100
December 11th, 2008
Such a round number. 100, a number which here translates into the amount of days left until my recital on March 21. One hundred days from now. I have written the music and now am feverishly perfecting it and trying to find people to perform it, which is turning out to be more of a headache than I anticipated. People don’t seem to be as worried about it as I am. 
I’m just glad to have the initial stage of composition done. There’s still a long way to go though…
As the recital date draws closer and as things become more set in stone I’ll reveal more information about various aspects of the recital. Here’s a part of what I have planned:
A part of the recital will be centered around the topic of death, I’ve set several secular poems that have various philosophical viewpoints about death (ie, hopelessness, despair, uncertainty, grief, and solace). The recital will be book-ended with two sacred choral anthems, one of which is, “It is not Death to Die” which reminds us as Christians of our hope of eternal rest; where we”ll “reign with Him on high”. This poetry struck me the moment that I saw it, which doesn’t usually happen to me. The text is available on www.cyberhymnal.org or you can read it here:
It is not death to die,
To leave this weary road,
And midst the brotherhood on high
To be at home with God.
It is not death to close
The eye long dimmed by tears,
And wake, in glorious repose,
To spend eternal years.
It is not death to bear
The wrench that sets us free
From dungeon chain, to breath the air
Of boundless liberty.
It is not death to fling
Aside this sinful dust
And rise, on strong exulting wing
To live among the just.
Jesus, Thou Prince of Life,
Thy chosen cannot die:
Like Thee, they conquer in the strife
To reign with Thee on high.
by H. A. César Malan
Another Help @ Home Live show
December 6th, 2008
I actually wrote this several days but haven’t posted until now. Today, Dec. 5, I’ll be accompanying on the piano for the Help @ Home live show hosted by BJ Distance Learning, making this my 3rd (technically 2nd) appearance on the show. It takes place at the same time as the BJU lighting ceremony on the front of campus, so I’ll have to miss that event.
I’ll be accompanying a soprano called Kera O’Bryon who is traveling to Greenville from Washington D.C. Her father will also be speaking for the bulk of the show. Kera will be singing O Holy Night as well as a medley of Christmas songs arranged by myself: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, I Wonder as I Wander, and Away In A Manger. We practiced this morning and I was impressed by her beautiful voice. I’m playing by ear, so who knows, one day it might end up in a future arrangement that I compose.
Looking forward to the show. It starts in 2 hours…