Ho Ho Ho! It’s that time of year again. Seasons and greetings and good tidings to all! Everyone has their own Christmas favourites when it comes to traditions and music is no exception. From Mariah to Wham to Bublè to the Pogues, we all like what we like at Christmas and it can be hard to find a new favourite song to add into your playlists.
Country music and Christmas music go together brilliantly. There’s something about the ‘three chords and the truth’ nature of Country music that suits this time of year. Artists from Nashville spend a good chunk of each June, July and August in the studios recording all sorts of Christmas songs, albums and EPs and it’s sometimes tricky to keep track of who has released what.
This is where we come in. We’ve collated a playlist for you to listen to all the best Christmas Country releases from 2022 to see which ones are crackers and which are turkeys. Below is a Spotify playlist of what we consider to be the best of this year’s new Christmas songs. Enjoy!
After five long years, the Kennedy Center Honors are finally back in full force. How can we be sure? Because almost no one mentioned its return to normal during a weekend of festivities that culminated Sunday in a slightly more than three-hour ceremony celebrating five new honorees.
Really, the only mention of the past five years at the 45th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which will be broadcast Dec. 28 on CBS, came from Sacha Baron Cohen. Whilespeaking in character as fictional Kazakh journalist Borat, the actor/comedian made remarks that arguably stretched the audience’s comfort zone: “I’m told president of U.S. and A. is here. Where are you, Mr. Trump?” Wait, Borat? We’ll get to him. We promise.
This time last year, Washington Post theater critic Peter Marks hailed the ceremony, which featured a star-studded crowd in black tie and masks, as a “return to something like normal.” This year we can cut the “something like.” And indeed, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were back for a second year after four “first couple”-less years thanks to a presidential boycott during the Trump years and the ensuing pandemic, which led to a mostly virtual show for the 2020 awards (held in May 2021). Joining them were Vice President Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. Saturday’s medallion ceremony was back in its proper place at the State Department after being at the Library of Congress last year. And everyone — we mean everyone — seemed to be in the mood to celebrate.
Luckily for them, the ceremony — held in the arts center’s 2,364-seat Opera House and honoring actor, filmmaker and philanthropist George Clooney; contemporary Christian music sensation-turned-pop-star Amy Grant; the “Empress of Soul,” singer Gladys Knight; Irish rock band U2 (Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.); and Cuban American composer-conductor Tania León — was, naturally, a mostly musical affair.
Take a look around when the Pips were cooing or the Highwomen were belting, and you were likely to see someone familiar clapping along, be it Anthony S. Fauci, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), actorLaurence Fishburne, Biden adviser Mitch Landrieu or, of course, the president — you name it.
The night proceeded like clockwork. The nominees were praised in five segments, each featuring a semi-biographical video with notable voice-overs (actor Brad Pitt for Clooney, critic Wesley Morris for Knight), clips from Saturday’s medallion ceremony, a few speakers and a couple of (usually musical!) set pieces.
Celebration of the 61-year-old Clooney, as the only nonmusical artist honored, proved the exception. It began with a humorous introduction by former honorees Big Bird and jazz legend Herbie Hancock — a strange pair sure, but like peanut butter and pickles, it worked. As Hancock said, “The Kennedy Center is a place for everybody who lives in America — even birds.”
Julia Roberts, ever the fashionista, took the stage in a dress decorated with an unusual pattern — all images of Clooney — and dubbed her friend a “Renaissance man.” The screen then lifted to reveal a set re-creating an old barroom. At the small tables, sipping cocktails, sat Roberts along with actors Richard Kind, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and, most notably, Clooney’s father, Nick. After Dianne Reeves performed a song from the 2005 movie “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which Clooney wrote and directed, each stood to give a short monologue about the actor.
Cheadle praised Clooney’s humanitarian work, particularly (he said half-winkingly) marrying Amal Alamuddin and starting the Clooney Foundation for Justice. Kind discussed the honoree’s long journey to stardom, expressing excitement of what’s to come. Damon mentioned that Clooney is often called “the last true movie star,” which struck him as incorrect given Clooney’s penchant for practical jokes.
Clooney’s father, though, told a touching story about the day the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Nick Clooney was hosting a television show at the time, and, as he was preparing a speech about the tragic day, his 7-year-old son walked into the room with a bag full of his toy guns. He didn’t want them anymore. Nick ripped up the speech. What could be more eloquent, after all.
The rest of the evening required dancing shoes — or at least a little seat-dancing. A sign reading “Gladys” in lights hung above the set for Knight, 78, where the Pips were joined by Garth Brooks for “Midnight Train to Georgia”; Mickey Guyton for “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”; and Ariana DeBose for a heck of a rockin’ version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” The Pips left the stage as Patti LaBelle sauntered on and called Brooks, Guyton and DeBose back for a touching rendition of “That’s What Friends Are For.”
Journalist Katie Couric introduced Grant’s segment, calling her music the “perfect elixir for a troubled time and troubled souls” before performances by Sheryl Crow and the Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires) before gospel singers BeBe & CeCe Winans belted out “Sing Your Praise to the Lord.”
Previous honoree Carmen de Lavallade introduced the tribute to 79-year-old composer León, who left Cuba as a 24-year-old refugee and was receiving this award only one year after earning the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in music. It featured multiple performances, including vocalist Alicia Hall Moran’s resounding take on “Oh Yemanja” from the opera “Scourge of the Hyacinths” and a rendition of León’s Pulitzer-winning composition, “Stride,” by the Kennedy Center Honors Orchestra, members of the Sphinx Organization, cellist Joe Kwon of Avett Brothers and conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson. Actress Anna Deavere Smith narrated the story of León’s life story from Cuba to the United States, detailing such moments of significance as Leonard Bernstein discovering her at Tanglewood.
