William Blake----and others to music
[email protected]
I've been no mail for a while, but went back and read a bit. I'll have to
look into that William Blake CD Danielle suggested.
Fans of Blake and other poets might really get into this CD. It's by The
Dead Poets, a local group of three that puts music to the words of
....well...dead poets. <g> I'm a huge fan and am eagerly awaiting their next CD which will
include a wonderful song of Poe's "Eldorado"!
Description of them----a bit from their website is below. Go here for a few
tunes, like "The Tyger", by Blake.
_http://www.thedeadpoets.com/music.html_
(http://www.thedeadpoets.com/music.html)
~Kelly
THE DEAD POETS" RELEASE LONG-AWAITED CD:
Asheville, NC, 21 May 2001 -- Long-dead poets are coming back to life with
the release of a unique debut CD by inimitable poetry band, The Dead Poets.
For the past six years The Dead Poets Poetry Band have been wowing audiences at
the Lake Eden Arts Festival and the Asheville Poetry Show with their
combination of familiar classic poetry and toe-tapping musical arrangements. This
much-anticipated recording, entitled "The Dead Poets," captures all the
harmony, humor, and swing of their live shows with recognizable poetry set to a
range of music, from bluegrass to rockabilly, a-capella to country, and
everything in between.
"The world NEEDS this CD!" says drummer Allan Wolf, himself a published poet
and former English teacher. "Too many people have the wrong impression that
poetry is like a visit to the dentist; uncomfortable but necessary. We call
our approach to verse 'musico-poetica.' That's when the 'muse' in music brings
out the 'Oh!' in poetry. Even people who feel that poetry is boring or
confusing end up dancing to Dickinson and bopping to Blake!" The "musico-poetica"
found on the new CD should be familiar to anyone who has taken a literature
class in school: "The Tyger" by William Blake; "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer;
"Daffodils" by William Wordsworth, "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily
Dickinson. Even Lewis Carroll and E.E.Cummings, among others, make an
appearance.
If you missed The Dead Poets' CD Release party, you can still see them live
periodically. Check our _online schedule_
(http://www.thedeadpoets.com/performances.html) for other upcoming performances.
The Dead Poets are: Allan Wolf (drums, vocals), Tom Tracy (_acoustic guitar_
(http://www.thedeadpoets.com/acoustic%20guitar) , vocals). and Alex Alford
(_upright bass_ (http://www.thedeadpoets.com/upright%20bass) , vocals). The
Dead Poets' CD is available at Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, at
Talespinner Books & Music in Black Mountain, and online. For more information,
visit their website: http://theDeadPoets.com or phone (828)254-9668.
Description:
Great songs are often considered great poetry, but with The Dead Poets,
great poems also make great songs. A favorite verse, a catchy melody, a bit of
harmony--put them together and you might hear something in the poem you hadn’t
heard before. The Dead Poets use music to transform classic poetry into a
fresh and exciting experience, accessible to everyone. From Cummings to
Dickinson, Wordsworth to Rumi, you’ll love the way the "muse" in music brings out the
"Oh!" in poetry.
Bio:
The Dead Poets first performed together in 1996 as the One Night Dog Band.
Poet Allan Wolf (drums) gathered a couple of friends, writer Tom Tracy
(guitar) and artist Alex Alford (bass), for an impromptu gig at legendary poetry
venue, “the green door on carolina lane” in Asheville, NC. They’ve continued to
play together ever since, delighting audiences with their unique,
finger-snapping, musico-poetic stylings.
More than merely presenting poetry in a novel way, The Dead Poets are
continuing a long tradition as old as poetry itself. One of the earliest poems in
English, “Beowulf,” describes scenes of Old English bards (called “scops”),
performing poems about tribal history to harp accompaniment. In modern times,
musicians have often mined poetic tradition for their lyrics: Simon &
Garfunkel with “Richard Corey” by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1896-1935); Loreena
McKennitt with “Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892); and so
on. The act of putting poetry to music allows both listener and musician to
transcend the words and the notes. The Dead Poets call this marriage of song
and verse “musico-poetica.” It’s about learning poetry by note, not by rote.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
look into that William Blake CD Danielle suggested.
