Ode To Classical Music: A Poem

July 11, 2016 at 4:23 pm (Commentary, Culture, Music, Poetry) (, , , , , , )

Ode To Classical Music: A Poem

With my cable TV subscription cancelled
and listening to the Baroque Music Channel now gone
I’ve been forced to turn to the radio
and more specifically CBC Radio 2
and the French language Radio-Canada to listen to music that relaxes and calms my soul
CBC Radio 2 and Radio-Canada play a great deal of Classical music and Jazz- the only 2 styles of music that seem to do that these days
relax and calm my soul
Some pieces of contemporary pop music do do that but most don’t

Listening to CBC Radio 2 Commentary on the background and inspiration of the great Classical composers I now realize how much the influence of nature played a part in composing their music
The sound of waterfalls, the babblings of brooks, the meanderings of quiet streams, the flight of the bumblebee, the chirping of birds and the wings of the lark as it ascends
how these sounds they tried to recapture in their melodies

That explains why classical music is so beautiful
I never knew that about the classics until I heard this commentary
This also probably explains why I don’t listen to so much contemporary music these days
So much contemporary music expresses the anguish and torment of the human soul
That is I suppose why we listen
So many of us in anguish and torment ourselves
we can relate to the anguish and torment of the singer and the song
but while this listening gives us a sense of kinship and the feeling we’re not alone
Ultimately such listening does not bring healing
Only more anguish and torment
What we need is healing

And so that is why ultimately I find healing in most Classical music
The sound of waterfalls, the flowers opening their petals and saying hello to the sun, the reflections of moonlight doing their silent dances on the tranquil waters of a lake, the song of the nightingale
all transcribed into musical melody
by the great classical composers
Nature’s healing powers transferred to musical instruments and then on wings of notes and melody transfused into the human soul

-A poem written by Christopher
Monday July 11th 2016

Permalink 26 Comments

The Old Violinist and The Old Dog

July 31, 2013 at 12:58 am (Poetry) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

I first saw them a few nights ago

 

They were on the corner of Burrard and Alberni

 

as I rode by on the bus..

 

The dog lay with his head on the sidewalk

 

in peaceful contemplation

 

his eyes closed.

 

The old violinist was vigourously 

 

playing his violin.

 

What melody he played I do not know

 

for the bus windows were closed.

 

An old hippy walked by

 

shaking his head

 

as if to say,

 

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks

 

or an old musician new music.

 

The music he played was obviously

 

pre-Woodstock

 

I figured.

 

Then last night as I walked up Robson Street

 

half-way up between Thurlow and Burrard

 

I saw them-

 

the old violinist

 

and the old dog.

 

The dog once again 

 

his head on the sidewalk

 

in peaceful contemplation.

 

I approached

 

and the melody touched my ears

 

like the softest velvet.

 

Never have I heard

 

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons played

 

so beautifully.

 

As a child,

 

my parents often took me to numerous symphony concerts.

 

I have listened to Vivaldi on radio and TV

 

and Galaxy satellite

 

and never have the beautiful Four Seasons

 

sounded so beautiful.

 

Vancouverites may not know it

 

but the streets of Vancouver are truly blessed 

 

as a master violinist sends his melodies

 

into the air 

 

before the Festival of Lights Fireworks

 

light up the night sky.

 

 

 

-A poem written by Christopher

 Sunday night

 July 28th 2013

 the night after the

 1st round of fireworks

 in the Vancouver Fireworks Festival

 Honda Celebration of Light

 Vancouver, British Columbia.

Permalink Leave a Comment