read More
2021-03-12 23:22
Image by Colin Ross from PixabayAs you know if you’ve read many of the posts on this site, I love tracking down the origins of creative works. So “The Promise of Living” fr… Read More
2021-03-06 00:02
Robert Frost in 1941; image accessed via WikipediaIntroduction
This will be very long for a blog post/article but too short for a whole separate book, so note the Table of Contents box above… Read More
2021-02-19 20:00
Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayI have to say that I hadn’t realized what a fruitful source of lyrics for choral music Walt Whitman has been until I started writing this article. My… Read More
2021-02-17 22:18
Image by falco from PixabayThere’s approximately ONE TON of information that I could include in this article, ranging from Gregorian chant to early American shape-note singing to the g… Read More
2021-02-05 19:25
“Orpheus and Eurydice” by Anselm Feuerbach, accessed via Wikimedia Commons, public domainIt has been fascinating to read about the life of Johannes Brahms, and his late compositi… Read More
2021-01-27 21:35
English: Portion of title page of Guys and Dolls, Libretto and Vocal book, printed by Music Theatre International, 1978.First, let’s define a few terms that will help along the way in… Read More
2021-01-26 18:00
Image by StockSnap from PixabayAnd they are: Eric Whitacre, one of today’s most popular American composers of classical choral music, and Octavio Paz, Nobel-Prize-winning poet, essayis… Read More
2021-01-22 21:06
Original Broadway poster, 1949, accessed via WikipediaAnd the answer is: racial prejudice. If you don’t know the plot of this musical and think it’s just something lighthearted… Read More
2021-01-21 20:51
Image by Hans Braxmeier from PixabayI’ve had the privilege of singing a piece titled “Beautiful In His Time” by the American composer/arranger Dan Forrest, which uses a pas… Read More
2021-01-19 03:17
Image accessed via https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/whistle-down-the-wind.htmlI am, of course, referring to the song from the musical by Andrew Lloyd Weber that premiered in 1996 and has… Read More
2021-01-14 23:32
National Guard troops guarding the US Capitol building, Jan. 13, 2021, accessed via bbc.com.Do you want to know my clearest memory of this piece? My choir had scheduled it for a March 2013 c… Read More
2021-01-11 21:57
“The Blessed Damozel” by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, accessed via Wikimedia Commons, public domainEight years ago, in early 2013. I was well into my first season of singing with the… Read More
2020-12-17 23:16
no image attribution given on the website https://www.manmadediy.com/Oh my goodness! If you’ve read many of my posts on this site you’re probably familiar with my saying, “… Read More
2020-10-29 16:38
Image by Ioannis Ioannidis from PixabayUntil I sang this gorgeous and poignant piece with the Cherry Creek Chorale back in the spring of 2017 I had never heard of Houston Bright, a prolific… Read More
2020-10-28 16:17
This is another one of those endlessly variable folk songs with about a hundred verses. You might ask, though, “Okay, but who’s the ‘she’ who’s comin’ ro… Read More
Subscribe to Intentional Living
Get updates delivered right to your inbox!