Case in point. I was reading the program for an upcoming concert featuring new pieces (written within the last 10 years) from young international and national composers. While I may not understand some of the technical/tonal debates, it is still fascinating to read about the process of composition from the point of view of the composer. This particular program featured a piece based on Godspell, a setting of five unpublished poems by New Yorker Philip Levine. As much as I read, I am not usually a fan of poetry, but in this case, one of the poems struck a chord with me (if you’ll excuse a pun). I thought I’d share my discovery with you.
Note: In Old English (and in the Bible) the word ‘Godspell’ means ‘good news.’
Gospel
About life I can say nothing. Instead,
half blind, I wander the woods while
a west wind picks up in the trees
clustered above. The pines make
a music like no other, rising and
falling like a distant surf at night
that calms the darkness before
first light. How weightless
words are when nothing will do.
© Philip LevinePhilip Levine is one of the best-known contemporary American poets, the winner of a National Book Award (What Work Is, 1991) and of a Pulitzer Prize (The Simple Truth, 1994), and the author of more of a dozen books of poetry.
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