<$BlogRSDURL$>

Utopian Turtletop. Monsieur Croche's BĂȘte Noire. Contact: turtletop [at] hotmail [dot] com

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

By chance I read that composer Daniel Pinkham passed away the other day. I have never heard any of his music, but I sang one of his pieces in high school.

From 9th grade through 12th I sang in the church high school choir. For big occasions we would join forces with the adult choir. Easter Sunday in 11th or 12th grade, more than 25 years ago, the choir director decided to yank the chains of the twice-a-year church-goers and do a long modernist piece -- by Daniel Pinkham. I don't remember the name, but it was in 3 movements, for choir, electronic tape, and tympani. (I see it must have been Alleluia, Acclamation and Carol.) The 2nd movement was tympani and tape only. At least part of the piece was aleatory, with the instruction to sing any note as long as it was different than your neighbor's, and then go up and down from there.

A great memorable joy to sing it, and to hear the electronic tape and tympani -- noisy! -- and to join in the director's punk rock glee.

Condolences to his family and friends, and thanks for the music.


* * * * * * * * * * *


The remix of Mahalia Jackson's recording of "Silent Night" by 46bliss (pictured at far right) has a holy feel. The mythic intersection of techno-derived styles and church music: They meet at the dissolution of the Romantic Western ego, the first in the service of the groove and the dance, the 2nd in the service of God.

(The 46bliss remix of Mahalia's Night is on Christmas Remixed 2, which sports a lot of other tasty trax.)


* * * * * * * * * * *




from the age of 4 till I was 10 we lived on Cherry Street. a fireman lived across the street from us. his name was Mr. Shelley. one summer day we had a block party and Mr. Shelley's band played. I think he played keyboard but I'm not sure. They played "Rockin' Robin." This would have been the late '60s or possibly early '70s. I don't remember anything else they played.

How I loved that "tweet tweet tweet."



Comments:
I recall that Cherry street gig! And the only thing I remember clearly is Rockin' Robin, too.

Musta been the tweets.

JSG
 
Never let it be said that we Cherry Street-ers didn't welcome you Maple Street-ers with open arms.

Childhood seems like a dream. I can't picture Mr. Shelley. I remember their son, who would have been 10 years older or so than us. I don't remember you being there, or anybody in particular -- a hazy image of people milling around, and the houses and the trees, and that one song.
 
No surprise, but all my early memories are sound/music -- not much visual.

Maple had the bricks,and the Jim Wesley blasting the Beach Boys out the window, but Cherry had that great basement rec room of yours, and Tamar Cooney.

Cheers,

JSG
 
Post a Comment

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?