The night ended with praise for the Irish rock band U2, known for its anthemic rock tunes, receiving the honor on the verge of its fifth decade together. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder took the stage to play covers of “Elevation” and “One,” and Sean Penn offered a touching speech about the band’s prolific philanthropy. But the showstopping moment (for good or ill, depending on your personal constitution) was probably Cohen, reprising his Borat character to praise the band “by the name of Me 2.”
“Please remove your wretched album from my iPhone 6,” Borat implored, later adding another request: “Your band fight oppressions from around the world. Stop it!”
The irreverent jokes kept the crowd lightly chuckling, the final segment featuring Ukrainian singer-songwriter Jamala, Irish musician Hozier and Carlile singing U2′s “Walk On” as many other performers from the evening — including Morris, Reeves, Guyton and Crow — joined in to close out the event with a note of exuberant joy.
On Saturday, the honorees had gathered at the State Department with a gaggle of special guests — a mixture of political and artistic stars — to share a dinner and receive their medallions. No one, though, was given a more generous welcome than a behatted Paul Pelosi, who received a thunderous standing ovation. He joined his wife, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), at the dinner, and again at Sunday’s ceremony, in a couple of his first public appearances after being attacked during a home invasion at the end of October.
Underlying the cheerful nature of Saturday night’s ceremony was a strong message of the importance of the arts to the global community. In his welcoming remarks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to artists of all stripes as “diplomats” and said, “You don’t need to speak English to feel something when you listen to ‘Midnight Train to Georgia.’ ” Brooks echoed the sentiment, saying, “Art not only connects us, it binds us.”
The honorees received tailored toasts from various celebrities. Of note was Roberts, whose outfit again played a part in her praise. She donned a green dress, read a self-written limerick to U2 and invited the quartet onstage for an intimate toast of black velvets — Guinness mixed with champagne. She added that at 55, she’s been lucky to “never know a life without their music.”
The honorees, who didn’t speak during Sunday’s ceremony, then each offered a few words of their own, all hammering home the point of art as a communal good, something that brings us together.
Clooney, meanwhile, reiterated the night’s theme of art-as-togetherness, joking that he’s traveled the world and everyone agrees on one thing: “You sucked as Batman.”
All-girl group is the latest Pinoy pop music act to burst onto the scene.
The year 2022 will go down as the year that Pinoy pop has established itself as a music style and movement.
One only has to look at the local music landscape to know that there’s no other music style out there today that sounds and looks as exciting as Pinoy pop. Of course, we’ll never discount other styles such as Pinoy rock, R&B, ballads, straight pop and everything in between, but it simply is just Pinoy pop’s time.
Known as P-pop, we now have a melange of music acts out there that champion P-pop; SB19, BGYO, ALAMAT, Boiz, BINI, LITZ, P-Pop Generation, KAIA, VXON (Vision), Eric Ejercito, Ace Banzuelo, DAYDREAM, G22, 1st.ONE and that’s just the active ones (that we know of) that put releases this year. That doesn’t count the long list of music acts that went before, the proverbial progenitors of P-pop.
And just before 2022 closes, a new group has been launched and you guessed it, It’s P-pop.
Emerging is the all girl-group BLVCK ACE – a sing and dance quintet that includes sassy named members Anasity, Ely, Jea, Rhen and Twinkle., The group comes under the Blvck Entertainment talent management agency and the group was recently launched with the announcement and release of their debut single. According to the talent management outfit, as their first ever group, BLVCK ACE are the bubbly, colorful aces-in-the-hole of Blvck Entertainment.
Just like any group worth their salt, BLVCK ACE (with the stylized spelling Black, duh) went through training and talent improvement workshops and camps as spearheaded by their mothership in Blvck Entertainment.
According to the newly emerged talent management group, the girls “has trained intensely in singing, dancing and acting for several months to be fully prepared to join the growing P-pop group craze in the music industry.” And even as BLVCK ACE has released their first single, “they are still being supervised closely so that they can continuously improve and develop their skills and talents.”
Blvck Ace certainly makes its case as an all girl group to watch out for through their debut track titled “Pasahero.” This bright sounding pop song is bubbly, upbeat and is bursting with energy, just like the group behind it. The group themselves describe their music to be “positive, and giving good vibes to all who listens to it.” Adding that, “’Pasahero’ is a tribute to the ever-reliable transport service drivers.” The kuya tricycle, jeepney and taxi drivers nod is admirable as BLVCK ACE sings in unison, “Ikaw ang aking pasahero / ako ang syang magmamaneho / at ako ang superhero na taga payo mo sa t’wing akala mo tinatalikuran ka na ng mundo,” as thumping beats, pop rock guitars gloriously carry those BLVCK ACE voices into the song’s catchy choruses.
BLVCK ACE and “Pasahero” are produced and released under the Blvck Music label which is the music platform of Blvck Entertainment. The music label and talent management outfit is a entrepreneurial venture by Louie and Grace Cristobal. The Blvck Entertainment and music brand are “determined to give deserving talents fulfill their dreams.”
As for BLVCK ACE, the road for these P-pop pasaheros looks wide and open. Not to mention colorful.
AdventHealth is partnering with Harry P. Leu Gardens to offer a sensory-friendly night at Dazzling Nights. It is scheduled for Monday, Dec.5.
Click here to get tickets.
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Tickets are sold out for the 5:30 p.m. time slot, but there are still a few available for 5:15 p.m.
