Paul Winter

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I’m a big fan of Paul Winter and the Paul Winter Consort. I was introduced them through New Friend which a friend lent to me. The album features a violin, piano and cello. It’s a little sad, a little reflective, but beautiful none the less. My absolute favorite track is first ride, it’s one of those tracks that just touched me in a way most other music doesn’t.

I listened to a couple of other CD’s by Paul Winter and another of my favorites was Whales Alive which had the songs of humpback whales mixed in with the music and voice overs by Leonard Nimoy. Yeah it’s all very Star Trek IV but a good album none the less. Then came I heard Missa Gaia /Earth Mass. This CD was recorded live at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Harlem NY. In a nutshell it a feast celebrating life, all kinds of life from the tiniest bacteria to the largest of animals. It’s celebrated on the feast day of St. Francis or the first Sunday in October. As long as your pets are well behaved they are welcomed into the church. For the grand finale they have procession of animals. The animals change from year to year but include things like snakes, parrots, ferrets, camels, and an elephant from the Central Park Zoo (yes he walks into the church down the aisle up to the altar). It’s all very touchy feely but we could all use a little of that from time to time.

Another of my favorites is Wolf Eyes. Again it’s got these sad but beautiful tracks. Buy this time I had heard/seen Paul Winter play live at three or four Earth Mass celebrations, but he came to play at Tilles Center at CW Post close to where I live, SO I HAD TO GO. It was a much more intimate and moving performance.

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