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Art Music Church FAWM 2016 Live

The Shadows: Cello Septet for Tenebrae

If you follow this blog, you’ll know that two weeks in February were devoted to writing a new piece for Maundy Thursday. The composition accompanies seven Tenebrae (deepening of the shadows) readings, one movement for each reading. The service starts with seven cellos; one cello leaves after each movement until only a solo cello is left.

Unfortunately, something is lost in the describing and recording of the service. You’ll just have to trust me when I say that the readings, the candles, the music, and the darkness made for a very moving service. Above is a recording; at 32 minutes, I decided SoundCloud might make for easier listening. (If you’d rather download it, here’s the MP3.) Below is a list of the seven readings and the cellist who exited after the music:

The Shadow of Betrayal: Matthew 26:20-25 (Theo Scheer)
The Shadow of Desertion: Matthew 26:30-35 (Lois Nordling)
The Shadow of an Unshared Vigil: Matthew 26:36-46 (Karen Saupe)
The Shadow of Accusation: Matthew 27:11-14, 20-26 (Maria Poppen)
The Shadow of Crucifixion: Matthew 27:27-37 (Eve Clayton)
The Shadow of Death: Matthew 27:45-54 (Carolyn Muskens)
The Shadow of the Tomb: Matthew 27:57-60 (Josh Ruiter)

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FAWM 2016 Rock and/or Roll

Break Your Heart

If you keep up with this blog–and really, why wouldn’t you?–you know I committed to FAWM this year. (February Album Writing Month; 14 songs in 28 days.)

Seoul vocal booth

seoul_sarang_recording-small

On day 28 I realized that I had one more song to finish. (I did not realize it was a leap year, which would have given me an extra day.) The problem was that I was in Seoul, Korea, at a conference. I had tracks for a song, but no lyrics. So I sat down in one of the sessions and ignored the speaker the best I could while working on finishing words for the song. Then I found a quiet conference room at the end of a long hallway where I recorded the vocals in one take and uploaded the song to FAWM with 1% of my battery charge remaining. Welcome to the exciting, do or die life of songwriting.

This is part of my ongoing obsession with writing neo 80s songs. It is perhaps not my finest moment as a lyricist or mixer, but I like the basic idea enough that I may revisit it at some point.

Forever, for never? For pleasure, for pain?
For whom is the balance tipping, and which way?
If we knew then what we know now,
would we have both just walked away?

I never would have hurt you if we never let it start.
We were safe until we let it go that far.
Wounds that heal together or histories told in scars.
How can it be love if it doesn’t break your heart?

Soulmate or playmate or something in between?
Who knows who we will turn out to be?
Lover or mother or a little bit of both?
Until we jump in, full skin, we will never know.

Waiting for charity–Ubi caritas–
paralyzed between the science and the art.
If we wait on charity we’ll wait until death do us part. [We’re doomed from the start.]
How can it be love if it doesn’t break your heart?

N.b. You’ll notice a discrepancy between the lyrics above and the recorded vocal track. When I went to record the song I realized to my dismay that the verse wasn’t double couplets. I quickly cut and edited to make it fit.

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Art Music Church FAWM 2016 Finale demo

Tenebrae: The Shadow of the Tomb

It is finished. This is the last of the 7 movements. In this solo movement, I recapitulate many of the themes that have appeared in previous movements, hopefully in a way that is suggestive of what’s gone on before rather than an overbearing repetition.

Once again, the Finale playback leaves much to be desired, so feel free to fire up your musical imagination and read it directly from the score: PDF. I’m sure I’ll post a recording of the service itself. We had our first rehearsal today, and even though there were lots of rough spots, it had the seeds of something really wonderful.

tenebraeThe Shadow of the Tomb: Matthew 27:57-60
57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away.

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Art Music Church FAWM 2016 Finale demo

Tenebrae: The Shadow of Death

With only two cellos (down from the original 7 of the first movement) the musical options in this 6th movement are quite restricted. I had to focus on texture rather than harmony. The musical gesture that gives this movement its character is the portamento, a slight slide between notes. I first heard the possibilities of two cellos portamento-ing in Beth Orton’s “She Cries Your Name”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFZc4ax4tJs(music video) or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TnH52SkOdo (live). (Of course, there are also the famous sliding basses of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side”:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KaWSOlASWc).

tenebraeUnfortunately, Finale playback conveys nothing of the portamento, so it just sounds like a string of notes. Sigh… If you want to read along, imagining the whole movement unfolding like a musical sigh, here’s the score: PDF.