They are $25 for adults and $22 for children 3 to 13.
Leu Gardens transformed into a winter wonderland featuring a million dazzling lights, shining forests, magical displays, music, and beautiful sculptures.
Guests who attend the sensory-friendly night will get pamphlets with a map. It will detail light and sound sensitive information for each experience. This allows families to choose and customize their own holiday experience.
“There are quiet spaces. There’s a map that kind of explains how the whole event is going to be set up. So, families who know what their children’s triggers are, can avoid them. The lights will be turned on in some locations, the music will be turned down globally across the whole event to allow those children, who are a little neurodiverse, to be able to enjoy it just as much as their neurotypical peers,” said Crystal Stephens an Occupational Therapist at AdventHealth.
The three-quarter mile, interactive holiday experience at Leu Gardens ends Jan. 1.
AdventHealth lists areas of the experience that may lead to triggers:
1. Entry Area
Sound: Ambient, fun holiday music playing from speakers
Lights: A “Happy Holidays” sign with flashing/chasing lights and a tree with static light emanating from within
2. Wondrous Woods
Sound: Quiet, ambient background music
Lights: Thousands of slowly rotating laser lights
3. Glowing Garden
Sound: Quiet, ambient background music
Lights: 8’ tall neon flowers with a static glow
4. Joyful Journey
Sound: Medium volume background music
Light: Tens of thousands of small, white lights hanging from trees overhead, some twinkle. Large neon snowflakes.
5. Down the Chimney
Sound: Loud holiday music playing from speakers. 8 blowers for a large inflatables
Lights: Static illumination of the inflatable
Experience: An inflatable play area that requires climbing up an angled stairway to access slides
6. Brilliance
Sound: Loud music with live vocals
Light: Lots of flashing lights and lasers
7. Path of Peace
Sound: Quiet, ambient background music
Light: Static lights wrapped around tree trunks
8. The Crystal Kingdom
Sound: Medium volume background music
Light: Slowly fading beams of white light, glowing ice crystals
Experience : 3 characters available for meet and greet. Two speak without amplification. One is non-verbal.
9. Sparkling Stars
Sound: Quiet, ambient background music
Light: 200 static light lightbulbs on top of steel poles
10. Snow & Glow
Sound: Loud holiday music playing from speakers. Large snow machines with fan noise.
Light: Static light
Effects: Falling snow: small particles of nontoxic, skin-safe foam
11. Peppermint Pass
Sound: Loud holiday music playing from speakers
Lights: 100, 70-foot neon strips, twisted along a 70-foot enclosed tunnel. Static lighting.
12. Fabulous Flurries
Structure: An enclosed dome, 40 feet in diameter
Sound: Music playing from speakers. 10 loud fans
Light : Bright, static light
Effects : Swirling confetti fills this room, blown by the fans
13. Ring of Radiance
Sound : Loud holiday music playing from speakers
Light : 200 flashing LED nodes
Effects : Fog effects emitted in plumes from fog machines. A hissing noise is made when fog output is active.
READ THE FULL STORY:Leu Gardens offers sensory-friendly time slot for ‘Dazzling Nights’
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Pierre Boulez composed his piano work Douze Notations in 1945. After its première in February of that year (by Yvette Grimaud), the piece was subsequently withdrawn by Boulez (evidently already regarding it as outdated), who only relented and allowed it to be published in the mid-1980s. Despite this, in 1946 Boulez privately worked on an arrangement of 11 of them (No. 6 was omitted) for ensemble, and from the late 1970s reworked five of them, Nos. 1 to 4 and 7, for orchestra. Apparently, the intention was to create more orchestral versions, as Boulez mentioned in 2012 that he was working on No. 8, though this was never completed.
The orchestral Notations are markedly different from the piano versions, expanded in form and scope, so in 2011 German composer Johannes Schöllhorn set out to orchestrate them for ensemble, retaining the concise brevity of the originals. Three of these were given their first UK performance at the 2015 Proms, marking Boulez’s 90th birthday (he died the following January), by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group conducted by Franck Ollu.
No. 2
Schöllhorn’s approach with No. 2 doesn’t quite have the ferocity of the piano original – interesting considering its progression from just one instrument to many – though it nicely colours the central shift away from wild, aggressive clusterbombs to something like a mechanical machine.
No. 10
Schöllhorn’s version of No. 10 shifts timbres according to Boulez’s playful mix of cross rhythms (triplets and quintuplets) and regular versus rapid phrases, around a centre where everything comes together for a brief moment of rhythmic focus and unity. BCMG’s performance nicely lives up to Boulez’s curt demand, “absoluement sans nuances”.
No. 11
Boulez mark’s Notation No. 11 ‘Scintillant’ (glittering), but Schöllhorn gives that an icy interpretation in his orchestrated version. The notes have a chilly demeanour, reinforced by a lack of vibrato and string tremolandos, and the two central chords are decidedly dark and foreboding. Appropriately, the original instruction that “Faire ressortir le chant en sauts disjoints” (bring out the melody in disjointed jumps) is realised by having the piano in the ensemble sustain each note of the melody, and Schöllhorn’s use of hanging notes creates a nice simulation of Boulez’s desired “beaucoup de pédale” effect.
La treizième
In addition to orchestrating Boulez’s originals, Johannes Schöllhorn also created an additional Notation, which he titled La treizième. The piece is a patchwork, using a single bar from each of the 12 Notations, the bar number corresponding to the number of the Notation (i.e. No. 1 = bar 1, … No. 12 = bar 12). Though it’s clearly just a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun, the piece nonetheless highlights how behaviourally cohesive the original Notations really are, since when chopped up in this way, the effect is utterly schizophrenic, offering momentary windows into a dozen very different, self-contained worlds.
