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Deposuit p0tentes
Gloria Patri
from the Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610)
— posted by Roger W. Smith
October 2025
Monteverdi
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Category Archives: my favorite music
“Mirth, admit me of thy crew!”
And if I give thee honour due,
Mirth, admit me of thy crue
To live with her, and live with thee,
In unreproved pleasures free;
To hear the Lark begin his flight,
And singing startle the dull night,
From his watch-towre in the skies,
Till the dappled dawn doth rise;
Then to com in spight of sorrow,
And at my window bid good morrow,
Through the Sweet-Briar, or the Vine,
Or the twisted Eglantine.
While the Cock with lively din,
Scatters the rear of darknes thin,
And to the stack, or the Barn dore,
Stoutly struts his Dames before,
Oft list’ning how the Hounds and horn,
Chearly rouse the slumbring morn,
From the side of som Hoar Hill,
Through the high wood echoing shrill.
John Milton, “L’Allegro”
Handel, “ Mirth, admit me of thy crew!” (Air), L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato
— posted by Roger W. Smith
August 2025
post updated
music that catches shades of meaning
I was listening today to the enchanting “Lida Rose” duet (barbershop quartet and soprano) from The Music Man (track above).
In another blog, I wrote that “music distills, packages, and holds emotion.”
This is true — I guess one would say obvious. You hear music and recall precisely the circumstances when you first heard it and your state of mind at that time.
The thought that occurred to me today was that some of the best music — the best songs — are not, in this sense, “obvious”; and that they convey a sort of “intermediate” or “indeterminate” state of mind (a mind in flux); unique to the circumstances and characters they portray (and who are portrayed by the singers) — in this case, in Broadway musicals (see tracks below). that we can all relate to. They are often moments of realization, epiphany. and yet the words and music are simple and sincere: unpretentious,
Listen to these songs. The characters are at a moment of acute realization. Something is happening — they don’t quite know what, foresee the outcome.
This makes me think about — realize — the complexity of human experience.
Yours and mine.
We remember when we first fell in love. It was unique (the experience) in that it was ours alone, yet “general” in the sense that it connected us to humanity. to human feelings. Which, at the time, we would not have known to define; or have known quite what was happening.
This can be seen in the songs below.
Pop music (e.g. rock ‘n’ roll) never achieves this — needless to say — is not subtle.
Till There Was You
The Music Man
This Nearly Was Mine
South Pacific
Happy Talk
South Pacific
If I Loved You
Carousel
When the Children Are Asleep
Carousel
People Will Say We’re in Love
Oklahoma
Hello, Young Lovers
The King and I
Something Wonderful
The King and I
I Have Dreamed
The King and I
Come to Me, Bend to Me
Brigadoon
The Heather on the Hill
Brigadoon
Love, Look Away
Flower Drum Song
— posted by Roger W. Smith
May 13, 2025
The Doxology
The Doxology (“praise God from whom all blessings flow”)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
How often I heard it in the North Church Congregational in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the First Parish Unitarian Universalist in Canton, Massachusetts when I was growing up.
At the second of these two churches, played on a booming organ by my father: Alan W. Smith. Usually without the choir.
North Church, Congregational, Cambridge, MA
First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Canton, Massachusetts
— posted by Roger W. Smith
May 2025
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Addendum:
The Doxology is quoted repeatedly in Virgil Thomson’s The Plow That Broke the Plains.
the second most beautiful Broadway song?
“We Kiss in a Shadow”
Tuptim, Lun-Tha
Rogers and Hammerstein, The King and I
PDF (below) contains production credits from performances by the St. Paul’s Theatre Guild in Dorchester, MA
My father. Alan W. Smith, was Musical Director.
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See also:
— posted by Roger W, Smith
May 2025
the most beautiful Broadway song, ever
“Something Wonderful”
from Rogers and Hammerstein’s The King and I
“Something Wonderful” is sung by Lady Thiang
My father. Alan W. Smith, was Musical Director of several productions of the King and I in Boston by the St. Paul Theatre Guild.
The role of Lady Thiang was played by Barbara Tyler and Andra Wahl in different productions by the St. Paul Theatre Guild.
I am so proud of my father.
— posted by Roger W. Smith
April 2025
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See also:
largo; Vivaldi, Concerto for Two Cellos
posted here:
largo
Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto for Two Cellos in G Minor, RV 531
— posted by Roger W. Smith
April 2025
Charles Ives, songs
Some of my favorite songs of Charles Ives (1974-1954).
— posted by Roger W. Smith
March 2025
Handel, But as for His people
chorus
from Israel in Egypt
But as for His people, He led them forth like sheep: He brought them out with silver and gold; there was not one feeble person among their tribes. (Psalm lxxviii: 53; Psalm cv: 37)
I remember when I first heard Israel in Egypt. It is hard to believe that it was around fifty years ago.
I love this chorus. The harmonizing at the words “he led them …,” repeated several times — alternating between soprano and bass voices — is magnificent.
Plus a marvelous fugue.
If one could distill a drop of Handel, I might choose this brief passage.
— posted by Roger W. Smith
November 2024
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See also my post