Archive for December 2011
Go Down, Death
More than ten years ago, I began work on a new choral work based on a poem by American poet James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938) entitled Go Down, Death. This year, I got the chance to finish up this five-minute piece. Written in concerto style, this piece is for a cappella choir with a soprano soloist.…
Read MoreSongblog: Journey / Don’t Stop Believin’
“Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey is probably in the top tier of 80’s torch songs. Released in 1981 on Journey’s Escape album, it’s very much a part of pop culture, having been covered by numerous artists, featured in numerous movies and TV shows (The Wedding Singer, Family Guy, The Sopranos, Scrubs), and included as the…
Read MoreSongblog: Paul Simon / The Boy in the Bubble
Paul Simon’s 1986 album Graceland is often talked of as being one of the greatest pop albums of all time (by both Rolling Stone and Time Magazine, as well as others). Much of it was recorded in South Africa, with South African musicians, and showcases the cross-pollination of Paul’s pop-folk roots (beginning with his days…
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