With apologies to Universal Edition for such a crude cut and paste job, below is a quick and dirty mock-up of what the imaginary ‘original’ piano score of La treizième would look like.
Before what would have been his 39th birthday (December 4), the estate of the late Chinx has released CR6.
“It’s been 7 years since we lost Lionel Pickens P.K.A Chinx Drugz. To the people that know and love him it still feels like yesterday,” says manager Doug Ellison. “To the people that know and love him it still feels like yesterday! As his friend, manager, and executive producer, I had the pleasure of witnessing his evolution into the artist many grew to love. With the release of CR6, we decided to approach the project with the same intensity that we approached his albums while returning to the street roots, club chants, and anthems Chinx was known for.”
A 12-track offering, CR6 features the likes of Benny The Butcher, Offset, Red Cafe, Sizzla, his brother JFK WAXX, and others. Stream the project below.
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Chinx Releases Posthumous ‘CR6’ Album was last modified: December 2nd, 2022 by Meka
Country music legend Tanya Tucker has been enjoying a career resurgence of late, a phenomenon due not only to her talent but also to the efforts of a fellow country superstar, Brandi Carlile.
It was Carlile who helped convince Tucker to come out of semi-retirement and record While I’m Livin’, her first album in 17 years. The process of making that record, and what it meant for Tucker to re-enter the spotlight, is documented in The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile, directed by Kathlyn Horan.
The film explores why Tucker, who shot to fame as a teenager with the hit single “Delta Dawn,” kept to the sidelines for so long.
“She chose to step away. She had lost her parents. And a lot of what this film is, it’s an exploration of this grief process,” Horan explained during an appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Documentary event. “She says she lost her mojo, and she didn’t want to do it anymore because her father was her manager for so much of her career. And then she just kind of didn’t know what to do or how to approach it without that. And it took Shooter [Jennings] and Brandi to create the space for her to want to step back into it.”
With coaxing from Carlile and Jennings (son of country music great Waylon Jennings), Tucker got that mojo back, a process that unfolds in the film.
“Tanya is just a vibrant artist in every way and has so much more to give,” Horan said. “We get to see that through the journey as she goes from this extremely vulnerable, terrified place to gaining her confidence and seeing the possibilities of her future.”
One of the themes of the documentary is the double standard Tucker faced as a woman in country music. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and George Jones, for instance, were celebrated for their hard living, but Tucker’s partying and romantic relationship with singer Glen Campbell earned her rebukes.
“One of the many great things about Tanya is that she doesn’t resent any of that. You know, she makes a joke about it,” Horan said. “She sort of dusts it off and moves forward. But the reality is, at a time when she was out having fun. … You know, I’m sure, the legendary story about George Jones, who drunk drove a tractor to the liquor store because his wife took the car keys away — he got a mural in Nashville and Tanya gets a wagging finger.”
Check back Wednesday for the panel video.
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Music Director Tito Muñoz conducts the Phoenix Symphony at Symphony Hall on Oct. 16, 2022.
He has performed on stages the world over, but Phoenix Symphony Music Director Tito Muñoz’s hometown of Queens, New York, remains his inspiration.
Queens is “extremely diverse. English is not the common language. There is no common language. You get on the subway and everybody’s speaking everything, and it’s great,” Muñoz said in an interview with The Arizona Republic.
In his ninth season with the symphony, the appreciation the 39-year-old maestro of Ecuadorian descent has for the Queens-like blend of cultures has helped him enrich the Phoenix audience’s musical palate.
“For me, diversity is always a thing I like to think about as sort of necessary to enhance the vibrancy of an organization. Even in symphony orchestra,” Muñoz said. “We’ll be able to play more music better. We’ll be able to connect with the community better. We’ll be able to educate the people better.”
According to data published in a September 2016 report by the League of American Orchestras, Latinos make up 8.3% of conductors for U.S. orchestras with large annual budgets.
The lack of diversity among orchestra members is not lost on Muñoz, so opening doors to more people of color is essential to his position. The music director is a part of Sphinx, a social justice organization committed to broadening access to classical music for Black and Latino performers, and works to ensure the Phoenix Symphony features compositions by creators of color.
Exposing Phoenix to a wider range of artists
The Phoenix Symphony is a 76-year-old cultural institution in the Valley. Under Muñoz’s leadership, it has performed compositions from a wider range of artists, including those of color.
This spring, the symphony played Mexican composer Juan Pablo Contreras’ mariachi-inspired piece, “Mariachitlánin.” Muñoz described Contreras’ composition as regionally relevant to Arizona, where 32.3% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
And Black composer Daniel Bernard Roumain, whose classical music has hip-hop influences, has won over the symphony’s audience, Muñoz said.
“We are doing this because it’s great music. Here’s somebody part of our community, part of our landscape of America and it fits with the program,” Muñoz said. “That’s reflective of values rather than ticking a box.”
Some of these composers are brought onstage and introduced before their composition is performed, allowing audiences to understand the artist better, and in turn, be more appreciative of their music, Muñoz explained.
“Breaking that barrier by introducing a person and getting to know the person who actually wrote it, really makes a big difference,” Muñoz said. Audiences are “definitely more open-minded when they hear the piece.”
Muñoz, with the violin as his instrument of training, rooted his musical education at New York City’s famed LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts with supplementary classes at The Julliard School.
