NEW MUSIC: Two New Organ Chorale Preludes

“Chorale” is simply the official musicology name for a ‘hymn’, and a ‘chorale prelude’ is a free arrangement of a hymn.

Chorale preludes have a long history in music. Even not-particularly-religious composers wrote them—just because!

By the way, hymn tunes get all sorts of different words set to them, so the tunes themselves have been given nicknames to keep them straight. (E.g.”‘Nicaea” and “St. Denio”). If you’re acquainted with any hymnal at all, you’ll certainly recognize these tunes right away.

So, here are two more contributions to that long and honorable tradition. In the mp3 I’ve played the hymn tune itself once straight, and then the chorale prelude. Both are for pipe organ.

Nicaea

• Here's the the whole piece (3:23)
• Here's the the first 30 seconds
• Here's the the score

St. Denio

• Here's the the whole piece (2:07)
• Here's the the first 30 seconds
• Here's the the score

New Piece: “Reflections on ‘Jesus Loves Me’”

“Jesus Loves Me” is a famous children’s song. (I was a little surprised when I got the idea for this piece that music for it was hard to find on the internet, so here’s a lead sheet: pdf Finale )

It’s interesting to take a childhood memory like this song and reflect on it through the lens of the joys and sorrows that have intervened over the decades. Some childhood ideas and dreams are left behind. But other childhood ideas and dreams end up defining the course of our lives–although perhaps now reframed and deepened by an older, hard-won perspective. (I’ve symbolized that in this piece by restating the song–as dreamlike fragments of it appear–with a different meter.)

So here’s a solo piano piece, reflecting on this iconic children’s song:

• Here's the the whole piece (5:07)
• Here's the the first 30 seconds
• Here's the the score

NEW CD: In Search of the Philosopher’s Stone

In Search of the Philosopher's Stone

(Click here for mp3 and order page)

The “Philosopher’s Stone”, reputed to be hard as stone and malleable as wax, is a legendary alchemical tool, capable of turning base metals into gold—which we’ve seen can be a metaphor for ‘enlightenment’. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixer of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality—all of which fit in nicely with alchemy processes in general being metaphors for  ‘enlightenment’.

“The stone, also referred to as the “tincture,” or the “powder” (Greek xerion, which passed through Latin into Arabic as elixir), was allied to an elixir of life, believed by alchemists to be a liquid derived from it. Inasmuch as alchemy was concerned not only with the search for a method of upgrading less valuable metals but also of perfecting the human soul, the philosopher’s stone was thought to cure illnesses, prolong life, and bring about spiritual revitalization. The philosopher’s stone, described variously, was sometimes said to be a common substance, found everywhere but unrecognized and unappreciated.”¹

What a wish list! Wealth. Spiritual renewal. Longevity. Health. Even an elixir of life! In essence, the philosopher’s stone offers all human values. The Philosopher’s Stone is like gold, but even better. Gold is a means to all material wealth, but the philosopher’s stone is a means to all ends, a universal means. And it’s lying around for the taking. It’s everywhere! If you have the wit merely to recognize it and learn how to use it, then all ends are within your reach. We needn’t wonder why those who believed in the philosopher’s stone devoted their lives to finding it. What higher ideal could they seek? What better end could a man set himself than a universal means?

The search for the Philosopher’s Stone occupied some of the finest minds of the Middle Ages and Renaissance: Isaac Newton (1643–1727: yes, the famous physicist!) was deeply interested in alchemy and particularly interested in finding the Philosopher’s Stone.² And, according to legend, the 13th-century scientist and philosopher Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280)  is said to have discovered the philosopher’s stone and passed it to his pupil Thomas Aquinas (c.1225–1274: yes, the famous Catholic theologian!) shortly before Magnus’ death.

And just pure speculation: in the  ‘Sword in the Stone‘, might the stone from which young Arthur pulled Excalibur and proved his right to the English throne be related to the Philosopher’s Stone?

More generally, isn’t the never ending search for the Philosopher’s Stone, in all of its guises, one of our quintessentially human qualities: never satisfied with the status quo—always picking away at the chains that bind us all—longer life, better health, more comfort, more knowledge, more Art, more spirituality, more more more! That quality has been both our Great Glory and our Great Curse.

In Search of the Philosopher’s Stone is scored for glass armonica and symphony orchestra.

1. Encyc. Brit., 15th ed., 1976↩
2. NOVA: Newton’s Dark Secrets (2005) USA: PBS↩