Joseph Castaldo’s “Ancient Liturgy” Revisited in Philadelphia
Posted on Mar 5, 2010
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Filed under: Choral, Joseph Castaldo, Other People\'s Music, Philadelphia, Seán Deibler, Teachers, Video
This month the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, my choral alma mater, will present a concert that epitomizes the kind of music making that went on in Philadelphia when I was a student there in the 1980′s. The occasion is the 20th anniversary of the premiere of Joseph Castaldo’s extraordinary work for narrator, chorus and orchestra Ancient...
Read MoreThe Sweeney Effect
Posted on Oct 9, 2007
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2 comments
Filed under: Composing, Current Work, Eros at Breakfast, Other People\'s Music, Sondheim
It had been years since I’ve looked at it, but I’ve had the vocal score of Sweeney Todd out for the past couple of weeks, having just seen the revival currently on at American Conservatory Theatre (extended for still one more week). Years ago I used to spend hours with this score, so it’s kind of like an old friend. Right now I don’t...
Read MoreChoral Music for Bedtime
Posted on Aug 30, 2007
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1 comment
Filed under: Bartók, Choral, Hindemith, Kodály, Other People\'s Music, Philo, Ravel
About a year and a half ago, I posted a little something about my son’s taste in orchestral music. He was about to turn three then, and now he’s four and a half. Since that time, my ability to play music for him has been limited for various boring technical and life reasons. A few weeks ago, I got a new mobile phone that functions as a music...
Read MoreVintage Musical Theater Footage
Posted on Aug 28, 2007
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Filed under: Musical Theater, Other Blogs and Stuff, Other People\'s Music, Video
Blue Gobo has an addictive collection of footage from original Broadway productions dating at least as far back as Rogers and Hart’s Jumbo (1935). Most of the footage that interests me is of scenes excerpted on the Ed Sullivan Show in the 50′s and 60′s. The first one that jumped out at me was this performance of “Cool” with the...
Read MoreFool Killer
Posted on Aug 23, 2007
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Filed under: Bacharach, Other People\'s Music, Popular Music, Video
Here’s a little-known song by Burt Bacharach that I like a lot. “Fool Killer” follows and elusive, moody chord progression and is pretty sophisticated for a 60′s pop song. The instrumentation displays Bacharach’s usual cleverness and restraint. Vibes and little guitar tremolos combine with the odd chord progression to match the...
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