Theater of the Imagination
Join award winning composer Peter Link as he presents his life's work in 'Theater of the Imagination.'
Theater of the Imagination
Series 1, Episode 21: Breaking Traditions
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In order to break traditions, one first has to know the traditions. The traditions of songwriting are the fundamentals developed over the centuries from Beethoven to George Gershwin to Billy Joel to Adele. Writing for the theater always gave me license to stretch the rules of the Pop music traditions. Of course, writing for the theater has its own set of traditions or fundamentals, but they always seemed to come under a much wider umbrella. This particular Episode 21 takes us to the edge of the cliff in exploring the unknown, but because of the stretch, it is one of my favorite episodes.
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Welcome to:
Scattershot Symphony
The Music of Peter Link
(That’s me.)
People ask me, “Why “Symphony? You’re not a classical composer.” Well, Wikipedia defines “Symphony” as: an extended musical composition most often written by composers for orchestra – often presented in several movements.
And so, I bring you the music of a lifetime of composition – often presented in several movements. That’s the nature of these podcasts – a scattershot look at a lifetime of music …
So, strap on them headphones.
We’re 90% music with just a smattering of commentary.
So for god sakes,
(Crowd)
Turn it up!
This week being the twenty-first episode of this podcast, I prefer to let the music do the talkin’. However, if you need to know more about me, please visit Wikipedia.com – Peter Link.
This episode is entitled
“Breaking Traditions”
Exploring the Unknown
In order to break traditions, one first has to know the traditions. The traditions of songwriting are the fundamentals developed over the centuries from Beethoven to George Gershwin to Billy Joel to Adele. In this particular podcast we most often focus on Pop and Inspirational music. Both have long histories of fundamentals and traditions that I’ve explored and deeply respected in a lifetime of music making. I’ve both studied and taught these fundamentals for half a century now.
But if you listened to the previous Podcast #20 you’ll know that after 30 years of following the rules, I decided to venture out — not to leave the rules behind, but perhaps first to stretch them to the max and second, then, to go beyond. It’s kinda like tightrope walking — dangerous, but totally exhilarating. So, if ya’ don’t think tightrope walking would be your cup of tea, at least step on out here with me to the edge of the cliff and breathe the fresh air.
Our first offering today is a song I wrote for Jenny Burton. She is joined by an adult choir, a children’s choir, a raft of great NY musicians and the world famous Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatungi and his 8 cohorts all pounding away on a variety of African drums. It even features, for a minute, another world famous musician, pianist, one Richard Tee, who, at the time, was known as the greatest Gospel player on the planet. Baba Olatungi even worked with me on the translations from English to Yoruban, one of the many languages of Nigeria. Anyway, this was one of my first forays into the great unknown.
The River
Performed by Jenny Burton and a Cast of Thousands
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link & Baba Olatunji
Rollin' to the sea
Come ye to the water
Lose yourself in me
Never to go back again
Omi omi omi lenia
Oshun oshun awa toro alafia
Omi omi omi lenia
Oshun oshun awa toro alafia
Sunday mornin'
Wash in the river
Strange things fill the air
River run by and smile at me standin' there
And so I smile right back
And call to the river
Sing me up a little song
River says I don't mind if you sing along
I been a thousand miles
Seen a lot of faces
For a thousand years
Been a lot of places where no man has gone
Where there's nothing but the traces of God
An' I'm rollin' on
Rollin' to the sea
Come ye to the water
Lose yourself in me
Never to go back again
Rollin' to the sea
Come ye to the water
Lose yourself in me
Never to go back again
Wish that I could be like the water
Rollin' over me
Searchin' for the peace at the river's end
Some day soon
When finally the river's
Rollin' round the moon
I will be at peace again
Omi omi omi lenia
Oshun oshun awa toro alafia
God He gives
The power to the river
River to the man
It was so before the world began
Time won't wait
It flows with the river
Don't look back my friend
Get on in and go to the river's end
More than a thousand miles
Rolling on inside you
And a thousand lies
Trying to divide you while you carry on
And she's always there to guide you along
Still rushing on
Rollin' to the sea
Come ye to the water
Lose yourself in me
Never to go back again
Rollin' to the sea
Come ye to the water
Lose yourself in me
Never to go back again
Wish that I
Could be like the water
Rollin' over me
Searchin' for the peace at the river's end
Some day soon
When finally the river's
Rollin' round the moon
I will be at peace again
I will be at peace again
I will be at peace again
The next song is another Jenny Burton gem. I really think this is a song that I would include in my top 5 ever written. It’s simply a song about some of the things I think about occasionally. I also orchestrated it by creating a string arrangement and then playing the strings backwards behind Jenny as she sang. Surprisingly enough, it worked! Sometimes crazy ideas actually do come to fruition.
