Several months ago, I came across an arrangement of the theme from the film Schindler’s List, the 1993 American epic film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories.  The arrangement is by the renowned Australian guitarist, John Williams.

I was intrigued by the dropped G & C tuning as well as the Spanish flavor of the transcription and thought I’d give it a try on my new Alhambra 5c cw directly into Logic with the Fishman Prefix pickup system onboard.  If I were to record it again, I would probably add a condenser mic near the sound hole to provide it a bit more “live” touch to the the overall sound.

The Alhambra, which is handmade in Spain,  features a solid cedar top, laminated rosewood back & sides, ebony fingerboard, mahogany neck, wood inlay rosette, wood bindings, gold tuners, lacquer finish.  The icon on my oratory table is a replica of Christ the Pantocrator from the School of Moscow, 16th century.  I’m sure St. Augustine would not mind if I adapted his famous quote to read, “He who plays a stringed instrument prays twice.”

Northern Virginia has been blanketed with a quiet and deep snow with some 16 to 20 inches by nightfall. It put me in the mood to work up Vince Guaraldi’s classic, Christmas Time Is Here, from an arrangement by Jason Vieaux.   It’s not a flawless performance, but good enough for a snowy day.  You can see the snow falling through the windows of my home study.   It has been a long time since we’ve  had a White Christmas in the Washington area.  I’m loving it.

I’ve just returned from the annual Bishop’s Retreat for the Clergy of the Diocese of Virgina at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs.  It was wonderful to take a few days away from the busy routine of parish ministry and give my soul time to catch up with the rest of me.   We were blessed by the leadership of both Br. Curtis Almquist (Superior) and Br. Geoffry Tristram from the Society of Saint John the Evangelist (SSJE) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Their meditations were profound and authentic expressions of life and ministry grounded in prayer and engagement with the human condition.  They shared insights on topics such as expectant hope, performance anxiety, strength from weakness, and the unique shape each of us brings in our motivated abilities and gifts for the common good.

I relished in the gift of time to be with my friend “Marzal” (nickname for my favorite guitar), and to work on Bach’s “Air” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068.  The arrangement I’m playing is by the fine Sweedish Guitarist, Per-Olov Kindgren.  I played the piece for those gathered for Compline on Tuesday evening and folks expressed appreciation for the way it led them into prayer.  Here’s a video of me practicing on the third floor of Pennsylvania House accompanied by sounds of wind, cars driving on gravel, seasoned with a bit of reverb to the audio via Garage Band.  I recorded it on my Ultra Flip camcorder.  Fun with technology.  Enjoy.

Has it been a month since I last posted on this blog? Part of the reason is my stealing time to work on several pieces for classical guitar since listening to a new recording by one of my favorite American guitarists, Jason Vieaux. His performance of the Bach Lute Works (BWV 995-998) was released in February of this year and it is nothing short of inspirational. After listening to this recording multiple times with my jaw falling wide open in amazed admiration, I picked up a transcription of the prelude from BWV 997 and have started working on it – call it lexico musica divina.

Jason recorded these Lute Works on his magnificent sounding, extremely rare, concert guitar by the great German master, Gernot Wagner (just a mere $22,500). It is a “double top” construction, meaning the top spruce sound board you see on the guitar is coupled behind it with an additional sound board made of cedar giving the instrument extraordinary clarity, warmth, and color. O.k., it’s to die for.

In the video below Jason talks about this magnificent guitar and why he prefers to record in the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus — a Gothic cathedral in Cleveland. You can also find a great interview with Jason about this CD on the Naxos Music Blog here.

The high point of a sabbatical pilgrimage to Scotland in the summer of 2002, was my stay on the remote and beautiful Hebridean Island, Iona, just off the Western tip of the Ross of Mull. The community St. Columba founded on Iona in AD 563 became the center for an early, northern renaissance in which books, art, music and culture were preserved in the face of the encroaching “dark age.” Columba and his monks were vigorous and tireless missionaries who did much to keep Christianity alive in Europe.

There is something unique about the atmosphere of Iona. You can’t help but recognize it as a sacred place permeated with the prayers and hopes of countless pilgrims over the centuries. With its ancient grey rocks, fertile fields, white sands, grazing sheep, high crosses and Abbey bell ringing in the distance—Iona is a place of holiness, solitude and incomparable beauty. If you’ve been there, I’m sure these words resonate with you.

I captured my memories of Iona in a song I wrote when I returned home. It was my first attempt using an altered tuning for the guitar, (DADGAD) especially after I stumbled on to the excellent playing of Tony McManus from Scotland who, in my opinion, has the corner on Celtic Guitar. Using my Logic Pro set up, I was able to incorporate sounds of seagulls, rolling waves, and even an abbey bell in the mix. I’m hoping my brother, Rob, an excellent drummer, can eventually supply a better rhythm track than the basic beat I used here. Still, I was pleased with the overall shape of the song and the memories of Iona it continues to evoke within me.

Download audio file (Iona.mp3)

One of the places where I find significant creative and prayerful expression is in my relationship to the classical guitar—and yes, it is a relationship. I’ve been passionate about the guitar since I first laid my hands on my father’s inexpensive “Hijos de Vicente Tatay” Spanish model he brought home after a summer of missionary work in Puerto Rico. I was about ten years old, and since that time I have never ceased to be fascinated by and in love with the guitar. In college, I earned a music performance degree in classical guitar at Catholic University in Washington, DC. Those were the days!

Several years ago, at the urging of my good friend Kevin Hassett, I purchased a handmade 1985 J. Marzal “Conservatorio” model from Valencia, Spain. Marzal learned his craft in the famed Barcelona shop of Master Luthier Jose’ Ramirez. The back and the sides of the guitar are Indian Rosewood and the top is Red Cedar. Of all the guitars I have owned in my life, none compare to the warm and dynamic tones of this instrument.

I wrote a piece entitled “Spirit/Wind” and submitted it for my senior recital and degree at Catholic University (1976). It captures for me the significant transition I was undergoing in my faith journey at that time, hence the title. Not too long ago, I worked it up and recorded it on my Logic Pro 8 set up. I added a string ensemble track to give it a more atmospheric feel (at least that’s what I’d like to think).

Download audio file (Spirit_Wind.mp3)