Songs For All Seasons

Today is American Independence Day so it is fortuitous that I have just completed work on the latest video of a performance by one of my lovely Beta choirs which serves to honour two great Americans on this day. Today's Song of the Day is my setting of a famous poem by Walt Whitman (1819-1892), "O Captain! My Captain!", written in 1865, in the wake of President Lincoln's assassination in April of that year.  Although he never met Lincoln, Whitman felt a connection to him and was greatly moved by Lincoln's assassination. Many people "of a certain age" may, like me, have been first introduced to it in the film "Dead Poets Society" starring the incredible, inimitable, indescribably funny Robin Williams (can you tell I'm a fan?) who you can see AI-imagined as a sea captain in the first photo of this video. Uncharacteristic of Whitman's poetry, the poem was Whitman's most popular during his lifetime, and the only one to be anthologized b...

Today's Song of the Day highlights a setting of another poem by Christina Rossetti, "Remember". This sonnet is a heartfelt plea from the perspective of the dying for their loved one to remember them when they are gone, but not if it causes pain. The poem changes tone at the end with an assurance that it is "Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad." The song begins with the melody being passed from part to part quasi-canonically, from bass to tenor, to alto and finally to soprano. It is gently lyrical, the music matching the tone of the poem. It would be ideal for use in either a religious or secular funeral service or memorial service as it makes no mention of any particular deity. Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . Remember by Christina Rossetti Remember me when I am gone away,     Gone far away into the silent land;     When you can no more hold me by the hand,  Nor I half turn to g...

Today's Song of the Day is a setting of a poem entitled "My Mother's Hand" by Hattie Howard (1860-1920). A child's relationship with their mother is undefinable. It's the first love any of us knows, formed before we are even born. It's a complex love, threaded through with strands of discipline to ensure we grow up to be the best person we can be, and, if we are lucky, it survives our turbulent teenage years unscathed to mature into a strong bond of deep affection. Hattie Howard's poem is written from the haunting perspective of an adult remembering those golden days of childhood whilst contemplating her mother's face and hand "encoffined, still, and white." Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . My Mother's Hand By Hattie Howard My head is aching, and I wish That I could feel tonight One well-remembered, tender touch That used to comfort me so m...

Today's Song of the Day is a setting of a poem by John Le Gay Brereton called simply "Death". John Le Gay Brereton (1871 – 1933) was an Australian poet, critic and professor of English at the University of Sydney. This poem explores the profound grief of a mother who has lost her son in war. The speaker's raw emotions are conveyed through vivid imagery of touch and memory, as she recalls her son's childhood and the comfort he brought her. Compared to Brereton's other works, this poem is particularly poignant and personal. It reflects the sombre mood of the time period, marked by the devastation of World War I. Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . Death By John Le Gay Brereton He, born of my girlhood, is dead, while my life is yet young in my heart Ere the breasts where his baby lips fed have forgotten their softness, we part. We part. He was mine, he was here, though he travelled by land and by sea, My son who could trample on fear, my ba...

Today's Song of the Day is my setting of a very famous poem, although many people "of a certain age" may, like me, have been first introduced to it in the film "Dead Poets Society" starring the incredible, inimitable, indescribably funny Robin Williams (can you tell I'm a fan?) "O Captain! My Captain!", by Walt Whitman (1819-1892), was written in 1865, in the wake of President Lincoln's assassination in April of that year.  Although he never met Lincoln, Whitman felt a connection to him and was greatly moved by Lincoln's assassination. The metaphor is that the USA is the ship of state, with Lincoln as its captain/father. Uncharacteristic of Whitman's poetry, the poem was Whitman's most popular during his lifetime, and the only one to be anthologized before his death. In early 1866, a reviewer in the Boston Commonwealth wrote that the poem was the most moving dirge for Lincoln...

Our final song for Grief Awareness Week this year is a setting of a poem by John Le Gay Brereton called simply "Death". John Le Gay Brereton (1871 – 1933) was an Australian poet, critic and professor of English at the University of Sydney. This poem explores the profound grief of a mother who has lost her son in war. The speaker's raw emotions are conveyed through vivid imagery of touch and memory, as she recalls her son's childhood and the comfort he brought her. Compared to Brereton's other works, this poem is particularly poignant and personal. It reflects the sombre mood of the time period, marked by the devastation of World War I. Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . Death By John Le Gay Brereton He, born of my girlhood, is dead, while my life is yet young in my heart Ere the breasts where his baby lips fed have forgotten their softness, we part. We part. He was mine, he was here, though he travelled by land and by sea, My son who could ...

