THROWBACK THURSDAY: What News The Eagle Brought

Posted 10th October 2019 by sara-garrard

How about a Throwback Thursday? I should probably make sure I post some new music in between throwbacks, so maybe this will be a not every week event (specially as I’m mired in writeups at the moment), but this sounds like fun.

This is a piece of film-style music from … March 2008!

“Sire,” said the Eagle, “when you have heard my news you will be sorrier of my coming than of the greatest woe that ever befell you.” The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis.

Sad, bleak, empty… I wrote this and I think one other piece for this “score” – there’s a snippet of the bad guy theme from that at the end of this. Featuring live oboe (I think that bit at the start with the rising phrases and the silences and the squishy strings and sadness is my favourite part?), and alongside the Nice Orchestral Sound Library, some particular free soundfont percussion I remember with great fondness.

You know what, yes, this does absolutely make me miss writing big Hollywood type film scores. I’m going to do that again sometime.

Cute music that loops

Posted 6th October 2019 by sara-garrard

Has everyone seen Pusheen? turns out on their website they have a bunch of mini animations/animated gif type things, some of which had music. Which reminded me of short, cute tracks for games/title screens/animations… So I made a few of these!

I also finally figured out how to make music that loops neatly — or rather, I discovered the method I already knew was correct, but Quicktime player cannot play clean loops! So, you have to loop them on something else.

Music share: How are the mighty fallen

Posted 30th September 2019 by sara-garrard

While I was in Edinburgh over the summer I went to a beautiful concert in St. Giles Cathedral by the Byrd International Singers featuring various Renaissance pieces by English and Scottish composers. This was an extra number by a small group that I’ve looked up and listened to since. Setting of David’s lament for Jonathan (only Jonathan – the part about Saul is omitted.)

How are the mighty fall’n
in the midst of the battle,
O Jonathan.
Thou wast slain in thy high places.
O Jonathan, woe is me for thee,
O Jonathan, my brother,
Very kind hast thou been to me.
Thy love to me was wonderful,
passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fall’n,
and the weapons of war destroyed,
How are the mighty fall’n

Interesting is that the phrase “Very kind hast thou been to me” is not at all the usual translation of that line, not appearing the KJV for instance. I tracked it down to the 1599 Geneva Bible which I think it’s possible Ramsey in Scotland in the early 1600s might have used as source? — although that version doesn’t contain the famous “how are the mighty fallen” phrase, so who knows!

Anyway, I really like the words he selected for the setting, however he did it, and I’m borrowing them for an upcoming piece 🙂

PS. The concert finished with James MacMillan’s The Gallant Weaver as encore, and I’m now absolutely obsessed with that gorgeous piece. Everyone left the church humming the last A F# G# D hum …