The Shadow of Death: Matthew 27:45-54
45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.54 Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

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Art Music Church FAWM 2016 Finale demo

Tenebrae: The Shadow of Crucifixion

At first glance, this 5th movement of my Tenebrae cello composition may seem mismatched with its scripture. Why such beautiful, lilting music for story of the crucifixion?

A few reasons.tenebrae

First, you can only dramatize a story so far with music. The whole narrative of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion is gut wrenching. If each movement tries to push the drama further, it can quickly become cartoonish. Instead, I chose to focus on the crown of thorns and the phrase, “Hail, King of the Jews.” In both cases, what was meant as an insult, was in fact the truth. Jesus is the King of all creation, even when crowned with thorns. Like the last verse of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” I want to give beauty and dignity to the crown of thorns, weaving musical themes together like the strands of the crown.

If you want to verify my counterpoint, take a look at the score: PDF

The Shadow of Crucifixion: Matthew 27:27-37
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36 then they sat down there and kept watch over him. 37 Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

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Art Music Church FAWM 2016 Finale demo Hymn tunes

Tenebrae: The Shadow of Desertion

The 2nd movement of my Maundy Thursday piece for cellos. Since the text  begins with “when they had sung the hymn,” I decided to give this movement a hymn-like structure–very simple rhythms with a singable melody. Of course, the harmonies are more biting than the average hymn. Take a look: PDF.

tenebraeThe Shadow of Desertion: Matthew 26:30-35
30 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written,
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 Peter said to him, “Though all become deserters because of you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples.

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Art Music Church FAWM 2016 Finale demo

Tenebrae: The Shadow of Betrayal

One of the most powerful services of the church year is the Tenebrae service on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week. It is a sequence of solemn readings from the last scenes of Jesus’ life as he descends toward the cross. One of the things that gives the service such impact is that after each reading, one of seven candles is extinguished until the sanctuary is left in total darkness.

I’ve always wanted to compose a piece for seven musicians to accompany this service, with a movement of music to follow each scripture reading. After each reading, one musician at a time will turn off his/her light and leave the stage. By the 7th reading, only one musician will remain. This year, due to an abundance of cellos at the church, I finally have my chance to implement this decade long idea and am writing a piece for cello septet.

Here is a rough draft of movement #1, based on Matthew 26:20-25: When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; 21 and while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” 25 Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” He replied, “You have said so.”

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FAWM 2016 Quirky Rock and/or Roll

Banana Hook

Behold: the banana hook

The other day I was shopping for some kitchen stuff when I came across a banana hook. These things are awesome, because they let you hang your bananas to ripen like they do in their natural habitat, resulting in perfect, evenly ripened bananas.

My enthusiasm soon turned into song.

My first impulse was to make it a lounge lizard song extolling the virtues of various kitchen tools, from the point of view of a guy who thinks it would impress the ladies. But it soon morphed into a joyous surf rock romp. I especially love how the lyrics feel slightly naughty, as if there’s a double entendre. (There’s not.)

I’ve got a banana hook,
and I know how to use it.
Baby, won’t you take a look,
take a look at me?

‘Cause with my banana hook,
and the way I use it,
I ripen my bananas
so evenly.

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FAWM 2016 Rock and/or Roll

Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself

One of the great things about FAWM (February Album Writing Month; http://fawm.org/) is that encourages you to just write. You’ve got to write fast enough (14 songs in 28 days) that you can’t second guess yourself. (Is this a great idea, or merely good? Will this come across as melodramatic? Is this my style? Etc.) The looming deadline encourages you to experiment and risk failure.

Which brings us to today’s post. One part Michael Bublé, two parts Barry Manilow, and all sad, it’s not my typical fare. That’s alright. It’s February Album Writing Month.

(Special thanks to Maria Poppen for laying down the heart-wrenching violin tracks.)

Quiet as midnight in your little home
A table for two for a party of one.
You’re still not sure where it all went wrong
All you know is you’re alone.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
‘Cause you can’t stop this at all.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

Can’t stop the rain from coming down.
Can’t stop the dirt turning to mud
Can’t stop the pain from soaking into your soul.
Can’t stop thinking about love (but you can)

Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
‘Cause you can’t stop this at all.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself.

 

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Church Congregational Songs FAWM 2016 Hymn tunes

Rhyme or Reason

I was challenged to write music for a somewhat irregularly metered hymn text based on Ecclesiastes. (Okay, not directly challenged, but I accepted it as such.) Since the text talked about stretching and striving, I thought this rising melodic figure (with a chromatically descending bass) fit the them quite well.

The author commented that he could hear the cast of Fiddler on the Roof singing it. I’m unsure whether I should take that as a compliment or not…

If you want to revel in the nitty gritty of the musical details, see this PDF.