I Think on These Things
Performed by Jenny Burton
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link
When I consider the heavens
The works of thy fingers
The moon and the stars
You ordained
When I consider a child
The steps that he's taking
His light and his joy
So ingrained
When I think of the way
That each breath comes unnoticed
Sustaining this delicate life
I am swept off my feet
In breathless wonder
At the mystery of life
When I consider the music
Of all the great masters
And know it was you
They all heard
And the works of our Shakespeares
King Davids and Keats
You gave them each
Every word
When I contemplate
The pure fabric of nature
Bewildered by all we have learned
I am swept off my feet
In breathless wonder
At the miracle of life
And I think on these things
And the wonder life brings
From the greatest of things to the small
And though I spend my life
Searching life's solemn secrets
I know I'll never know all
As I ponder the atom
The boundless vast ether
The billions of lives
On this stone
I consider the gift
Of God's imagination
And begin to explore
The unknown
But this whimsical world
It just slips through my fingers
As I try to hold on to the air
And I'm swept off my feet
In breathless wonder
At the miracle of life
And I think on these things
Yes I think on these things
And the wonder life brings
King Of Hearts, a quaint little French anti-war movie starring Alan Bates and Genevieve Bujeau played for six years every Saturday night at an art house in Harvard Square back in the 60s and 70s. It was so popular that many people saw it over and over again 10 to 20 times. The first time I saw it, I just knew I had to do it as a musical some day. It takes place in a tiny French village on the last day of WW1. The Germans have occupied the town, the Americans, knowing that at 12 o’clock midnight the war will be over, are waiting for the Germans to leave so they can free the townsfolk.
The Germans, in their usual dastardly way, decide to plant bombs and blow the place sky high at midnight. Perhaps to celebrate the losing of the war. ( sore losers …) The French underground gets word of the dastardly plot and spreads the word among the townspeople who leave the town empty except for the left behind inmates of the local insane asylum. The basic idea of King Of Hearts is, “Who’s really crazy? The lovely gentle off beat loonies of the asylum, or the people on the outside making war.” When the townspeople exit, the nuns of the asylum, in their hurry to get outta town, mistakenly leave the asylum gates open … and the inmates behind. So the inmates, once the town is empty, decide to exit the premises and go back to the life they had before they were incarcerated.
The next song takes place at the moment they all approach the open gate and quietly and stealthily begin to sneak out through that open gate and rehabitate the town for the day.
