Today, Christmas Day, is the birthdate of English composer and organist, Orlando Gibbons in 1583. He received his Bachelor of Music in 1606 and soon after King James I appointed him Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. One of the most (along with William Byrd) important composers who spanned the Tudor/Jacobean periods, Gibbons produced madrigals, service music, and both verse and full anthems. The verse anthem was a sectional work, alternating between solo sections (meant to be ornamented) and choral sections.

This is the record of John is probably one of the best known verse anthems from the period. While more appropriate for Advent, it;s one of my favorites – so let’s let it slide.

Today is the birthdate of Severo Bonini (1582-1663). He was a Florentine by birth and wound up serving there in 1640 until his death as maestro di cappella at Santa Trinita (Holy Trinity Church), a central house of worship in Florence.

Holy Trinity Church in Florence

Bonini was a transitional composer and studied singing with the more famous Giulio Caccini. He wrote in the style popularized by his Venetian contemporary, Claudio Monteverdi, focusing on monody (solo voice with continuo accompaniment), though earlier works do point to the prevailing style of the late 16th century. Sadly, his Il primo libro delle canzonette affettuose in stile moderno (1608) is lost to history.

There are few recordings of Bonini’s works and none available on Youtube. Here is a recording of Caccini’s L’Euridice, as Bonini was certainly influenced by his teacher’s works. Caccini wrote his setting of Euridice roughly at the same time and place as Jabob Peri’s. Caccini actually provided additional music for Peri’s setting.

Today is the birthday of Giacomo Puccini, one of the most important composers of verismo opera. Puccini. Born in Lucca, a city in Florence that still has its intact Renaissance-era walls, Puccini belonged to an established musical family; his 2nd great grandfather served as maestro di cappellaat the Cathedral of St. Martin in Lucca.

Puccini and me in Lucca, in the small square outside his birthplace.

Besides incredible works like La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, and Tosca, Puccuni also composed some beautiful choral music, including a Requiem for Giuseppe Verdi (scored for STB choir, organ, and viola – a short work setting the text of the introit). Here is the tender Coro a bocca ciusa – the Humming Chorus – from Madama Butterfly. Sung to denote the passage of time while Cio-Cio San, with her sleeping son, Dolore, wait through the night for the return of Lt. Pinkerton.

Today is the birthday of American composer John Harbison. One of his most important works, The Flight into Egypt, garnered him the Pulitzer Prize in 1987. He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1989 and composed the opera setting of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby at the request of the Met and in celebration of James Levine’s 25th anniversary with that organization.

Prof. Harbison (currently at MIT) is one of the most important living composers and lists among his influences Stravinsky, Bach Cantatas, and jazz (jazz piano is one of his passions). His music is well received by audiences and critics alike.

Here’s a short piece – Quintet for Winds, Movement I: Intrada.

Today is the 56th anniversary of the opening of The Music Man, which ran for 1375 performances at New York City’s Majestic Theatre. It won Best Musical and 4 other Tonys, despite stiff competition that year; West Side Story had opened 3 months earlier. One might argue that with World War II still fresh in the country’s collective mind, the simplicity of 1912 Iowa appealed to US audiences.

The musical received rave reviews from every New York Paper. Robert Preston embodied the role – so much so that when Meredith Willson and Warner Bros. adapted The Music Man for the screen, the composer insisted on Preston for the lead role over Jack Warner’s choice, Frank Sinatra.

Here’s one of my favorite numbers from the movie, Marian the Librarian.

Today is the birthday of my oldest son, Nathan. He’s 11 today and we couldn’t be more proud. He’s bright, kind, and rather funny.

Nathan shares his birthday with Charles Wesley (1707-1788), father of Samuel Wesley and a prolific hymn-text writer. When I say prolific – I mean it! He wrote over 6000 of them. To this day, the first hymn in just about every Methodist hymnal is O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing! He also wrote Love Divine, all Loves Excelling and Hark, he Herald Angels Sing.

Here is the Chancel Choir at Coral Ridge, their brass ensemble, and Samuel Metzger, all led by Dr. John Wilson, performing Eric Nelson’s arrangement of the most common tune associated with Wesley’s lyrics, Glaser’s Azmon. I sang a Messiah at this church in 2011 – what a wonderful space!