Yesterday we travelled across Kansas to Abilene and Stockton to do sacred concerts in AM and PM services. A long day of travelling, but a great blessing to meet new fellow believers and make new friends.
Ellis Murphree posted some kind thoughts on the morning service in Abilene on his blog. Click here to read. Thanks, Ellis. 
Here’s the audio file for my other new Beckenhorst anthem, Carol of Joy. Text is by Eileen Berry, and it’s nothing short of exquisite. This isn’t an easy anthem, musically or textually, but I hope it’s a work whose substance will bear repeated listening and thought. Feel free to post your reactions- is it too “artsy” for church use? I’m curious what people will think…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Here’s the Beckenhorst Spring 2007 demo recording of The Friendly Beasts (SATB, piano, and alto recorder [although flute will also work]). Received an Editor’s Choice from JW Pepper.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Here’s the audio of Arise Shine. The recording doesn’t really capture the warm, well-balanced sound of the hall, because the mic was mounted over the conductor (in the line of fire of the brass!), instead of out in the hall. But it’s still an exciting recording…
NOTE: To help me avoid any copyright problems, please don’t download (i.e. “save”) this file- just listen to it here as much as you want. Thanks!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
, Carnegie Hall, Feb 11, 2007
Arise Shine got its third performance today, from the Shawnee Mission East Choraliers at their state large ensemble competition…with me at the piano! I greatly enjoyed accompanying them- I haven’t gotten to really accompany a choir for a long time now. Besides the wonderful feeling of collaborating/supporting/decorating 100+ voices that sing as one, the other wonderful part was being on the front side of Tracy Resseguie as he conducts…
I respect composers immensely, knowing what goes into their craft: the requisite knowledge of so many things in so many areas (that’s another post). But I respect conductors, in a certain sense, even more- because I can’t do what they do. Oh yes, I can beat patterns, give cutoffs, etc….but conductors like Tracy can SING and SHOUT and WEEP and draw out what they want, without making a sound. That’s an art that’s beyond me. I haven’t been on the conducting side of a Warren Cook choir yet- I have no doubt it’s really something…but being on the conducting side of a Tracy Resseguie choir is amazing. Tracy not only is a consummate musician, but he knows how to communicate what he wants to a group of 100 high schoolers who (most would expect) would otherwise give a rip about Music Making. But because Tracy not only knows how to make music, but also how to show his vision to others, and entice them to join the music-making, they go along with him. And they reap the thrilling reward of truly bringing music to LIFE each time they perform- not just reading notes and rhythms and words and dynamics “correctly”. And once they experience it, who wouldn’t want to join in? They’ve tasted what it is to truly make music, and of course they come back at Tracy’s beckon, every time he asks for it, because they want more of that.
I haven’t seen many high schoolers who have gotten to taste that kind of music-making. To the Choraliers, I say, thank the Lord you have Mr. Resseguie! And to Tracy, I say, thanks again for commissioning this piece… (and bring me the Carnegie Hall recording tomorrow!
(Yes, that’s a hint to other readers…the recording has finally come back from NY… I hope to post it soon, along with my two Beckenhorst spring anthems…)
Well, my trip to Arizona came and went, without any live blogging- my apologies. Part of the reason was lack of internet connection…and when I was at a hotel with an internet connection, Addy and I both ended up with a stomach virus. (Not fun- Addy’s still not fully better!)
We had a grand time (pun intended) both musically and vacationally, though. The West Valley Chorale was wildly enthusiastic (I think that’s a fair assessment!) about the Three Nocturnes, although they admitted they had to grow to like them, after being unsure at first hearing. But I’m glad when that happens- I feel like I helped “stretch” their ears and tastes in a healthy way. The choir sang with great enthusiasm, and the percussion parts went quite well. (Although, I learned that bowed crotales [subject of previous post!] are much louder than one might expect, if the bow gets going correctly; I had to change the dynamic from mf to p!) The free sections and wind noises in the first movement worked for a wonderful effect; the staccatos in the second movement really came off well; and the third movement came together with the drama that I had hoped for.
Roberta Van Ness (Hinshaw Prez) came with her family, and we got to enjoy a nice chat with her again at the first reception, along with lots of pictures and signings and things. Then the second reception (sounds like “second breakfast” to all you Hobbits!) was a smaller gathering with more relaxed, kicked-back socializing.
Amidst all that, we rented a Jeep Liberty (still a Jeep…cool!) and ran off to the Grand Canyon. The beauty of the drive up there, through cactus-filled deserts, scrubby wilderness, and gorgeous mountains was surpassed only by the arrival at the South Rim of the Canyon. It’s hard to know how to sum up my response. One way might be to say that if you took 1/1000th of the view at any given moment in time and place along the South Rim, it’d be absolutely breathtaking. To see all that can been seen at once at any given moment, is “beyond words” in a way that completely shatters any previous way I may have used that phrase.
Anyway…we’re back home now, done with our big trips for the semester. Looking forward to moving on!
The proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” is now behind me, and we’re now officially in the transition period back to BJU. Today I officially submitted the final version of my dissertation, along with all the other required paperwork, etc. Things left to do:
I should be able to post some updates from Arizona this weekend, and I’ll definitely post a summary and some pictures when we get back…
I passed my dissertation defense. The degree is complete. The Lord has done great things, whereof we are glad!
Here’s the Fruit of the Spirit audio, from Chorister’s Guild’s demo CD- posted here with permission from Chorister’s Guild.
Note that the choral style is intentionally a “hybrid” sound, somewhere between adult-choir sound and youth-choir sound, since Chorister’s Guild’s primary aim is for youth choirs, but many adult choirs use their music too.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