Transformation Suite
Performed by The Broadway Cast of King Of Hearts - The Musical
Words by Jacob Brackman
Music by Peter Link
[Genevieve]
Somehow this place is a place I know
Deja vu, deja vu
Familiar from so far ago – deja vu
Not even the shadows have been rearranged
Everything here is exactly the same
I know I have been here before – deja vu
The trunks and the sawdust
The flags in the breeze
Siberian tigers
The flying trapeze
La la la la la la
And clowns shot from cannons
Through circles of fire
And fat ladies swallowing spears
With each feat of daring
Eliciting gasps and cheers
It's exactly the same after all these years
[Barber]
Somehow this place is a place I know
Deja vu, deja vu
Familiar from so long ago – deja vu
Not even the shadows have been rearranged
Everything here is exactly the same
I know I have been here before – deja vu
The candy cane door pole
The leather, the chrome
The snip of sharp scissors
The scent of cologne
La la la la la la
Here is young Brutus
My trusty old doily
I've missed your protection, my dear
And the feathery tickle
Of tresses behind my ears
It's exactly the same after all these years
[Barber and Genevieve]
All these years
Here I am
Still the same
Home again
It's exactly the same
After all these years
[Chorus]
The air in this town is alive with the feeling
Funniest feeling I've been here before
The air in this town is alive with the feeling
Funniest feeling I've been here before
It's exactly the same after all these years
La la la la la la la la
Music is in the air
It's breezy
Strolling around the square
It's easy
Time for a promenade
Life is enchanting in town
Everyone's down in the street
[Two Female Lunatics]
It's a promenade
What a promenade
Such a promenade ha ha
[Chorus]
Morning's sweet and we're free to greet her
Free to choose how to pass the day
Pastry shop never did smell sweeter
Since the shop keeper's away
Lovely fetching
Winsome catching
Charming tresses
Disarming dresses
Fashion perfectly chic dear
Passion pumped to the peak
Exciting careers
We're all magnifique
What a feast for the eyes
What a stunning surprise
To be free and to see
That there's no one else here
Who knew that dreams could come true
After all of these years
Havin’ A Talk With God Mid-Podcast Ad
Music Intro
Thyme
‘Scuse me, Pete, but I’d jus’ like ta’ take a quick moment here an’ Invite all these good folks out here to join me an’ ma’ special friend in a new different kinda episode that’s sure ta’ git your day started on the right foot. We’ll jus’ be takin’ a walk together in that meadow up yonder – jus’ ‘about ma’ favorite place on the planet. An’ along the way we promise jus’ the happiest a’ times, a few chuckles, an’ even a thought or two ta’ ponder … oh yes, an’ jus’ wait till ya’ see them cornflowers.
We’ll be doin’ this a coupla times a week an’ doncha worry none, this won’t take ya’ more ‘an 5 or 6 minutes a shot … each episode. Like I said, it’s jus’ a little different, but absolutely worth yer while.
Starts February, 2022, an’ ya’ can even bring a friend if ya’ like. Ma’ name’s Thyme Quinn (That’s spelled T-H-Y-M-E) an’ I’ll be sharin’ the time with ya’ doin’ what I do every mornin’ … Havin’ A Talk With God.
Fact is, that’s the name a’ the series– Havin’ A Talk With God. Hope ta’ see ya’ then. An’ thanks, Pete, fer lettin’ me do ma’ invite.
Music Sting
Pete
Thyme Quinn … She’s a peach!
Writing for the theater always gave me license to stretch the rules of the Pop music traditions. Of course, writing for the theater has its own set of traditions or fundamentals, but they always seemed to come under a much wider umbrella. There was a period of my life that I was known to be a theatrical or Broadway composer. It’s not something that I ever dreamed of when I was a kid. It was just something that happened. I never wished to be a Broadway composer, but It was where I had some great success, so that’s what I became — whether I liked it or not.
After a decade or so, I decided to move on to other more, for me , gratifying worlds. But the theater stayed in my blood. And the wide umbrella of guidelines suited my ambitions to a T. So, because of my upbringing, I became an eclectic composer. I’m a guy who likes to have 5 or 6 different tubes of toothpaste to choose from every morning. Perhaps, that says it all.
Anyway, this next song is a product of that eclecticism. Call it a lovesong to a bird.
Cardinal In The Snow
Performed by Peter Link
Music and Lyrics by Peter Link
There’s nothing quite like
A cardinal in the snow
All that white
And God’s splash of red
As if He had said
“Here is my thought for the day.”
