William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

BWV 375 ; Year: Unknown ; Genre: Baroque Period/classical Making a proper "Bach" pick a day late because of yesterday's Funky Friday pick , which was also Bach related; you can never have too much J.S. Bach in my opinion. Hear Chorale Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Earth, Wind & Fire - You Are a Winner My song pick two years ago today: David Bowie - Golden Years My song pick three years ago today: Pat Benatar - Fire and Ice My song pick four years ago today: The Buoys - Castle My song pick five years ago today: Asia - After the War My song pick six years ago today: Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes My song pick seven years ago today: The Steve Miller Band - Something Special My song pick eight years ago today: Johann Sebastian Bach - BWV 1048 - Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G-Major   My song pick nine years ago today: The Buoys - Give Up Your Guns   My song pick ten years ago today: T...

Year: 1603; Genre: Renaissance Period/Baroque Period/classical Still listening to a lot of Renaissance/Baroque period music and thought I would go ahead and pick another piece of chamber music, but this time from the legendary renaissance composer John Dowland. This piece written for voice with sparse accompaniment by a lute and other stringed instruments is a love song, written from the point of view of someone so enraptured by the beauty of his beloved that time appears to cease movement when she is around. Both the words and the music are extremely well put together; one aspect is not complete without the other. Hear Time Stands Still sung by Andreas Scholl on YouTube. See a great live performance by Jolaine Kerley, Adam Wead, and Josephine van Lieron YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Tarot - Magic and Technology My song pick two years ago today: Hawkwind - PXR5 My song pick three years ago today: Jethro Tull - Summerday Sands My song pick four years ago...

1626 John Dowland - In Darkness We Dwell Year: 1610 Genre: Late Renaissance Period/ Early Baroque Period/classical It appears that I've gotten to the point in my song picks where the pick number matches dates in musical history. As you might or might not know, master composer and lutenist John Dowland died in February of the year 1626, so I though I would pick another one of my favourite songs from his pen today. This very beautiful piece of music that is rather dark and melancholy, but pretty all the same. It was first published in 1610, which would put it right at the point where the Renaissance Period was giving way to the Baroque Period, so it contains some aspects of both. I've always found it odd how we look back hundreds of years on and make these divisions based on the popular 'musical ideas' that permeated compositions through those years when in reality there was a lot of overlap as music evolved from one form to another. Here is an excellent perform...