Author: mystro2b

Can’t Wait (Live) by Big Audio Dynamite II.

I love this unique mix of dubbed and live material. Pulling this track out of context from the whole of this experimental album is probably a mistake. Hence the abrupt end. The entire album is worth another listen.

Devlin’ by David Grisman.

Great driving music. Just great anytime. Jazz + bluegrass + gypsy folk + funky time signature= magic.

Bury Me Beneath the Willow by Skaggs and Rice.

Please play this at my funeral. Guitar and mandolin are a must; a cappella would be ok if the harmony is as pure and perfect as this recording. No need to bury me beneath an actual willow.

Christus surrexit by Jacob Handl (1550-1591) sung by The Compline Choir

Today is Easter Day. Christus surrexit is an anthem by Renaissance composer Jacob Handl, as sung by The Compline Choir on Easter 2019 during a service at St. Mark’s Cathedral here in Seattle.

Every Sunday night for over 65 years, The Compline Choir has been singing the *Office of Compline in the beautiful acoustic of St. Mark’s Cathedral. I joined the choir in September 2012, and sing Compline every Sunday night at 9:30pm. But today, I will not be singing with my fellow choir members. Due to the Coronavirus, public church services have been cancelled and we are only allowed to sing to an empty cathedral with one or two singers on a part. The choir will be broadcast on radio and online, but we will not be able to sing with our usual number of 22 singers this Easter Day. It’s a difficult time for all choirs and people who typically gather to worship on Sunday. I hope this anthem will bring you joy on this special day.

Compline has developed a lasting popularity of almost mythical proportions, unlike any other worship event in the Pacific Northwest. The service continues to attract a diverse congregation upwards of 300 people, who come to sit in the quiet and dimly lit nave, to listen to words and music, and to be renewed and comforted by this ancient liturgical office. Classical KING-FM 98.1 estimates that 10,000 or more listen to weekly radio or internet broadcasts. The reasons behind the success and popularity of Compline are difficult to pinpoint. The choir sang to an empty church at first. However, a congregation blossomed in the 1960s—during the age of the flower children—when Eastern religions began influencing Western thought, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

https://www.complinechoir.org/about/history/

*Compline is the last of the daily Divine Hours, which are also called the “offices”, and known, especially inside Benedictine monasteries, as the “work of God” or Opus Dei (not to be confused with the group of the same name).  In Christian monasteries, monks or nuns chant up to eight of these offices during the course of a day, and Compline is recited at the end of the day before going to sleep. https://complineunderground.wordpress.com/about/

K-Twist by Kenny Burrel.

That unmistakeable guitar tone. This song is the cure for any depression you may be feeling. Listen while you take a walk outside in nature. Move it!

Christ lag en Todesbanden- ensemble orlando fribourg by Ensemble Orlando Fribourg. Cantata BWV #4 by J.S. Bach

Today is Good Friday. Translated “Christ lay in death’s bonds” this is a setting of the Easter Hymn by Martin Luther from Bach’s Cantata BWV 4. Listen in a quiet place. Take notice of Bach’s use of dramatic effects in the strings and voices. This performance by EOF is truly stunning.

Christ lag in Todes Banden is a chorale cantata, a style in which both text and music are based on a hymn. In this instance, the source was Martin Luther‘s hymn of the same name, the main hymn for Easter in the Lutheran church. The composition is based on the seven stanzas of the hymn and its tune, which was derived from Medieval models. Bach used the unchanged words of a stanza of the chorale in each of the seven vocal movements, in the format of chorale variations per omnes versus (for all stanzas), and he used its tune as a cantus firmus. After an opening sinfonia, the variations are arranged symmetrically: chorus–duet–solo–chorus–solo–duet–chorus, with the focus on the central fourth stanza about the battle between Life and Death. All movements are in E minor, and Bach achieves variety and intensifies the meaning of the text through many musical forms and techniques.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_lag_in_Todes_Banden,_BWV_4

Landed by Ben Folds.

I’m not usually one for piano ballads, but this one is so tender, thoughtful, and honest. The opening arpeggios create a wistful feeling for me every time I hear it along with Ben’s voice. So I made it the ringtone for my son when he calls. Happy birthday Luke on this one hundredth day of the year. I am so proud of you and love you so much. Call me!

Born Under a Bad Sign by Albert King.

I intentionally put this song on this day because it was going to be Blues Night at my school and our in house Blues Band made up of parents and teachers would play this song, yours truly on lead vocals. But, sadly, the event had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. We have so many talented parents and musicians who come out for this night, it is such a thrill for me to play along with these folks. One of my favorite parts of the evening is when we get the audience to write an original blues song. Families write down some lyrics using the familiar 12 bar blues form; bring their words up to the stage. Then we make up songs on the spot using their lyrics. I give the band a key, and blues background pattern we’ve agreed upon in advance such as a shuffle, slow blues, or fast shuffle and then go for it! Their song comes to life with a live band.

Just Like Heaven by The Cure.

The song of our 80s generation. Imagine me dancing to this song awkwardly with my friends…that might ruin the song for you. Sorry.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles.

Nothing like it. That keyboard is a Lowrey Organ that creates that harpsichord-celeste-guitar sound.