Some Chorale members will remember the two sets of Shakespeare texts set in a jazz style that we've done over the years. The composer of those pieces, George Shearing, died this week. (See the NY Times obit here).
I'm always inspired by people who can so easily move between musical 'worlds' - and Shearing was assuredly one of these. That he did all of this so artfully while contending with lifelong blindness makes him inspiring in more ways. Take a minute and read about this amazing musician.
(I think we should include one of those Shakespeare pieces on our June concert! Shakespeare was a pretty good poet...) -GREG
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
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I never realized George Shearing had composed choral pieces until we did the shakespeare ones by him, which I thought were amazingly sensitively done. I don't know how many times I played "Lullaby of Birdland" as a trombonist in jazz groups when I was in college and in the military service, but it was a lot.
ReplyDeleteBruce Mount