My Passion: Music
"All things are mine, since I am loved. How can I keep from singing?"
This part of Gracejoy's Pages is coming soon and will be very exciting and expansive. :-) In the meantime, feel free to browse the links below--they reflect some of my favorite music.
CATHEDRAL MUSIC
I have a deep love and respect for traditional European cathedral music, a thousand-year-old heritage centered around choirs of gentlemen and boys. These choirs are among the very best in the world -- and they are under threat. In fact, these choirs may well die out within the next generation if care is not taken to preserve them.
SACRED HARP
Once you become involved in the music of Sacred Harp, you will never be able to leave it behind. It is a lifelong joy!
www.fasola.org
Sacred Harp
Sacred Harp is an American singing tradition dating back to the early 1800s. Kept alive today by thousands of devoted singers across the country, it is much more than a pure musical experience--it is also deeply emotional, spiritual, and unifying. If you haven't been to a Sacred Harp Sing, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about--but I invite you to check out the website, look for Sacred Harp sings near you, and go!
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Probably my favorite of all composers, his music has so much beauty and power it can make me cry. A prolific composer, he wrote music for piano, orchestra, cello, and other instruments, as well as for the choir, and all of it, whether light-hearted or dramatic, is extraordinary.
Josquin Desprez (1440-1521)
I became introduced to Josquin when I learned and performed his
Missa de Beata Virgine
with the Wesleyan Singers in 1998. That stunning piece of music--five-part a cappella--remains one of my favorites in the world, and I have sung it and heard it so often that I could sing all 40 minutes of it in my sleep. His haunting melodies could make you weep, and the harmony and counterpoint is extraordinary. Josquin wrote several Mass settings, many motets, and some instrumental music. If you have not heard his music before, it is well worth checking out.
G.P. da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Another Renaissance composer that I love. Palestrina's music--especially his
Canticum Canticorum
, which I have performed--is the best of its kind. Like Josquin's, it is full of brilliant harmony and counterpoint, but seems to have a less haunting and more pure feel.
Dolly Parton
Don't laugh. I may be the only New Yorker who grooves to the tune of "Tennessee Homesick Blues", but I'm not ashamed. ;-)
Altan
If you like traditional Celtic music, this is a great band you should check out. They are based in Dublin an their music embraces everything from upbeat jigs to slower ballads.
Jeru the Damaja
I love this rapper for his original rythms and profound, stirring, eye-opening lyrics. Not all rap is the "gangsta" stuff you see on television . . . it can be beautiful and moving. Try Jeru and see.
William Billings
America's first big choral composer, Billings wrote many of the songs of the
Sacred Harp
tradition. I have performed a good number of his works and loved them all.
Milton Nascimento
This is jazz, funk, rock, and traditional Brazilian music, rolled into one by a true musical master. Unfortunately, the best websites for him are in Portugese.
Quink
If you want to hear a small a cappella ensemble that sings with near perfect precision and clarity, buy a Quink CD (I own several). They have recorded everything from jazz standards to folk music to English madrigals.
Pura Fe
Virtually unknown, this Native American singer and songwriter deserves a lot more press and attention. She is great, and so is her music, which combines rock, R&B, and traditional Native American music.
Miles Davis
A jazz master.
Sketches of Spain
is breathtaking.
Michael Jackson
- oh, c'mon . . . don't we all love Thriller, Beat It, and Billy Jean? Because he's bad, he's bad . . . you know it, you know.
"Now shall my inward joys arise, and burst into a song.
Almighty Love inspires my heart, and pleasure tunes my tongue."
-Sacred Harp
