Silent Euphonic Melodies

One day, while listening to a beautiful offertory being played by pinao and flute, I suddenly had an epiphany. They don't happen often and they usually don't go very deep , but the strangest thought struck me, and became an instant source of fascination. The flutist was mic-ed really close; close enough to pick out her rapid breaths in between lines of music. Normally, I don't notice coughs, or breaths or other really small, potentially distracting fascits of music; however, for some reason, her breaths just stuck out to me as I was listening. I wasn't distracted by her breathing, rather, the entire performance was enhanced for this reason: I realized that the beautiful music being played depends SOLELY on those breaths - it seems so obvious, but without that breathing, there's no way that such beautiful music could be rendered. Just listening to breathing, whether it's the breath before a Louis Armstrong blast, the sweet sound of a singer drawing in the power to create the sounds of angels, or the rapid breaths of Mojo as he raps...I find myself amazed at the simple beauty of that sound - especially knowing that without breath, that beauty and creativity is impossible. It's quite a thought, and it was inspiring to me...enjo:y A Euphony of Breath.

~ Jon ~


A Euphony of Breath

A sleek harmonious language,
Spoken through music’s magicians,
A breath taken, hushed silence,
The artist cast her spell.

Transport to another world,
Riding on a crested wave,
A deep breath before the plunge,
Warm notes she then twirled.

With a lovely breath she plays her song,
I sit to watch, to listen, and hear,
The peaceful noise of one breath breathed,
Her lovely voice staid and strong.

The note was held, wondrous, long,
A rich sound and deep as oceans,
It pierced and shattered, warmed and calmed,
One clear note righted my heart’s wrong.

Her music held to glorious end,
Four measures completed,
With a fullness left to sing,
Her eyes traveled the next line to tend.

A thought of preparation passed,
She rose, inhaled and gained th’ pow’r,
Holding within the life of song,
Her lovely spell again she cast.

On she sang enchanting to the end,
Her song’s life ebbed and faded,
But lived again with every breath she drew,
Its power I thought my heart would rend.

The audience sat edged on their seats,
Song’s apex reached she drew once more,
I marveled at such simple charm,
Once more she took me down that blissful street.

She smiled again and sang her symphony,
Lifting her voice, descanting the finale,
She captured all with power of song,
But held my heart with her breath’s sweet euphony.