Listening Recommendation: Vaughan Williams

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you well and healthy.
I was also looking forward to this week's performance, sharing the stage with our chorus (CSO Chorus led by their fearless leader Darrin Hassevoort), and choruses from Lee University and UTC. They bring so much energy and genuine love for singing, which are infectious and inspiring. This week, we were programmed to perform Ralph Vaughan William's choral work, Dona Nobis Pacem. Written after the First World War, this monumental work's primary purpose is to call for peace.

This work would've been a perfect music to experience together at a time like this, but a recording will have to fill the void for now.

Here is a recording of Dona Nobis Pacem I found on youtube that follows along a score.

Dona Nobis Pacem with score

Perhaps you can follow the score and witness Vaughan William's word paintings. Luckily, the text is in English! The most obvious example of word painting is at the beginning of the second movement (4:03), you will hear the drums followed by the trumpets, then the text choir enters: "Beat Beat Drums! Blow Bugles Blow!"

It is also important to notice the "mood" of the music compared to the text. For example, listen to how the composer orchestrates when the text "dona nobis pacem" ("grant us peace") appears throughout the work. Depending on how it is orchestrated, these 3 simple words can sound: hopeful, hopeless, desperate, angry,  anxious.

For further exploration, here are some videos of Dona Nobis Pacem by other composers.

Mozart Dona Nobis Pacem (music starts at 0:57)

Beethoven Dona Nobis Pacem from Missa Solemnis

Daniel Elder Dona Nobis Pacem


Happy listening and stay well!


Best,

Kayoko

Listening Recommendation: Walker

Dear Friends,
I hope this post finds you well.
This week, we were planning to present a beautiful and important work by an American composer George Walker (1922-2018). Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra was written in 1996, and Walker became the first African American composer to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music. This work is based on Walt Whitman's (1819-1892) Poem "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", an elegy written in response to President Abraham Lincoln's assassination in 1865.

I was very much looking forward to introducing soprano Susannah Biller to our audience with this work as well. Don't worry, I am planning to reprogram this work in the near future! You will also get to see and hear her on Tivoli Stage during next season's La Traviata as well.

Meanwhile, here is a recording of George Walker's Lilacs conducted by my teacher and mentor Timothy Russell.

Enjoy!
I'll check in with you again in a few days. Until then, stay healthy!

Best,
Kayoko

Disney in Concert

Dear Friends,
I hope you are healthy and enjoying your time with your loved ones.

This weekend, we were scheduled to present the Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time.

In early February, I received the scores and study videos, and I have been exploring the magic of Disney music. I have been looking forward to sharing this production with you and your family. While some of the music/movie (Lion King, The Little Mermaid, etc) were familiar to me, it was delightful to discover some wonderful scores that were new to me (Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, and Hercules). I am always amazed with the music's ability to enhance the drama and bring out the emotions of what is presented on the screen.  These wonderful and captivating musical scores do make the movies come alive by helping the audience feel what the characters are experiencing. We hope to present this magical production to you at a later date.

While I can't share the study videos with you, I thought I'd share two videos I found on YouTube. The first one is my son's favorite song from Frozen. (Don't worry, it's not Let it Go 😅) As I type this entry, it is raining outside with a forecast of thunderstorm all day. I share this song in hopes that the rain stops soon, and we get to enjoy some sunshine!

Frozen- In Summer

The next one was a "new-to-me" song from Tangled. I think it's rather fitting at the moment!

Tangled


Stay well, friends-

Best,

Kayoko

Book Recommendation: Copland

 

Dear Friends,

I hope this finds you well and healthy. I miss seeing you all at the concerts and sharing wonderful music with you.

I have been thinking of a way to keep connected with you during this unsettling times. I'll upload a post every few days to keep you engaged in music one way or the other. I hope to share some inspiring books, youtube links, and some of my own thoughts regarding music in the coming days and weeks.

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Since the mandate of social distancing began, I have been reading a lot of books. I revisited Aaron Copland's What to Listen for in Music, which I first read over 20 years ago during college. 

I highly recommend this book if you haven't already read it. Aaron Copland, one of the most prominent American composers of the 20th century, explains various elements of music: rhythm, harmony, melody, forms, etc. Also at the end of every chapter, he provides us with sample music for us to listen to. 

Here is a link to this book on amazon (please make sure you're using the "smile.amazon.com" to support your favorite organization- CSO!) :

Copland What to Listen for in Music

I hope this book inspires you to be an active listener at the next CSO concert you attend.

I will check in with you again in a few days. Until then, stay healthy!

Best,

Kayoko