A cardinal in the snow
Oh a cardinal in the snow
A cardinal in the snow
Bird in my window
More magnificent than the mountains
More beautiful than the valleys
And the rivers
And the wonders of this world
Bird in my window
Only for a second or two
But burned into the scrapbook of my being
Oh dear God
Thanks for making it so
He’s even more beautiful than Marilyn Monroe
This cardinal in the snow
Even more so than the willow tree
Even more so than Van Gogh
This cardinal in the snow
A cardinal in the snow
Oh a cardinal in the snow
A cardinal in the snow
Bird in my window
More delicate than the snowflakes
A graceful ballerina
Standing mighty
A King among his peers
Bird in my window
Guardian of his family name
He’s burned into the mem’ry of my mind
A cardinal in the snow
A cardinal in the snow
The 23rd Psalm has to be the best known prayer from the Bible. There are probably a thousand musical renditions of this beautiful lyric that was written centuries ago by David the King. To call it a classic would certainly be an understatement. I set these immortal words to music probably as a result of my theatrical background with as dramatic an approach as I could imagine at the time. Julia Wade then brought to the work both the appropriate legit and classical crossover qualities and her usual deep understanding of the drama of each moment.
The 23rd Psalm
Performed by Julia Wade
Lyrics from Psalm 23, King David
Music by Peter Link
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
He restoreth my soul
And He leadeth me
Yes He leadeth me
In the paths of righteousness
For his name's sake
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
For thou art with me
Thy rod and thy staff
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me
Yea, though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
I will fear no evil
Thou preparest a table before me
In the presence of mine enemies
Thou anointest my head with oil
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want.
My cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Ever more
The Lord is my shepherd
Here’s another song that stretches form to the max, but, gratefully, somehow, works like a charm. The song, sung by Broadway star, Steve Blanchard, comes from the musical, Sundown, a musicalization of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. In it, Doc Holliday, played powerfully by Steve, regrets, but also defends the choices of his life as a gunslingin’ cowboy.
Poison Water
Performed by Steve Blanchard and the Cast of Sundown
Words by Larry Rosler
Music by Peter Link
[Doc]
Lord, you know I tried
Did my very best
To turn the other cheek
As you suggest
But love your enemy's a hard request
When he's reaching for his gun
Here I go again
And it makes me sad
To say goodbye
To all the dreams we had
So how did something good
Turn out so bad
Take a look at what we've done
Poisoned the water
Poisoned the water
Look at us now
We've poisoned the water
Poisoned water
Full of waste
Let them come and get a taste
Of poison water
[Tom]
Mother of mercy-
[Doc]
Relax, Tom. Just relax. We don't want to wake the lady.
[Tom]
But I'm unarmed. You know China Mary don't allow no guns in her rooms. You ain't gonna shoot an unarmed man, are ya? Are ya?
[Doc]
I'm here to extend an invitation: you meet me later today, and we'll settle the score for all time.
[Morgan]
Virg, what they done to Kate ain't right.
[Virgil]
And what they do to one of us, they do to all.
[Morgan]
We should end it now
[Virgil]
We should do it quick
And when we do it, dammit, make it stick
[Morgan]
A little piece of lead should do the trick
[Virgil]
That's the gospel truth my son
[Tom]
Gentlemen, this time Doc Holliday has called out the wrong man.
[Ike]
The wrong house, Tom, the wrong house.
[Frank]
Turn your back on wolves
This is what you git
[Ike]
You touch a rattlesnake
And you get bit
[Tom & Ike]
The talking's over now we finish it
Take a look at what they've done
[Clantons, McLaurys, Morgan & Virgil]
Poisoned the water
Poisoned the water
Look at them now
They've poisoned the water
Poisoned water
Full of waste
Let them come and get a taste
Of poison water
[Wyatt]
You hear that?
[Wyatt]
It's the sound of hearts beatin' faster right before a kill. I love that sound. I'll round up the boys, Doc. Don't be long.