Fans of Blake and other poets might really get into this CD. It's by The
Dead Poets, a local group of three that puts music to the words of
....well...dead poets. <g> I'm a huge fan and am eagerly awaiting their next CD which will
include a wonderful song of Poe's "Eldorado"!
Description of them----a bit from their website is below. Go here for a few
tunes, like "The Tyger", by Blake.
_http://www.thedeadpoets.com/music.html_
(http://www.thedeadpoets.com/music.html)
~Kelly
THE DEAD POETS" RELEASE LONG-AWAITED CD:
Asheville, NC, 21 May 2001 -- Long-dead poets are coming back to life with
the release of a unique debut CD by inimitable poetry band, The Dead Poets.
For the past six years The Dead Poets Poetry Band have been wowing audiences at
the Lake Eden Arts Festival and the Asheville Poetry Show with their
combination of familiar classic poetry and toe-tapping musical arrangements. This
much-anticipated recording, entitled "The Dead Poets," captures all the
harmony, humor, and swing of their live shows with recognizable poetry set to a
range of music, from bluegrass to rockabilly, a-capella to country, and
everything in between.
"The world NEEDS this CD!" says drummer Allan Wolf, himself a published poet
and former English teacher. "Too many people have the wrong impression that
poetry is like a visit to the dentist; uncomfortable but necessary. We call
our approach to verse 'musico-poetica.' That's when the 'muse' in music brings
out the 'Oh!' in poetry. Even people who feel that poetry is boring or
confusing end up dancing to Dickinson and bopping to Blake!" The "musico-poetica"
found on the new CD should be familiar to anyone who has taken a literature
class in school: "The Tyger" by William Blake; "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer;
"Daffodils" by William Wordsworth, "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" by Emily
Dickinson. Even Lewis Carroll and E.E.Cummings, among others, make an
appearance.
If you missed The Dead Poets' CD Release party, you can still see them live
periodically. Check our _online schedule_
(http://www.thedeadpoets.com/performances.html) for other upcoming performances.
The Dead Poets are: Allan Wolf (drums, vocals), Tom Tracy (_acoustic guitar_
(http://www.thedeadpoets.com/acoustic%20guitar) , vocals). and Alex Alford
(_upright bass_ (http://www.thedeadpoets.com/upright%20bass) , vocals). The
Dead Poets' CD is available at Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, at
Talespinner Books & Music in Black Mountain, and online. For more information,
visit their website: http://theDeadPoets.com or phone (828)254-9668.
Description:
Great songs are often considered great poetry, but with The Dead Poets,
great poems also make great songs. A favorite verse, a catchy melody, a bit of
harmony--put them together and you might hear something in the poem you hadn’t
heard before. The Dead Poets use music to transform classic poetry into a
fresh and exciting experience, accessible to everyone. From Cummings to
Dickinson, Wordsworth to Rumi, you’ll love the way the "muse" in music brings out the
"Oh!" in poetry.
Bio:
The Dead Poets first performed together in 1996 as the One Night Dog Band.
Poet Allan Wolf (drums) gathered a couple of friends, writer Tom Tracy
(guitar) and artist Alex Alford (bass), for an impromptu gig at legendary poetry
venue, “the green door on carolina lane” in Asheville, NC. They’ve continued to
play together ever since, delighting audiences with their unique,
finger-snapping, musico-poetic stylings.
More than merely presenting poetry in a novel way, The Dead Poets are
continuing a long tradition as old as poetry itself. One of the earliest poems in
English, “Beowulf,” describes scenes of Old English bards (called “scops”),
performing poems about tribal history to harp accompaniment. In modern times,
musicians have often mined poetic tradition for their lyrics: Simon &
Garfunkel with “Richard Corey” by Edwin Arlington Robinson (1896-1935); Loreena
McKennitt with “Lady of Shalott” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892); and so
on. The act of putting poetry to music allows both listener and musician to
transcend the words and the notes. The Dead Poets call this marriage of song
and verse “musico-poetica.” It’s about learning poetry by note, not by rote.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]