I start my training today. "Training for what?" you ask. We'll see, I'm not so sure myself...

Hymnish

Midst the late spring semester, the final project in Music Theory was to compose a tune with four-part harmony. Several restrictions applied; for example, it had to be eight measures long, it had to be major, it could have no accidentals. So I sat down one day and just started composing and when finished, (this composing went on for a few days, not one sitting) I had created a hymn-like tune I very much liked but in many ways would have to be altered (not fixed, mind you, becuase I like it just the way it is) so as to fit the assignment requirements. So I "filed" a copy of the original version and proceeded to alter version 2 for the class composition.

In memory of my first and then fairly recent trip to the Bruces (they were kind enough to open their home to my family as we (and they) attended the grand wedding of Emily Ritc- uh, Palmer, in which many memorable moments were created - some silly, some serious, all precious.) I named my tune (the original) Middle Glen, after their street. I chose this name because I could not settle on naming it after any one particular Bruce -- although, the more I think about it, "Jeeves" sounds like a great tune name. Word got around the Bruces that I was writing this hymn-like tune, and being the word-lover she is, I asked Caitlin to write words to my tune. Before A Very Long Time was over, she had put to my hymn, five verses of words, which are based on Micah 6:6-8.

About a month after my compositioning, Dan and I took a little road trip back to Middle Glen. Needless to say the weekend proved to be very very silly, and we had a good time (maybe a little understatement???) (Note: for those who are stup-- uninformed, this was the weekend I shaved my head. For more information on this highlight of my life visit here.) At some point during our stay, Aunt Lynn, Caitlin, Claire, Dan and I, putting to use the Bruce's recording stuff, recorded my hymn, which Caitlin and I later decided to name Micah's Offering.

Below is the recording (click on the title), the words, and the singers/parts. I must insert here a disclaimer for the singers. One particular chord in the hymn you may find trying to the ear. It is not the singer's fault, but rather, the composer's. If sung perfectly, the chord does sound fine, but the leading-up-to intervals, particularly for the bass, are very difficult if you are not familiar with them and have not practiced them. Hence, any dischord I take complete responsibility for, and I beg you to not base your judgement of the ability of these singers on this recording. Unless it is me of course, because I have sung each of the parts a billion times...almost.

Soprano Lynn and Claire
Tenor Andrew and Caitlin
Bass Dan

MICAH'S OFFERING
Micah 6:6-8

How shall I come before my Lord and seek His grace?
What good thing
May I bring
To buy my righteousness?

Will He accept a thousand rams, or spoils of war?
Streams of oil,
Fruits of toil,
Or wonders from afar?

What shall I give to pay this debt? My labor all?
Work of hands,
Wrung from lands,
To pay Him for my soul?

No, he hath shown to thee, O man, that which is good–
Works thine own
Can’t atone;
Only Jesus’ holy blood.

What doth thy God require of thee but to afford
Justice sure,
Mercies pure,
And walk humbly with the Lord?

ATTENTION BLUEGRASS FANATICS!!!

ATTENTION BLUEGRASS FANATICS!!!
I have discovered what I believe to be a bluegrass masterpiece by Mountain Heart. You ought to listen to it more than once because it might not hit you, so to speak, the first time. I think, though, after a few spins, you will admire its subtelty, not to mention the words - and last but not least, and possibly most importantly, the harmony. Here it is... Here I Am-Mountain Heart

The Many Faces of Baldity...

Walking Stories

A thought that I have had that will always amaze me is this. Every single person I see every day is a life just as complex as mine, just as real and just as involved as mine, each in its own way. each person has a story full of actual happenings, conflicts, successes, defeats, depressions, overcomings, - everything that constitutes living. There is one of these enormous stories that is unique and special for every person i see, every day, every where.

Heaven on Earth

William Billings is my favorite choral composer of all time. Considering my bias toward acappella hymn-like music, this may not be suprising. Billings was an early American composer from the American revolution era. Among hymnsingers he is probably best known for his compositions David's Lamentation and Africa.

Below I have several of his compositions performed by Paul Hillier's "His Majesties Clerkes." I hope you enjoy them, it is truly amazing stuff...

Is Any Afflicted
Emmaus
Jordan
Hear My Pray'r
David's Lamentation
As the Hart Panteth
Brookfield
The Lord is Ris'n

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUDREY!

Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born on May 4,1929 in Brussels, Belgium. Hepburn was acosmopolitan from birth as her father was an English banker and her mother a Dutch baroness. In the movies she appeared as a delicate adolescent, a look which remained until her last movie Always (1989) directed by Steven Spielberg. Her career as actress began in the English cinema and after having been selected for the Broadway musical "Gigi" she debuted in Hollywood in 1953. With Roman Holiday (1953) she won an oscar; her favorite genres were the comedies like Sabrina (1954) or Love in the Afternoon (1957). At the end of the sixties she retired from Hollywood but appeared from time on the set for a few films. From 1988 on she worked also for UNICEF.
http://imdb.com/name/nm0000030/bio

Did you that a High GPA will....

Last week, during an IM conversation with Queen Shenaynay, I was relating to her the woes of finals, and she couldn't help herself, so her family did. Below is a list of "What a high GPA will do for you" the Beehive put together for me, to somewhat humorously encourage me to finish the semester strong. Some of these are inside jokes, so if they do not all strike you as funny, fret not...

Did you know that a high GPA will...

-block spam?
-get you your own cellphone?
-make Louisiana smaller?
-make Saturdays longer?
-scare Chuck Norris?
-make you lifetime owner of Park Place and Boardwalk?
-prevent jagulars from dropping on you?
-add an octave to your range?
-make congregations follow your song-leading perfectly?
-give you sweet bowstaff skills?
-put a supermega hyper-positronic atom-smashing levitation force field (with bonus invisibility reticulator beams!) around your Honda?
-make Memphis closer to Dallas?
-make Starbucks cheaper?
-keep Woozles from stealing your honey?
-can get you a house with a bowling alley?
-come with an endless lifetime supply of iced tea?
-entice your neighbors to come out
once a week wearing geeky dark socks with their white sneakers and mow your yard in a semi-hypnotic state whilst singing showtunes and doing a synchronized high kick routine?
-prevent your chainmail from rusting?
-comes with an ipod?
-will keep peasants out of your moat?
-give you a manly swish in your kilt?
-make spinach wilt?
-get you better gas mileage?
-make you net all your shots effortlessly
-make your hair grow faster
-make you dream you're flying