[Kate]
Doc, it's not too late
Not for us
Cause I know
We can make it, Doc
Please don't go
What of all those dreams
Of getting out
Cutting ties
[Woman in Black]
They were only pretty lies
Just a pack of pretty lies
[Kate]
I ain't going to bury you. If you go down there, I gotta walk out on you.
[Doc]
I have no choice, Kate.
[Woman in Black]
See the minute hand
Moving on the clock
Too late to close the door
And turn the lock
It's what you wanted
Are you ready, Doc?
[Earps]
Yeah, today they're gonna pay
[Clantons & McLaurys]
Yeah, today they're gonna pay
[All]
At a place they call OK
Cause they
Poisoned the water
Poisoned the water
We know just who poisoned the water
Poisoned water's got to kill
Let them come and drink their fill
Of poisoned water
Let the water go
Let that poison flow
Miracle of Faith is a theatrical album — never intended to be a theatrical live presentation, simply written to musicalize one of the great Bible stories of all time — the story of the five loaves and two fishes. The approach we took on this was to envision the story through the eyes of three of its main characters — the boy who offered his gift of food, the doubting disciple who tried to turn the boy away from bothering the Master, and Mary Magdalene, often recognized as the thirteenth disciple, who witnessed the miracle. I got to play Thomas, the doubting disciple, the boy was played spectacularly by 12 year old Broadway veteran, Noah Marlowe and Julia Wade brought her usual deep character penetration to the role of Mary Magdalene.
I wrote the lyric with former student, Dora Redman, who began it as a class project. From Miracle Of Faith, a story song that emphasizes story over traditional song form.
The Evidence of Things Unseen
Performed by Julia Wade
Lyrics by Dora Redman and Peter Link
Music by Peter Link
And so he spoke
"They need not depart.
Give ye them food to eat."
Give them food for thought,
The food of light,
The light of sustenance
Don't send them away in their time of need
Feed the flock
But his disciples were not in the mind of Jesus
They struggled to raise their faith
And though miracles had abounded throughout the days
They were stuck in the world's worn out ways
They knew not God's law of infinite abundance
And I watched as they muttered amongst themselves hmm
"Feed them with what? There's nothing to eat"
No apples, no almonds, no meat
Then a boy stepped forth
With a basket of bread and two fishes
Well you know the rest
The five thousand were fed
And we all saw the power of his wishes
And the evidence of things unseen
Oh yes the evidence of things unseen
You ask, "What is that evidence?"
It's the substance of faith
And no seeming dreams that lie in between
There, by his prayer
Pulled out of thin air
In a miracle of such routine
(As I witnessed so often, again and again)
Was the evidence of things unseen
Yes, the evidence of things unseen
Yes a boy stepped forth
With the spirit of "Nothing can stop me"
A boy, just a boy
And five thousand were fed
And we all felt the power and the glory
Of the evidence of things unseen
Oh yes the evidence of things unseen
And right there, by his prayer
Pulled out of thin air
In a miracle of such routine
(As I witnessed so often, again and again)
Was the evidence of things unseen
The man
The miracle
The son of God
Hallelu!!!
And all this from two fishes
And five loaves of bread
You are the first people to hear our last offering — the first besides co-lyricist and bookwriter, Ragan Courtney and, again, Julia Wade, both wife and Actor who takes on the role of Eve to my Adam. Let the first be last in today’s podcast. You are the first to hear this song because the song was written for a new musical that got shelved because of the pandemic. As the Broadway scene no doubt has noticed of late, It’s gonna be some time before Broadway is back on its feet. So, Searching For My Father, The Musical may take some time to get on the boards. Hence my deep interest in the world of podcasting.
Anyway, this last song is the opening song in this new aforementioned musical. Here, we ask you to use your imagination and all your best listening skills imagining the first meeting of two of the most famous characters in storybook lore — Adam and Eve. More than a song, it is a musicalized scene — weaving together song and dialogue. It is entitled …
And so …
We hear music -- dreamlike -- and the stage floats in surrealistic imagery of trees, flowers, an exotic jungle. We are in the Garden of Eden. It is the first day of woman kind.
