Strange angels in the sky
interrupt this lonely night
singing peace on earth
but what’s that worth
when they sing it from the sky?

No angel will never know
what it’s like living below
they sing of birth
but that just means more hurt
as another woman cries

Born under a silent star
Live under a silent star
Die under a silent star,
a million miles away.

2,000 years passed since that night
and the only light that fills the sky
are rockets red glare
and bombs bursting in air
under the gaze of satellite
above this maze with restless eye.

Born under a silent star
Live under a silent star
Die under a silent star,
a million miles away.
A silent star, while all the angels sing:

Gloria, Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

Prayer (On My Darkest Days), MP3

The thing I like about this song is that it stretches the boundaries of song form. It goes all over the place, but never loses its way. The problem is that it is an absolute bear to play. The poor cello and viola fill in for bass and guitar, with rhythmic double stops that form the backbone of the groove. The violins have solos and fiddle rhythms. And then everyone has to stop on a dime and nail delicate harmonics. It’s a wonder they didn’t walk out on me when I passed out the music!

Take a listen to a work in progress: Palestrina, MP3.

PS – If you’re wondering why I keep composing given the fact that I’m dwarfed by people like Palestrina, it is best summarized by Henry van Dyke: “The woods would be very silent if no bird sang except the best.”

I received my compositional indoctrination during the day, and played my guitar around town at night. In fact, this was when I first began writing music for guitar and string quartet, trying to find ways of composing music that were artful but also accessible. During these years of musical tension, I often wrote songs that explored the questions that kept turning in my mind. And the question in this case was, “Have I Gone Too Far?“

As any patron of these pages knows, I am nothing if not eclectic. (I’m still trying to figure out if that’s a feature or a flaw.) Over the years, I’ve written a number of things for strings that combine classical sensibilities with rock/pop/jazz/global aesthetics. Sometimes this has taken the form of compositions for string quartet alone (6, Jig), and at other times the strings are layered into a band (Dreaming). But what interests me most is a hybrid somewhere in the middle. Last week, Allegro and I made four rough recordings of songs we’ve been working on. Each one crosses genres in some way.

First up is “I’ll be Around.” This is a pretty straight ahead jazz tune, and I could imagine Bing Crosby singing it in a 1950s TV special. But this rendition is Bing-less, with me on vocals and guitar as the quartet switches between a tight-harmony solo, pizzacato, and a verse in which they throw themes back and forth between them. The tempo marking says it all: “coy and cute.” Take a listen to I’ll Be Around, MP3.

I wanted to make the song something that would fit well thematically and make sense to the teens who will be watching the movie, but not something so specifically tennis-oriented that I’d never be able to use it again. (I learned my lesson with the TopGolf theme song.)

I present to you “Be Your Everything,” sung by Laura Stapert. (I decided her 16-year-old voice would be a lot more convincing than mine.) Normally, I link directly to an MP3 hear at my music blog, but this time I’m going to make you follow an external link to hear the song (and watch the trailer) because I want you to vote for the song!

http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/96229/voteable_entries/16824070?ogn=facebook&order=recency

This new song started as an email from a music library that needed a song about sleeping or dreaming for a commercial. I thought to myself, “Surely I couldn’t find the time to write a song for this opportunity–I’m trying to finish a commission for orchestra by Monday evening.” But by the time I arrived at work Thursday morning I was already turning over ideas in my mind. One thing led to another, and I soon had finished a dreamy, stream of consciousness Nick Drake-ish love song for my one and only.

One of the things I’m excited about on this recording is that it marks the first fruits of my budding collaboration with the Allegro String Quartet. The women of ASQ and I have been reading through some of my quartet music–both legit and pop–and I’m pleased that we were able to capture this one while it was still fresh. Take a listen to When I’m Dreaming, and stay tuned for more recordings from us in the near future.

By the way, if you’re worried about Amy and the paperboy, don’t be. She redeemed herself later in the evening with a lovely blogpost revealing where her true affections lie.

In honor of Simon’s recent perfect score on a Word Masters test, in celebration of the word fleeting, and in memory of a youthful Greg who was more influenced by the Psychedelic Furs than he knew at the time, here is the Amphibians performing Maria.

But thanks to long time collaborator Colin Gordon-Farleigh, the song has taken on a new, international life. Colin gave the song to fellow Brit Jennifer Douglas (who sang our “If Only I Had Wings”) and Aussie producer Darren Mullan. Between the two of them, they’ve created a spot on dance hit. Go to CDBaby and buy the MP3 before the price go up! (If you’re too cheap to put out $0.99 for the full MP3, you can preview the song for free.)

I, being true to my city, will not squander my skills on any other metropolitan area (even if they are offering a $150 worth of gift certificates to restaurants that are in driving distance). No, my heart is loyal to Grand Rapids, where citizens are joining together as one to extol their fine city’s virtues.

And that, my friends, is why I am contributing my new song “Google Me!” to the cause. I’m pretty sure that when the flash mob creates a human network on Marcy 19, they’re going to need some music. Here it is. Get dancing. And when people start shooting their videos, this is the soundtrack with the sizzle. And when Google rolls into town with its blazing fast network, Grand Rapids will sing one joyous, high speed chorus of “Google Me!”

Listen to the MP3 or download the higher quality AIF file.