Impressions Stories

Day by Day ~ As on my previous CDs, I have again surrounded my compositions with my own arrangements of two classic hymns. My life remains grounded in God's amazing grace and love. Jesus Christ is the best Friend I have ever known. I love this hymn's lyrics (Lina Sandell-Berg, 1865), which speak of God's caring presence and provision in the daily life of His children. This old Swedish melody (Oskar Ahnfelt, 1872) was a favorite for both my parents. It transports me to childhood, where I relished warm limpa (Swedish rye bread) in my grandparents? kitchen. They did not speak much Swedish, but I can still hear them saying "Tack sjalv mycket" (thank you very much).

Feather's Flight ~ This piece came to me while wandering around the keys, my primary mode of composition. Its gentle drifting melody suggested the lilting path of a down feather on the breeze. The base line reflects the constant gentle breeze, while the melody traces the halting yet graceful flight of the feather. As with many of my compositions, I felt like a third party listening as it developed.

Walking With Tevye ~ I am a gentile, but my identity is informed by the Jewish culture of Brooklyn, NY, where my father's parents grew up as the 20th century dawned. Doubtless because of this, the movie Fiddler On The Roof (1971) left an indelible mark. My family saw the film debut, and many scenes still play in my memory. I particularly appreciated Tevye's ongoing conversation with God about the hard issues of life. This composition paints my impression of what it might be like to join this milkman on his delivery route. I assume that such a walk would involve much dialogue and little silence!

Return To Catskill Meadow ~ This piece is a variation on the theme presented in Catskill Mountain Meadow, featured on my debut CD PURE PIANO PORTRAITS. I have grown to love Southern California, but a special space remains in my heart for the New York State Catskills. In particular, this piece reminds me of a literal meadow nestled in the middle of a cedar forest, halfway up the mountain where my uncle Mitch Cubberley lived in Andes, NY. Returning there always seems like an inspired idea.

Campfire Remembrance ~ For me, this piece elicits images of former soldiers socially gathering around a peacetime campfire, with the flames prompting their own bittersweet memories of wartime fires and fallen comrades. It was inspired by the only melody that ever moved my grandfather to tears. I was perhaps 11 at the time. His eyes brimmed over as he listened to The Vacant Chair (1861, melody by George F. Root), which memorializing an 18-year-old soldier killed during the Civil War. While developing my "new" composition over 20 years later, I was startled to hear traces of Root's tune seeping through my own melody. I acquiesced, inserting the first phrase of The Vacant Chair two minutes in and then including its entire opening line as a coda.

Sun Shower ~ I have yet to experience a sun shower during my 14 years in Southern California, and I miss them. This piece also reflects memories from my childhood in northern NJ. I imagine large, fat raindrops dropping from a mostly blue sky onto hot, humid pavement, often accompanied both by rainbows and rising steam. The drops never came in torrents, and such showers brought temporary reprieve from squelching heat. As a child, I enjoyed remaining outside for their brief duration.

All I See Is Air ~ In 1977, to my delight, a girl from Scotland came to spend the summer next door. I did my 16-year-old best to befriend her but found myself filing all my feelings under "unrequited." Then one evening at summer's end, she dropped her defenses and seemed to relax. My hopes revived as we talked and laughed together in my neighbors? living room. The next day, however, she resumed her distance and left for home soon thereafter. Shortly after her departure, I sat alone in the neighbor's living room, closed my eyes, and imagined our one hopeful evening. As I did so, this melody emerged together with lyrics. The concluding line sadly stated, "I look across for the last time, and I pray that you'll be there. I open up my eyes, and all I see is air."

First Carnival ~ This is perhaps the most energetic piece on this album, and it is indeed inspired by recollections of my first carnival. As a small boy of 6 or 7, I went with my family to the county fair and discovered my first ferris wheel, which seemed to orbit up to the sky. The many rides, exhibits, and music bombarded me with sights and sounds that were a veritable feast for my senses. I was hyperactive as a child (a predisposition I have yet to outgrow), and this piece elicits for me the autobiographical image of a small boy running breathlessly from one exhibit to the next, finally collapsing in a happy state of exhaustion at day's end as our family headed for home.

La Sonrisa Del Sol ~ Throughout my years in Southern California, my fondness of Mexican art, architecture, and cuisine has steadily grown. One of my favorite retreats is a small Mexican restaurant which treats Friday night customers to the talents of two guitarists, who sing their songs in delightful harmony. Whereas La Sonrisa Del Sol is my own original melody, I can easily imagine this duo singing it with great passion! For me this composition evokes images of a stucco ranch with a clay tile roof surrounded by live oaks against a clear blue midmorning sky, all brightly splashed by the smile of the sun.

Swans ~ Birds are perhaps my favorite form of wildlife, and swans have always fascinated and inspired me. They are actually incredibly strong, but I believe no other creature surpasses their graceful beauty. I have always loved watching their silent glide, which transforms any lake into a sheet of elegant crystal. In this composition, I attempt to create a musical picture of this delicate dance. I envision two swans alternately circling one another and gliding in tandem as the last rays of a summer sun play on the resulting ripples that expand into peace.

Be Still My Soul ~ This hymn was also one of my father's favorites and remains one for my mother. Classical music lovers will recognize the melody as the penultimate section from Finlandia (Sibelius, 1899). This German hymn's words predate the tune (Katharina von Schlegel, 1752). It is particularly dear to me because it was Eric Liddell's favorite hymn. If I were to name personal heroes, Liddell would be one. He was the 1924 Scottish Olympian whose refusal to run on the Sabbath was depicted in the movie Chariots of Fire (1981). Later, Liddell followed in his parents' footsteps and became a missionary to China, where he had spent his boyhood. When the Japanese invaded China during WWII, Liddell was imprisoned in an internment camp. There, he continued to be an encouragement to others, emphasizing that surrender to God was the secret to his peace. In 1945, still imprisoned, a brain tumor took his life. My respect for Liddell is great, and it is also one reason for my decision to close my debut CD, PURE PIANO PORTRAITS with the hymn Jerusalem. The phrase "chariots of fire" comes from the lyrics of Jerusalem, and thus my arrangements of both hymns serve in part as tributes to this man.