He made his professional debut as a conductor in 2006 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Muñoz has performed with orchestras across the country, as well as conducted in London and throughout Germany and France.
He performed with the Phoenix Symphony twice before taking the helm as music director in 2014.
As conductor, Muñoz said he views himself as a stage director imparting a vision for a performance. The score, he said, is the script and the musicians are the actors whose roles he helps mold based on their level of experience.
All this, he explained, generates a harmonious sound from the orchestra.
“The only difference between a director and a conductor is a conductor is doing the directing in real-time,” he said. “All my gestures are more like encouragement reminding of what we did in rehearsals. It’s more than just keeping a beat.”
Classical musical: ‘Like food for the soul’
Though the pandemic brought a lull over the Phoenix Symphony in its 2020-2021 season, its current roster of 63 full-time members has been busy with several shows this season, which runs from Oct. 14 to May 13.
Some of the programs this year have sources outside the classical music genre.
Curated by Muñoz, this season has a slate of more than 20 programs featuring some guest conductors.
The weekend of Nov. 18-20 at Symphony Hall saw “Dancers, Dreamers and Presidents,” a composition inspired by then-Sen. Barack Obama famously grooving to Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” during a 2007 appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
In late January at the Madison Center for the Arts, the symphony will put on “Totally ‘80s,” a concert featuring rock, R&B and new wave music hits from the decade.
“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Tito is one of the outstanding conductors of his generation,” said Phoenix Symphony Board of Directors Co-Chair Lon Babby. “He brings tremendous enthusiasm and energy to everything that he does.”
Babby, 71, is among the classical music faithful who, thanks to Muñoz’s efforts, have come to embrace composers from outside the genre orthodoxy.
Muñoz, Babby said, helps fulfill the Phoenix Symphony’s obligation as an arts organization to help the art form grow by giving young or new composers an opportunity to perform.
“He’s a master of what I would consider the repertoire of the music that I love and that I listen to and that I think attracts many in the audience,” Babby said, adding that Muñoz has “also educated us on where classical music may be headed.”
Regardless of what the orchestra plays, Muñoz consistently holds his musicians to a high standard, associate principal trumpet player Ben Nguyen said.
Playing for the Phoenix Symphony for the last 31 years, Nguyen, 61, thinks Muñoz has elevated the orchestra’s sound through his experience. Nguyen pointed to Muñoz’s time as assistant conductor with the Cleveland Orchestra, regarded as one of the country’s leading orchestras, while the widely respected Pierre Boulez was its conductor.
“There’s a certain, very high standard that he’s used to,” Nguyen said and added that Muñoz coaches the musicians to “sound like a unit” to better perform a “well-polished product that is meaningful, that is intended by the composer.”
And for all the orchestra’s forays into contemporary melodies, Muñoz said the musicians perfect their skills by regularly playing the challengingly “elegant and nuanced” compositions of classical music greats like Mozart or Schubert.
Classical musical is “like food for the soul almost – like eating your vegetables. As a music director, you try to judiciously place those pieces in the season, so that you’re giving the orchestra what they need to kind of keep in shape and healthy,” Muñoz said.
Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on Twitter @jrgzztx.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Symphony director embraces diversity, champions broader sound
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With IP68 rating, excellent sound quality, impressive touch controls, and a great feature set, the JBL Reflect Aero headphones are an excellent value. Oh, and they are extremely affordable.
Overview of the JBL Reflect Aero
Despite appearing similar to ordinary sports headphones, the JBL Reflect Aero has more to offer than meets the eye. Its circular frame has wing tips to help keep it securely in place even when exercising.
One obvious feature that makes these wireless earbuds stand out is their waterproofing. They have an IP68 rating, which means they aren’t just water-resistant. They’ll keep on blasting the tunes for 30 minutes down 1.5 meters in salt or fresh water (although Bluetooth signals do not travel well in water, so keep that in mind).
There’s more, too. In addition to active noise cancellation, touch controls, in-ear detection, and a 12-hour battery life (24 hours total with charging case), JBL packs in other premium features as well. This is already a lot, even if you don’t consider the great sound quality and the fact that you can actually customize their touch gestures for volume control, for that sub-£150 price.
With IP68 rating, excellent sound quality, impressive touch controls, and a great feature set, these headphones are an excellent value. Oh, and they are extremely affordable.
JBL Reflect Aero-Amazon.com
Available prices and specifications for JBL Reflect Aero
This true wireless earbud will cost you / £119, which is particularly affordable for what it offers. 0.5 oz (13 grams) per earbud, Bluetooth 5.2 interface, earbud battery life is 8 hours, case’s battery life is 24 hours. Noise cancellation: Active Noise Cancellation.
Despite the fact that the price tag isn’t in the budget range, these earphones still fall into the midrange range, so they’re more affordable than Sony’s WF-1000XM4, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, or even Beats Fit Pro. It’s fair to say that all three models offer better sound and ANC. But, none of them are submersible, and none of them have 10 bands of equalizer, so your sound can be tailored.
Compared to other headphones, the JBL Reflect Aero have the best value out of the bunch. They’re a great choice for swimmers and active users alike, while also being a great option for budget-conscious consumers who want more premium features.
JBL Reflect Aero-Amazon.com
Pros of the JBL Reflect Aero
Sound quality is excellent Waterproofing and IP68 are both effective Controls and audio prompts are both helpful and easy to use Improved ear detection
Cons of the JBL Reflect Aero
There are no major issues with ANC Call quality isn’t great The bass could be better
JBL Reflect Aero-Amazon.com
Overview of the JBL Reflect Aero
Despite appearing similar to ordinary sports headphones, the JBL Reflect Aero has more to offer than meets the eye. Its circular frame has wing tips to help keep it securely in place even when exercising.
