So this week I want to introduce you to a 21st century choral piece called Northern Lights by Norwegian composer/pianist Ola Gjeilo. It’s incredible. The text is the Latin Pulchra es amica mea, from Song of Solomon (in the Bible). Here is an English translation: Thou art beautiful, O my love,sweet and comely as Jerusalem,terrible as an army set in […]
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The violin is a string instrument widely used since its development in 16th century Italy. From that point on, composers have written incredible music for this instrument in solo and group form. Let’s explore some of that music in today’s post. Bach Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor In 1720, Johann Sebasian Bach composed […]
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Last week we talked about Renaissance music, so today I’m going to introduce you to Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis and his choral motet Spem in alium. An English composer who lived from around 1505-1585, Thomas Tallis is considered one of England’s greatest composers. Not much is known about his early life, but he was probably […]
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Following the Medieval Era’s end around 1400, the Renaissance Era lasted for about two centuries. Historians tend to disagree on when exactly Renaissance music became standard, but it wasn’t until many decades after Renaissance art and literature started that music began to change. Like the visual and literary arts, Renaissance music reflected characteristics of human development including […]
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I heard the bells on Christmas DayTheir old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet The words repeatOf peace on earth, good-will to men!And thought how, as the day had come,The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The […]
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This week I’d like to talk about another favorite Christmas carol, The First Noel. The origin of the melody is unknown, although historians know the tune dates back to at least the 17th century. Some even argue it originated in France during the 15th century and was brought to England in the 17th century by troubadours […]
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One of my favorite Christmas carols is Silent Night. I love the way the lyrics describe the nativity scene, and the music itself is quite beautiful. This led me to wonder about the history of the song. If you liked my arrangement, click here to download the sheet music for free! The very first performance of Silent Night […]
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“Three lullabies for my sorrows.” That’s how Johannes Brahms (German pianist composer who lived from 1833-1897; read more about him here) described his op. 117. Written in the summer of 1892, op. 117 consists of three piano pieces categorized as – and named – Intermezzi (Brahms titled many of his pieces Intermezzo, which is defined as […]
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This is the best time of year. Thanksgiving is next week, and when is a better time to start being thankful for Jesus’s birth? 🙂 The only music I’ve been listening to lately is Christmas music, so today I’d like to share with you a favorite holiday album of mine – Christmas Rhapsody by pianist-composer John Bayless. For his […]
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In 2013, composer John Luther Adams premiered his contemporary orchestral work Become Ocean. The piece won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and a Grammy in 2015 for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. Become Ocean was inspired by the oceans in the Pacific Northwest (particularly that of Alaska, where Adams lived for much of his life). The name was […]
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