Music as Meditation
~ November 5, 2017
Program
Kindness a
poem by Naomi Shihab Nye
Evie's Melody Ellen Schwindt
Home from Hagerstown
Waltz Ellen Schwindt
Poor Wayfaring
Stranger traditional
Turning Back a poem by
Lao Tzu, rendered by Ursula K. LeGuin
Turning Back tune from the
Cantata Tao and Te Ellen Schwindt
Lillehammer Waltz Jonathan
Jensen
Velvet Tear Chip Davis
Adagio excerpt from a
forthcoming piano sonata Ellen Schwindt
Bagatelle in E flat
major Ludwig van Beethoven
Andante Semplice excerpt
from a forthcoming piano sonata Ellen Schwindt
Bagatelle in c minor Ellen
Schwindt
This
Music as Meditation is dedicated to a young woman I know who
is facing a cancer diagnosis with grace and optimism. I met her when
she was a teacher at our area's Head Start. I visited the classroom
once a week to sing songs and play music games with the children. I
watched her guide the children, many of whom needed extra
attention, with patience and love. I appreciated her shining spirit
then. When I heard about her cancer diagnosis, I wanted to do
something to help her through. This performance is meant as some kind
of comfort. I have placed a basket at the back of the church to
collect donations for Jen's Friends—an organization that is helping
her and others in our community who are facing cancer. You can find more
information about this group at www.jensfriends.org.
As I
was gathering music for today's event, I was focused on finding
simple tunes that would act in contrast to some of the more complex
piano music I was planning to play. When I saw the tunes written in
my scrawling hand-writing on a long piece of paper, I realized that
many of the pieces were arranged or composed with other people in
mind. Evie's Melody was written for a baby who was baptized At Christ
Church in the fall of 2017. I arranged Poor Wayfaring Stranger for my
friend Peter with whom I played folk music for a long while. Turning
Back comes from a cantata I composed on poems of Lao Tzu as a
graduation gift to my son. I transcribed and then arranged
Lillehammer Waltz for my husband Bill because he loves the tune.
Home from Hagerstown Waltz I wrote for Bill, or maybe because of
Bill, before he was my husband.
The
benefit of composing for others, though I am certain it exists for
me, is also completely mysterious to me. Making a piece of music for
someone is a strange kind of gift—one that feeds me as much, or
rather more, than it helps the intended recipient. I do trust that it
also helps the recipients. Evie's parents were quite appreciative and
I know my husband likes it when I practice one of his favorite tunes.
I hope today's music, dedicated as it is to my young friend, gives her, and all
of us, some sense of comfort “while traveling through this world of
woe.”
Music
as Meditation is meant to be a healing experience for all of us. You
may learn more about this event and my other music endeavors by
finding me on facebook, at ellenschwindt@blogspot.com
or by e-mailing me at ellen.m.schwindt@gmail.com.