One obvious feature that makes these wireless earbuds stand out is their waterproofing. They have an IP68 rating, which means they aren’t just water-resistant. They’ll keep on blasting the tunes for 30 minutes down 1.5 meters in salt or fresh water (although Bluetooth signals do not travel well in water, so keep that in mind).
There’s more, too. In addition to active noise cancellation, touch controls, in-ear detection, and a 12-hour battery life (24 hours total with charging case), JBL packs in other premium features as well. This is already a lot, even if you don’t consider the great sound quality and the fact that you can actually customize their touch gestures for volume control, for that sub-£150 price.
With IP68 rating, excellent sound quality, impressive touch controls, and a great feature set, these headphones are an excellent value. Oh, and they are extremely affordable
Available prices and specifications for JBL Reflect Aero This true wireless earbud will cost you / £119, which is particularly affordable for what it offers. 0.5 oz (13 grams) per earbud, Bluetooth 5.2 interface, earbud battery life is 8 hours, case’s battery life is 24 hours. Noise cancellation: Active Noise Cancellation.
Despite the fact that the price tag isn’t in the budget range, these earphones still fall into the midrange range, so they’re more affordable than Sony’s WF-1000XM4, Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, or even Beats Fit Pro. It’s fair to say that all three models offer better sound and ANC. But, none of them are submersible, and none of them have 10 bands of equalizer, so your sound can be tailored.
Compared to other headphones, the JBL Reflect Aero have the best value out of the bunch. They’re a great choice for swimmers and active users alike, while also being a great option for budget-conscious consumers who want more premium features.
It’s all about design with JBL Reflect Aero
Generally speaking, the JBL Reflect Aero earphones don’t differ much from other sports earphones when it comes to design. The JBL Reflect Aero have that nice honeycomb pattern on the side that faces your ears, so they’re very similar to Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay E8 Sport earphones except they’re just a little bigger.
The JBL Reflect Aero’s best feature is its touch controls, which are responsive and customizable, along with helpful sound prompts, which we have to praise. In fact, AirPods Pro were not available until months after they hit the market with the second generation, where you could program two of those touch gestures to control volume.
It is possible for these earphones to be a little too big for users with small ears (or ear canal openings) due to the fact that they come with silicone tips in three sizes and three wing tip pairs. Those ear tips could probably be a little smaller, even at their smallest size.
JBL Reflect Aeros come with app support, which is the JBL Headphones app. Certainly you don’t have to download the app in order to use the earphones, but it is well worth it. Its 10-band EQ lets you customize their sound significantly, so you can not only expand their functionality but also personalize their sound.
Aerodynamic performance of JBL Reflect Aero
With JBL’s Ambient Aware feature (transparency mode), you can hear enough of your surroundings to have a conversation with another person while the music is still playing at approximately half volume.
If you want to switch between your phone and your laptop at the same time, you can pair both devices at the same time. For instance, if you’re getting a phone call while watching a movie on your laptop. Additionally, the in-ear detection is very good at detecting when an earbud has been taken off or put back on when it’s very reactive. Furthermore, the microphone sounds great when you’re on the phone – so you know you’re being heard clearly. The high end sounds crystal clear and detailed.
While the device can connect to two devices at once, you can only listen to one input at a time. Additionally, you have to play or pause one source, wait a few seconds, then play the other one, which can be annoying when you’re in a hurry. Lastly, the mic’s frequency range is limited, so there’s less low-end, and it’s not 100% noise-repellent.
These headphones will sound terrible if you don’t fit them properly in your ears with those silicone ear tips. There isn’t going to be much depth to the overall sound, with the mid-range sounding recessed, the bass being very restrained, and the high end lacking detail as well. Before watching videos or playing music, make sure your ear tips completely plug into your ears.
It’s important to point out these shortcomings so that you understand that JBL Reflect Aeros aren’t on the high-end audiophile level, however, despite a few quirks, JBL Reflect Aero earbuds make great workout companions, especially if you’re working out in water. It is possible to fully submerge these devices for up to 30 minutes without any deterioration in the device performance thanks to their IP68 rating. The devices survive submersion in water and still play music, which has been user-confirmed. You can swim laps while wearing these as long as you have your phone nearby, and you don’t do deep dives.
If you’re thinking of buying JBL Reflect Aero headphones…
You need feature-filled buds to work out with. With all the best features you need to keep you focused, the JBL Reflect Aero earbuds deliver them with wing tips to keep them secured and in-ear detection and sensitive touch controls.
It’s difficult to find waterproof earbuds that can withstand complete immersion, but the JBL Reflect Aero can. It has a rating of IP68, which is higher than most other earbuds.
They perform almost as well as ones that cost £250, but cost a lot less. If you want good sound quality at a reasonable price, this is definitely a smart choice.
JBL Reflect Aero may not be best for you if…
There are plenty of other earbuds out there with better active noise cancellation than the JBL Reflect Aero. The low end is a bit inconsistent with these earbuds, so you can never be sure how that bass sounds from one track to the next.
Think about this as well
Using an FM radio transmitter as a workaround for water’s Bluetooth-blocking properties, Zygo Solo bone conduction headphones work around Bluetooth’s limitations.
In Conclusion
Compared to other headphones, the JBL Reflect Aero have the best value out of the bunch. They’re a great choice for swimmers and active users alike, while also being a great option for budget-conscious consumers who want more premium features.
