Real Living with Robin Rilette

Ceremony of Carols

When I was in college I sang Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols. It was one of the highlights of my choral career. My favorite movement is This Little Babe, the lyrics from a 16th century poem by Robert Southwell. What images Southwell creates, and how well his words reflect a little understood truth that power does not always come in an expected form.

This little Babe so few days old,
Is come to rifle Satan's fold;
All hell doth at his presence quake,
Though he himself for cold do shake;
For in this weak unarmed wise
The gates of hell he will surprise.

With tears he fights and wins the field,
His naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries,
His arrows made of weeping eyes,
His martial ensigns cold and need,
And feeble flesh his warrior's steed.

His camp is pitched in a stall,
His bulwark but a broken wall;
The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes,
Of shepherds he his muster makes;
And thus as sure his foe to wound,
The Angels' trumps alarum sound.

My soul with Christ join thou in fight,
Stick to the tents that he hath pight;
Within his crib is surest ward,
This little Babe will be thy guard;
If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,
Then flit not from this heavenly boy.

Diamond Music

This morning I'm playing Palladio by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. You may remember this music from a television commerical from the De Beers diamond corporation.

The St. Antonius Insitute calls the South African corporation "the most unethical corporation in the world."

Here's an article about De Beers latest sales agreement with Botswana.

The Relief of Derry Symphony

Painting by Julius Guzy.

About 12 years ago I was wandering through the folk section of Northwest Public Radio's music library when I came across a work by Irish composer Shaun Davey called "The Relief of Derry Symphony." As morning classical music host the word symphony naturally caught my eye so I took a listen. Wow! I was blown away by this amazing work. How in the world did this ever end up in the folk section? I included it in my program the very next day and the reaction was immediate and very positive.

I hope that you enjoyed No. 49 on Northwest Public Radio's "50 Favorites!" You can find links to purchase the cd on Shaun's website under Albums. Watch this video for more information on the seige of Derry.



Here's a picture of the Derry Guildhall where the symphony was recorded back in 1990.

Be Thou My Vision

This is one of my favorite versions of the ancient Irish folk hymn Be Thou My Vision. Van the man!

Across the Universe with Michael Johns

This morning I'm playing an entire hour of music written by the Beatles, including a guitar version of "Across the Universe." Here's my favorite versin of that Lennon & McCartney song sung by Michael Johns, a former contestant on American Idol.

So You Want To Write A Fugue?

So you want to write a fugue.
You got the urge to write a fugue.
You got the nerve to write a fugue.
So go ahead, so go ahead and write a fugue.
Go ahead and write a fugue that we can sing.

Pay no heed, Pay no mind.
Pay no heed to what we tell you,
Pay no mind to what we tell you.
Cast away all that you were told
And the theory that you read.
As we said come and write one,
Oh do come and write one,
Write a fugue that we can sing.

Now the only way to write one
Is to plunge right in and write one.
Just forget the rules and write one,
Just ignore the rules and try.

And the fun of it will get you.
And the joy of it will fetch you.
Its a pleasure that is bound to satisfy.
When you decide that John Sebastian must have been a very personable guy.

Never be clever
for the sake of being clever,
for the sake of showing off.

For a canon in inversion is a dangerous diversion,
And a bit of augmentation is a serious temptation,
While a stretto diminution is an obvious allusion.



For to try to write a fugue that we can sing.

And when you finish writing it
I think you will find a great joy in it.

or so...
Nothing ventured, nothing gained they say
But still it is rather hard to start.

Well let us try right now.
Now we are going to write a fugue.
We are going to write a good one.
We are going to write a fugue ... right now.

Here is some information about Glenn Gould's composition So You Want To Write a Fugue?

Gerald Finzi's "Eclogue"

I was introduced to Gerald Finzi's Eclogue for Piano and Strings by a former colleague of mine, Ted Askew. I find this deeply heartfelt piece of music so beautiful, and thought that you might enjoy this video pairing Finzi's elegant and emotional music with photos of sunsets.

In spite of all of our many challenges we live in a world full of beauty.

Young Artists Concert

(Left to right: Stuart Lutzenheiser, Emily Sternfeld-Dunn, Brittany Hines-Hill, Jared Ice and Deborah Blakesley)

On January 29th in Pullman, Jeremy Briggs Roberts conducted the Washington Idaho Symphony and this year's Young Artists' winners in a program that featured Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and the world premiere of young artist winner Johnny Stark's March.


(Johnny Stark)


Hannah Kwon was also featured playing music from Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 . Unfortunately I did not get a photo of Hannah, but that in no way diminished my pleasure at hearing her play a piece that is both technically and emotionally demanding.

It was a pleasure, as always, to be a part of this concert. I applaud the Washington Idaho Symphony, and all of the symphonies in the Pacific Northwest that make a point to nurture and highlight the next generation of classical music performers.


(Conductor Jeremy Briggs Roberts)

Eat Your Vegetables!

If you attend a concert featuring faculty and/or students from the music department of Central Washington University prepare to be surprised! C.W.U.'s music department consistently presents fun, interesting, innovative and well-performed concerts.

You can catch the CWU Chamber Choir this Sunday afternoon at 4:00 at The Seasons in downtown Yakima. Here is a video of Gary Weidenaar leading the choir in John Muehleisen's Eat Your Vegetables! Watch out for the carrot! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

The next Leonard Bernstein?

An NWPR listener in Tacoma turned me on to this video of three year old Jonathan conducting the finale to Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, arguably one of the most well-known pieces of music in the world.

Honestly, this is exactly what I feel like doing when I hear this piece. Well, everything but the judicious nose picking.



Just to prove that Jonathan is not a one trick pony here he is playing the violin. I can't wait to follow his career!