Tag: melody

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Loving all the things you are

I’ve no idea why, but I found myself getting unexpectedly emotional off and on throughout the day.

It started when I woke up from a dream with a melody playing in my mind. No, not an original melody of my own(!), but the beautiful jazz standard, “All the Things You Are.”

Of course, I had to look it up and learned it was from a 1939 Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein musical that I’d never heard of before, titled Very Warm for May.

Well! Over two hours and many renditions later, I finally have a version of this beautiful song to share in today’s blog. But I must confess that it was quite the rabbit hole I went down.

First of all, I wanted a version that included the intro. I also wanted to hear expressivity on the part of the singer, as if they actually were feeling what they were singing about.

It was fascinating hearing so many different approaches, by so many different types of singers from different eras — jazz, Broadway, crooners, pop, you name it!

But what I found extremely disappointing was the number of times when I was sure I had found the perfect version — with the intro; a beautiful voice; sensitively sung — only to have the singer suddenly shift into overdrive as they neared the end, then ending the song with a huge crescendo to a jarring high note that they held out forever…basically just to show off.

Oohhh…I get so irritated because to me that’s disrespecting the essence of the song. Only my opinion, of course. But I believe Kern and Hammerstein really tapped into something. That there’s something about the combination of the uplifting, soaring melody and the evocative, tender, hopeful lyrics that can touch us on a very deep level. In fact, I think it calls to the part of us that yearns for the divine adventure and a divine love.

And now that I’m done with my rant, I hope you find the song as beautiful as I do.

All the Things You Are
Time and again I’ve longed for adventure
Something to make my heart beat the faster
What did I long for, I never really knew.
Finding your love, I found my adventure,
Touching your hand my heart beat the faster
All that I want in all of this world is you.

You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights the star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Someday my happy arms will hold you,
And someday I’ll know that moment divine
When all the things you are, are mine.

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Hope and beauty through music

I can’t seem to get enough of this young woman, Alma Deutscher. I find her inspiring on so many levels…and I think Swami Kriyananda would have found her as delightful as I do.

In fact, I think Swamiji would consider her a kindred spirit when it comes to her perspective on the purpose and meaning of music. If you haven’t listened to this video yet, I’ve cued up the section where Alma introduces the Siren Sounds Waltz by explaining her commitment to writing beautiful music.

And here’s what she had to say after receiving the European Culture Prize last October: “Until now, I have always composed melodies and harmonies just as they pour out from my heart. But I have often been told: ‘as a modern composer, you’ll soon have to forget your melodies, and concentrate on dissonance, as befits our modern age.’ But maybe this award today means that a more tolerant age is dawning, when melody and beauty will once again be permitted. Perhaps this is a message that there is more to European Culture than just dissonance. Perhaps there is also a place in European Culture for harmony. And how beautiful it would be if this message could go out into the world from Vienna, from the city of music.”

The Star of Hope. The Choir of Hope. A passion for expressing beauty in melody and harmony. A charming manner and droll sense of humor. Articulate and very intelligent. What’s not to love?!?