Returning to Grief Awareness Week for today's Song of the Day, we highlight a setting of another poem by Christina Rossetti, "Remember". This sonnet is a heartfelt plea from the perspective of the dying for their loved one to remember them when they are gone, but not if it causes pain. The poem changes tone at the end with an assurance that it is "Better by far you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad." The song begins with the melody being passed from part to part quasi-canonically, from bass to tenor, to alto and finally to soprano. It is gently lyrical, the music matching the tone of the poem. It would be ideal for use in either a religious or secular funeral service or memorial service as it makes no mention of any particular deity. Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . Remember by Christina Rossetti Remember me when I am gone away,     Gone far away into the silent land;     When you can no more hold m...

We are returning to Grief Awareness Week for our next song. This poem is very famous although many people "of a certain age" may, like me, have been first introduced to it in the film "Dead Poets Society" starring the incredible, inimitable, indescribably funny Robin Williams (can you tell I'm a fan?) "O Captain! My Captain!", by Walt Whitman (1819-1892), was written in 1865, in the wake of President Lincoln's assassination in April of that year.  Although he never met Lincoln, Whitman felt a connection to him and was greatly moved by Lincoln's assassination. The metaphor is that the USA is the ship of state, with Lincoln as its captain/father. Uncharacteristic of Whitman's poetry, the poem was Whitman's most popular during his lifetime, and the only one to be anthologized before his death. In early 1866, a reviewer in the Boston Commonwealth wrote that the poem was the most moving dirge for Lincoln ever written. Get the music for this ...

We continue with Grief Awareness Week with a setting of a poem entitled "My Mother's Hand" by Hattie Howard (1860-1920). A child's relationship with their mother is undefinable. It's the first love any of us knows, formed before we are even born. It's a complex love, threaded through with strands of discipline to ensure we grow up to be the best person we can be, and, if we are lucky, it survives our turbulent teenage years unscathed to mature into a strong bond of deep affection. Hattie Howard's poem is written from the haunting perspective of an adult remembering those golden days of childhood whilst contemplating her mother's face and hand "encoffined, still, and white." This song is dedicated today to a young friend of my daughter's, Maisie Croft, who lost her mother recently far too soon. RIP Louise Croft. Get the music for this song for free - find out how here . ...

Happy December!! You might think that this is the perfect moment to dive into the joyful embrace of Christmas music. After all, the advent calendars have been joyfully opened, the stores are brimming with festive delights, and perhaps you've already begun your Christmas shopping or are contemplating the start of that exciting journey. Worry not - we will indeed celebrate with Christmas music very soon. But before we immerse ourselves in those cheerful tunes, it’s important to acknowledge that today marks the beginning of Grief Awareness Week (2nd December - 8th December). For many, Christmas is a season filled with joy and laughter. Yet for others, it can be a time of sorrow. This may be the first Christmas spent without a beloved companion, or perhaps the loss was some time ago, but the pain still lingers. Some might even find this season tinged with bittersweet memories if they lost someone around this time of year. Therefore, our first song of December is a heartfelt piece for B...

Whilst compiling a list of appropriate Songs of the Day I discovered that today marks the beginning of National Baby Loss Awareness Week  (9th - 15th October). I have been lucky enough not to have experienced the tragic loss of a baby, but I have friends who have not been so fortunate. Music can be a powerful tool for people who are grieving, helping them to process their emotions, move forward, and feel comforted. Music can help to:  Release bottled-up feelings: Sad music can help to push emotions to the surface, especially if you've been trying to hide them.  Trigger dopamine responses: Engaging with music can create feelings of pleasure.  Connect on a deep emotional level: Music can bring out feelings you didn't even know you had.  Regulate negative emotions: Sad music can help to regulate or purge negative emotions.  Retrieve memories: Sad music can help to retrieve memories of important past events.  So I would like to share my setting of Nor...