“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narow chinks of his cavern.”  You can read all of it here.

I have come to learn that there is no truth in perception. What seems to be only seems to be and cannot be. Perception is the seeming. But what is IS. Always was always will be. I love Blake and feel a kinship although I have not read all his works (yet). Here’s my latest video:

William Blake’s The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience recorded in Tucson Arizona. Link above to YouTube. Click on picture for another link to Blake’s work.

Recently been short of breath.  So did the best I could for now.

Hope you enjoy them.

“…The tread of high souled men go by

Their thoughts conversing with the sky.”

The album “Ode on a Grecian Urn” now includes Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale.” Click here to link to lulu.com. It’s also available at amazon.com in the Ode to a Grecian Urn II album.

Thanks for your support.

So here’s a preview of the first two verses:

Ode to a Nightingalepreview2

Here’s the first two lines again but different:

FirstlinereviseOdeNight

I’ve been playing with violin, viola, cello and flute which all sound good, but I keep coming back to the bare bones creation. What can I say!

Thank you,  John for this beautiful poem. I hope you like what I’m doing with it.

Ode to a Nightingale is finally pulling together.  I’m getting very close to beginning the recording process.  My first reaction to putting this great work to music was a bit overwhelming. But patient, inching progress has led to something I think will be very nice and fitting of the great sentiments.

My favorite part: “Was it a vision or a waking dream? Fled is that music-do I wake or sleep?”  (The very last lines)

Of course I love the whole poem. I hope you will like what I’m doing with it.

William Blake self-portrait

Just posted a video of William Blake‘s Introduction piece in the collection Songs of Innocence. The audio is taken from an old cassette tape which include several ideas for musical versions of Blake’s famous collection.  I’ve managed to score several of these on Finale and would love to perform them someday once I’ve tested them and feel they are ready for prime time!

My Youtube Channel

Thanks for listening!

I’m already working on Ode to a Nightingale and some other great poems.

Thanks for checking it out!

The video is here.

Michael Head

One guitar, three voices and some bass at the end.

My hope is that the music fits the poem and that I’ve done well enough for now with this first version. It’s been a long time coming!

[podcast]http://www.michaelemmanuel.com/uploads/WaitingBurroughs.mp3[/podcast]