(Lights up DSL on Adam)
He’s working in his garden, raking, digging, pruning.
(He speaks directly to the audience)
It Was Very Good
Performed by Julia Wade and Peter Link
Lyrics by Ragan Courtney
Music by Peter Link
[Adam]
I come from a garden. The Garden. Light is dappled across the shady bank and delights like the tiny licks of kittens. I named them "Cats" and called the small ones "Kittens." And the slippery reptiles that loved to slip in and out of water, "Eels" ... "Ssssnakes." How wonderful to stroke their smooth, moist skin. It seemed that everything around me needed to be called something. So I went to work. I even got to name myself. "Adam." It seemed appropriate.
I loved the sound of the "breezes" in the protective "trees" that seemed to reach out and up as readily as down and in.
Even though "He" was with me daily, frequently, I wondered at this growing feeling I would call "loneliness." "Lonely" for what? All the creatures had paraded before me. Everyone was already here.
So I named them, too.
What was I missing? In all the amazement I experienced at each sunrise, what could there possibly be missing?
"He" knew.
Imagine my surprise one morning when I awoke to see "her" ... here ... standing by a stream, laughing as a Morning Glory tickled her face.
He knew.
And when He returned in the cool of the evening, we were holding hands – that is what I named our paws. I called them "Hands." I reached out and touched her with my "hands."
It was there in the soft light of morning
That something else was dawning
On that quintessential day
And I awoke as the world was aborning
And everything around me
Would never be the same
And like everything else He made
It was good
It was good
It was very good
She
She
She was not really expected
But it seemed so right
To see her there.
And I detected
That she was there just for me,
Yes, she was there just for me.
And it was good.
It was very good
Um hmm
Um hmm
[Eve]
It was the surprise of the morning light of which I was first aware. I gasped ... (gasp) for air and rubbed my eyes, and reached out for a handful of something I could not grasp ... on any level.
He grunted. (chuckles)
I turned to see from which creature around me came that sound. From the sleeping creatures, he stood and walked toward me. Whoa ... I watched as his eyes got as big as moons.
I was the surprise of his morning light.
He was somewhat like me ... hmm, somewhat ...
And I was drawn to him. He stretched out his hand toward me. I reached out my hand to him.
The hands fit.
It was there in the wonder of newness
My eyes were drawn to his eyes
In that reckless carefree way
And though we said not a word
There was music
It came from where I knew not then
But it was in the air
And like everything I had seen
It was good.
It was good
It was very good
He
He
He was not really expected
But it seemed so right
To see him there,
And I detected
That he was there just for me,
Yes he was there just for me.
And it was good.
It was very good
Um hmm
Um hmm
So there you have it.
Scattershot Symphony - Episode 21.
Next? Episode 22. A sojourn into another world — an entirely different kind of episode. Entitled …
Havin’ A Talk With God
Also, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts … etc.
A grateful nod goes to both Julia Wade and Jenny Burton for their superb solo talent on song after song, and Steve Blanchard on Poison Water who has always brought his rich voice and depth of perception to both his and my music, as well as the entire cast of Sundown featuring Judy McLane and Julia Wade.
Thank you also, to the Broadway cast of King Of Hearts and to all those chorus people who have so lovingly brought their terrific talents to my music over the years.
A very special thanks also to Stuart Barefoot, our Associate Producer for all your invaluable knowledge and good vibes.
And a posthumous thanks to Ludwig Van Beethoven for your opening 4 bars.
Julia
(over playout music)
This podcast is presented with loving care by the staff at Watchfire Music. If you liked what you heard, we got lots more where that came from. In the meantime, you can find the songs you just heard on watchfiremusic.com. There you can purchase the singles or albums and have access to all the lyrics. Also, there you will find all previous podcasts and future scheduling.
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