The religious celebration of Easter is a true dichotomy between death and life, endings and beginnings, grief and joy. The Easter story has been immortalised in some of the greatest classical works of all time, and inspired countless others. Discover our selection of the top 20 best classical music pieces for Easter encapsulating the ecclesiastical gravitas of the crucifixion, the poignancy of the resurrection, and the jubilation of springtime.
Listen to the best classical Easter music on Spotify and scroll down to discover our selection of the top 20 pieces.
Best Classical Easter Music: Top 20 Essential Pieces
20: Tallis: Lamentations Of Jeremiah The Prophet
Composed as early as 1565, Tallis’ Lamentations are settings of verse from the Book Of Jeremiah, specifically the first ‘Nocturn’ for Maundy Thursday, one of the best classical music pieces for Easter. Tallis opts for the lower, darker, richer tones of male voices, which he skilfully balances in contemplative, five-part polyphony. As a result of this relentless and complex counterpoint, these Lamentations are deeply emotional and utterly entrancing.
19: Berlioz: ‘Resurrexit’ from Messe Solennelle
Berlioz’s Messe Solemnelle has a resurrection story of its own: in 1824 the then twenty-year old Berlioz is said to have discarded large sections of his Messe Solemnelle. Thankfully for us, the complete score was later discovered in 1991. The ‘Resurrexit’ movement is fantastically dramatic, with proud brass fanfares and epic choral forces revelling in the euphoria of Jesus’ resurrection in full-blown, post-Beethovenian Romanticism.
18: Monteverdi: Vespro Della Beata Vergine
Monteverdi’s Vespers For The Blessed Virgin, published in 1610, were written to be performed on Marian feast days. In its time, Monteverdi’s vocal compositional style was pioneering: the use of figured based, the virtuostic solo writing, the use of dance forms, all seen manifest in these Vespers, are just a few ways in which Monteverdi revolutionised vocal composition. These stylistic innovations would eventually lead to the invention of opera. Indeed, moments in these Vespers certainly verge on the operatic, contrasted with animated, fugal passages. From pieces like these magnificent Vespers, it is clear to see why Monteverdi is often heralded as the most significant composer of the 17th century.
17: Bruckner: Mass No.1 in D minor
A fervent Catholic for all his life, Bruckner’s ouvre is littered with sacred works. His first setting of the Mass ordinary, written in 1864, is a delicate and contemplative masterpiece. For this piece Bruckner eschews his more experimental compositional tendencies in favour of a more conservative, straight-laced idiom, particularly in terms of harmony. His fiery, innovative Romantic flair that is apparent in his symphonies, is balanced perfectly with polyphonic technique, creating a truly uplifting setting of the Mass ordinary. Perhaps a little of Bruckner’s Romantic intensity pervades into the final section, the ‘Agnus Dei’ (‘Lamb of God’), which brings the piece to a tantalising conclusion.
16: Stravinsky: Mass
As you would expect from Stravinsky, this setting of the Mass is no way near as conventional as Bruckner’s. In fact writing music for a Catholic liturgical service was inconsistent with Stravinsky’s own Russian Orthodox faith. The piece, scored for an unusual combination of choir, with oboes, cor anglais, bassoon, trumpets and trombones, is by Stravinsky’s standards refrained, and largely unornamented. Nevertheless, a capsule definition of the harmonic language evades theorists and analysists to this day. In its own Stravinskian way, the strangely hypnotising soundworld of this Mass captures the significance of religious festivals such as Easter.
15: Haydn: The Seven Last Words Of Our Saviour On The Cross
A sobering commemoration of the crucifixion on Good Friday, Haydn’s Seven Last Words are a meditation on Christ’s last moments in human life, in the form of 9 movements. The work was originally scored for chorus and orchestra, but later arranged into an equally transformative and powerful string quartet, and is one of the best classical music pieces for Easter. The music is supremely graceful yet measured, exuding the gravitas and solemnity of Christ’s final moments on the cross, in the knowledge that in sacrificing himself, He would save all mankind.
14: Pärt: De Profundis
A musical setting of Psalm 130, De Profundis is an intriguing, mesmerising piece, perfectly suited for a portentous occasion such as Easter. Pärt reaches deep into the lower limits of the male vocal range, contrasting these grave, rich tones with a chiming organ ostinato and ethereal tubular bells that circle throughout. This piece certainly provides a moment of internal reflection, with gentle melodies that linger and build, almost to breaking point, before the voices pull back into blissful vocal harmony.
13: Pergolesi: Stabat Mater
The Stabat Mater is a sombre hymn, conveying the suffering of the Virgin Mary at the crucifixion of Christ. Pergolesi’s version was written just before his own death in 1736. Moments of grief, such as ‘Quando Corpus Morietur’, are contrasted with lighter moments, such as ‘Cujus Animam Gementem’, reflecting the duality that lies at the core of the Christian Easter festival. This particular setting of the Latin liturgy is potentially one of the most tender and evocative duets in the repertoire and one of the best classical music pieces for Easter.
12: Tavener: As One Who Has Slept
A modern Easter anthem, As One Who Has Slept (1996) is a musical setting of the liturgy of St Basil, written specifically to be performed on Easter Sunday. Tavener grounds the angelic, floating voices with a drone in the bass part which is maintained throughout, almost as though to put the listener into a trance-like, meditative state. Through heart-wrenching harmonies which gently jar, and then resolve, Tavener creates an ethereal, timeless setting for the words: “As one who has slept, the Lord has risen, and rising He has saved us.”
