From the day that I heard of the August 8th, 2008 wedding plans of my good friends: Alana and Eric, and their appointment with a harpist to select wedding music, I knew that my wedding gift to them would be a recorded series of (my) arrangements of (their) wedding music. The notes that follow are based on the notes I wrote for the “A Wedding Dedication” CD insert.
I hope that you enjoy these dedicated performances.
“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” is the tenth piece, a Chorale, from J.S. Bach’s Cantata 147. Musical lore recounts that this piece was written during a period of Bach’s career in which he was writing one cantata per week to satisfy his responsibilities as choirmaster. This recording was conceived and performed using public-domain notation of the original score. This arrangement includes pipe-organ and harpsichord accompaniment. Bach would likely have only used organ. In this arrangement, violins, violas, cellos, and (string) basses have been substituted for the original Chorale’s voices: sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses (respectively).
2) Entry of the minister and the groom:Hymne by Vangelis
I transcribed the notation of the Vangelis “Hymne” from online recordings. This arranger attempted to keep the arrangement similar in length, tempo, and instrumentation to Vangelis’ original recording.
3) Entry of the bride with her father: Canon in D Major by Pachelbel
Written around 1680, the “D Major Canon” is Pachelbel’s best known piece; and, is one of the world’s best known “rounds” (like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”). The original manuscript is scored for three violin sections with a bass part that repeats over, and over (basso continuo). This performance was created from a public-domain version of the original score. Violins I are staged far-right, Violins II are far left, and Violins III are center. Cellos play the bass part and sit near center-stage. A stage-left harpsichord outlines the harmonies implied by the combined string parts.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (1824) includes a setting of Fredrich Schiller’s poem “An die Freude” (“Ode to Joy” published, 1786). The tune has been so well-loved through the years, that in modern day it is used both as the Anthem of the European Union and as the well-known church hymn: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” It is the hymn version of this song that I have arranged. The arrangement consists of two verses of the hymn with solos, duets, and trios by various combinations of clarinet, oboe, and flute, and violins. At the middle of each verse, a trumpet fanfare reinforces the regal nature of the tune. String-basses enter in the last phrases of the second verse to provide a solid bottom to the final cadence.
This is the title-song from Enya’s 1989 album with the same name. I transcribed this song from an audio version provided by a mutual friend. In the arrangement, I attempted to remain faithful to the spirit of the Enya’s original performance (key, tempos, and instrumentation including Enya’s slightly detuned/chorused acoustic piano).
For years I have enjoyed playing and performing the beautifully-styled piano-arrangements of Harold DeCou. In 2009, I decided to learn more about Mr. DeCou using online research. Unfortunately, the first thing I learned was that Mr. Harold DeCou died on December 26, 2008. Harold DeCou’s obituary is posted by the Peoria Journal Star.
This page is intended to honor the memory and music of Harold DeCou. I earnestly solicit your stories and recollections of Mr. DeCou that will be of interest to others who knew and loved him and/or his music. Your contribution will be added to a growing number of others who have been willing to share via the Comment form below.
As I gathered all the DeCou piano arrangements in my music library, I was not surprised to find five (5) volumes of DeCou arrangements: three (3) volumes titled: “Piano Solo Favorites” (1-3), a volume: “Piano For You,” and a volume of Christmas arrangements that I rearranged for synthesizer as my 2013 Christmas-music project. The covers of four of these books are pictured.
Thumbing through the pages of these music books summons wonderful memories for me. My habit is to write (in pencil, of course 🙂 ) the date at the top of each piece that I perform, publicly. I found that I have performed twenty-five (25) pieces from these four volumes. And, I found that I performed most of those pieces several times – several, as many as five (5) times over a period of years.
I decided to record the arrangements by Harold DeCou that I previously performed most. I will record and post additional ones in some order. I hope that you will enjoy these performances as examples of Mr. DeCou’s arranging excellence.
I sincerely hoped to meet Mr. DeCou in this life and to play keyboards with him. I regret not having been able to have done so. I am thankful for the music that this gentle man left as witness of our faith. If you know a story or anecdote about, or related to Harold DeCou, please share your observations here. As evidenced by the stories shared below, this blog’s readers will appreciate your contribution to our collection of tributes.
(November, 2018 update) Good News! Piano Solo Favorites, Volumes I – III may now be obtained on a limited basis. Anyone interested in these books should submit a request via e-mail to harolddecoumusic@att.net. The agent wishes to provide copies at a reasonable price and timeframe and would like to eventually do the same with the DeCou organ books.
(April, 2020 update) I have confirmed by email that Volumes I – III of the Favorites are still available by emailing: harolddecoumusic@att.net. Please be patient with the agent and allow sufficient time, possibly several days, for a response.
I have posted this year’s Christmas musical project online. Please use the link provided above. Below, I have written more extended notes that I have not yet included anywhere else.
When I began to arrange pieces from the Nutcracker Suite for synthesizer in 2003, I mistakenly believed that I would be able to complete synthesizer orchestrations of all seven (7) major pieces as part of the initial 2003 Christmas project. After I completed the orchestration and recording of the first, and realized how much effort had been involved in the arrangement and performance of the “Overture,” I realized that I would need to change my plans for 2003. So, for 2003, I “finished” the Nutcracker Christmas CD project by performing Nicholas Economou’s well-known two-piano arrangements of the Suite. That decision left me with six (6) Nutcracker synthesizer orchestrations and one (1) two-piano performance relegated to subsequent (Christmas) projects.
I resumed Nutcracker recording last year, for the 2007 “The Christmas Rose is Blooming” project. For it I used a new computer-based virtual orchestra tool, “Synful Orchestra” that has become integral to all orchestral simulations that I have created since then. This year, I orchestrated two more Nutcracker pieces: “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “March’ using my (no-longer) secret tool, “Synful Orchestra.” And, to complete the 2003 series of two-piano arrangements, I performed and recorded the piano version of the Overture that I had previously orchestrated.
I have known the song “Willy Evergreen” since my childhood. Its composer, John Von Spreckelsen was one of my significant musical mentors. John taught me that when improvising “there is no such thing as a mistake” and “you’re never ‘through with’ the Hanon piano exercises.” “Willy Evergreen” was so cherished in my family that my Mother arranged the song using three-part harmony for my sisters: Cathy and Susan, and me to sing as part of our family singing group’s Christmas programs. Some years ago John gave his permission to include my arrangement as part of a future Christmas project. This year I have been unable to reach John and am very concerned. I hope this song becomes as meaningful to you as it has been to me.
Since the first time that I heard this arrangement on the 200x James Taylor Christmas CD, I knew that I wished to transcribe Dave Grusin’s beautiful arrangement of this Hutson-Burt song. Working with music manuscript paper, pencil, and lots of erasers, I transcribed the piano and string parts mostly note-for-note from the James Taylor CD. When Roberta and I began our recording, we decided on a more appropriate key for her voice and recorded the piano and vocal as a duet. Each of us had headphones and were in separate rooms with doors closed. I added the string parts in the days after vocal recording. I hope that you find this piece as special as I do.
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