Monday, December 26, 2011

More (Post-) Christmas Music: John Bijarney and "Lux Aurumque"


During the Christmas season, I pointed readers to the beautiful music that one reader of this blog, Fran Schultz, makes available at her Reverbnation site.  And now as the pre-Christmas madness transmutes into post-Christmas madness (more shopping!) and some of us keep looking for resources to maintain sanity and feed our souls, I want to recommend the equally inspiring and beautiful music of another reader of Bilgrimage.


John Bijarney's website contains links to gorgeous songs from his album "Labrador Sunset."  I spent part of yesterday, as Steve and I relaxed after brunch with friends, listening through the soulful poem-like ballads on the album, and found them very conducive to meditation.  As John's Myspace page says, he's been influenced by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Mary Travers, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and many others whose influence can be detected in these songs.  If I knew how to embed links to the songs in this posting, I'd do so--but for readers wanting to hear them, it's simple to visit either or both of John's sites and clicks on the links to the songs.

For Christmastime meditation music, I also recommend the video of Eric Whitacre's virtual choir performing English poet Edward Esch's poem "Lux Aurumque," which I did manage to embed at the head of the posting.  For the poem itself and a translation, see Charles Anthony Silvestri's discussion of "Lux Aurumque," which links to yet another video of Whitacre's virtual choir singing this stunning Christmas song, a video in which one can see the faces of the performers--equally powerful.

Continued Christmas good wishes to all, in these 12 days leading up to what used to be called Old Christmas in the American South.

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