I confess that my listening hasn't been as broad as I would like this past month, but here are a few highlights. Some are new to me and others aren't; hope you enjoy.
"Call of Stonehenge" by the Ethno Music Orchestra
"A Single Act of Disobedience" from One Night With the King
"Jesus Loves Me" as performed by David Klinkenberg
"For the First Time in Forever" from the movie Frozen(admittedly I've been listening to the whole soundtrack a lot but decided to include this one. The duet between Elsa and Anna is especially well done).
Analysis Method: "MALL"
Key - M = What is the meaning of the lyrics? A = The lyrics are clearly against Biblical teaching. L = I don't know what the Bible says about these lyrics. L = I can glorify God when I listen to these lyrics. Some of my thoughts are included in gray.
Verse 1
There is an endless song echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring
And though the storms may come I am holding on
to the rock I cling
Chorus:
How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough, how amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your Name
I know I am loved by the King, and it makes my heart want to sing
Verse 2:
I will lift my eyes in the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives
And I will walk with You knowing You’ll see me through
And sing the songs You give
Chorus
Bridge:
I can sing in the troubled times sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step and fall down again
I can sing cause You pick me up sing cause You’re there
I can sing cause You hear me Lord when I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath sing for I know
That I’ll sing with the angels and the saints around the throne
Chorus
This song was submitted as a student request, and I thought it would be a good entry to get back into writing after the break. This song is clearly written from a Christian perspective, and I don't see any problems with any of the lyrics. What I was surprised to learn in researching this song;s lyrics were inspired by a much older "How Can I Keep from Singing." Written by an unknown author and set to music hymn composer Robert Wadsworth Lowry in the late 1800s, that version of the song begins with "My life flows on in endless song; Above earth's lamentation."
A danger in a song like this that I see is for people to sing it over and over and completely miss the implications of the words. The first verse expresses powerful awareness, leading into the rhetorical questions of the chorus. Then, the second verse and bridge are responses to the beginning.Ifthere is a King who loves us and a "rock" strong enough for us to hold onto, then the reasoning is that no circumstances should be beyond what we're given the strength to handle. Unfortunately, there are those who don't want to talk about struggles or challenges, and that outlook misses out on the beauty of this song.
Musically speaking, I hear a stirring melody in this song that I think causes a lot of people to feel passion as they sing it. The melodic contour (or direction) is very sequential and effectively varies the parts that are stepwise and the parts that move by skip. The movements of the verse remain relatively small, whereas the chorus introduces much larger jumps - again, contributing to the emotional aspect of this song.
Title: "Maple Leaf Rag"
Composer: Scott Joplin
Genre: Ragtime
Notes: The ragtime genre was developed and became popular from around 1895-1918. Ragtime is marked by the use of "syncopated" rhythms, or rhythms that bring emphasis to parts of the beat that usually aren't as strongly heard. Scott Joplin became famous in 1898 when "Maple Leaf Rag" was published, and his work is recognized as being influential in later forms of music. Ragtime lost popularity around 1917 when jazz really began to take the stage, but it experienced various revivals throughout the 1900s.
Related Artists: George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Benny Goodman
**Disclaimer:
While I believe that all of the SQUILT music chosen is appropriate for
classroom use, some songs may not completely align with a Christian
worldview. Songs done by related artists are also not guaranteed to be
in line with the values of a Christian worldview. Parents should help
their children develop discernment in this area.**
I am excited to get back to writing after taking a break for the holidays while my family came to visit Indonesia. I will hopefully get back to post song analyses by next week, but in the meantime here is a glimpse of some songs I've been enjoying lately. Note that this is from the previous month, thus the Christmas songs.
"Defying Gravity" from the Broadway Wicked
"For Good" from the Broadway Wicked
"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as performed by the Annie Moses Band
"Carol of the Bells" as performed by Pentatonix
"Countless Wonders" by Chris Tomlin
"Upon This Rock" as performed by Kristin Chenowith