11: Purcell: ‘When I Am Laid In Earth’ from Dido And Anaes
‘When I am Laid in Earth’, also known as ‘Dido’s Lament’, from Purcell’s late 17th-century opera, is a secular work that today is most commonly associated with remembrance. However, the purity of emotion, and poignancy of the words, that ominously foreshadow death, lend themselves freely to ecclesiastical interpretation. This beautiful simplicity aria demands supreme vocal control and delicate sensitivity from the soprano, which simultaneously inflicts a profound emotional pull on the listener.
10: Messiaen: O Sacrum Convivium
This motet, written in 1937, is a setting of Latin prose that honours the Eucharist – the sacramental consumption of bread and wine in memory of Jesus. Religious teaching holds that this tradition began on the eve of Maundy Thursday, at the Last Supper. Messiaen’s musical offering if entirely homophonic, which rises and falls with the breath. The melange of voices linger on juicy chords, revelling in Messiaen’s distinctive musical rhetoric. The noticeable lack of harmonic resolution makes this a weightless, almost spiritual, listening experience.
9: Mozart: Mass in C minor
Or indeed the Great Mass, as history has rightly dubbed it – even in its partly unfinished form. The giant of classical music himself produce an equally gigantic setting of the Mass ordinary, with four soloists, double chorus and immense orchestra. This piece looks both to tradition, with the influence of Bach and Handel evident in ‘Cum Sancto Spiritu’, as well as to innovation, with vocal pyrotechnics more reminiscent a Mozartian opera than a sacred Mass. The compositional mastery of this piece is perhaps best exemplified by the ‘Sanctus’, where full performance forces are fully unleashed.
8: Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Overture
Based entirely on chants from the Russian Orthodox Church, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Easter Overture is a purely instrumental work for orchestra and one of the best classical music pieces for Easter. This piece is wonderfully programmatic: the underlying Easter narrative is unmistakable thanks to the composer’s genius use of orchestration. The contemplative opening section underlines the solemnity of the Passiontide in the lead up to Holy Sunday, before transitioning into the unbridled joy of Easter morning.
7: Bach: Easter Oratorio
Bach is renowned for his divine collection of large-scale church music. The Easter Oratorio is cantata written specifically for worship on Easter Sunday, the narrative of which follows the discovery of Jesus’ empty tomb, from the joyous, lilting opening chorus ‘Kommt, Eilet Und Laufet’, to the sorrowful lament in ‘Seele, Deine Spezereien’. The text is non-liturgical, comprised of newly-written poetry, and includes the characters of John, Peter, Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James.
6: Vaughan Williams: Five Mystical Songs
The first of Vaughan William’s Five Mystical Songs from 1911 is titled ‘Easter’. Scored for baritone solo and accompanied by choir and orchestra, ‘Easter’ is an endlessly joyful setting of a poem by George Herbert. The throbbing string accompaniment creates an atmosphere of excitement and exultation, whilst the rich baritone solo sores above. Uplifting and jubilant throughout, ‘Easter’ and the four other Mystical Songs, represent Vaughan Williams’ work at its absolute finest.
5: Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories
Tomás Luis de Victoria’s Tenebrae Responsories, perhaps one of the most stunning examples of relatively unknown early music, were composed in 1585 for performance during Catholic services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Comprised of eighteen motets with text derived from the Catholic liturgy, Victoria writes for simply four voices a cappella. The eighteenth responsory ‘Sepulto Domino’ is the epitome of pared-back vocal writing, with slushy suspensions and blissful harmonic progressions.
4: Bach: St John Passion
The first of Bach’s two mammoth sacred Passions, the St John Passion is an epic musical setting of the gospel. The John was first performed during service on Good Friday in 1724, it has remained a core part of the liturgical canon ever since and is one of the best classical music pieces for Easter. Scored for soloists, chorus and orchestra, John Passion is intense, dramatic, and evocative throughout. Perhaps the most breath-taking moments belong to the Evangelist, for whom, as narrator, Bach writes astounding recitative passages that border on the divine.
3: Bach: St Matthew Passion
The St Matthew Passion is a sacred masterpiece on a scale even grander than its John counterpart. Again, performed by chorus, orchestra, and the Evangelist narrator, the Matthew is arguably the pinnacle of Bach the church musician and one of the best classical music pieces for Easter. If you’ve got the stamina, the full three hours of the Matthew Passion are well worth your undivided attention, particularly at Easter.
2: Mahler: Symphony No 2, ‘Resurrection’
Mahler’s second symphony, nicknamed ‘Resurrection’, is the composer’s own meditation on rebirth and afterlife, themes reminiscent of Easter. Radical for its fusion of both vocal and orchestral genres on an unprecedented scale, the ‘Resurrection’ symphony is scored for an extra-large orchestra, full choir, organ and church bells. Mahler wrote the text himself. The fifth movement in particular is explosive yet poignant, beginning with a passage known as the “cry of despair” and ending with the words, “Die shall I in order to live/Rise again, yes, rise again.”
The final moments of the ‘Resurrection’ symphony will quite simply blow your socks off, punch you in the face, and break your heart in the space of five minutes.
1: Handel: Messiah
Handel’s Messiahis a mainstay of choral society singing, one of the best classical music pieces for Easter, and one of most enduring choral works of all time. This oratorio is synonymous with Easter, with the scriptural text of the King James Bible set to Handel’s dramatic and emotive music. Best known of course for the famous ‘Hallelujah’ chorus, however the rest of the Messiah is equally beautiful, featuring exquisite arias such as ‘Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted’. In a word? Iconic.
Recommended Recording
Trevor Pinnock’s 1988 recording of Handel’s Messiah with the English Concert and Choir is one of the finest versions available to offer authentic instruments and lively, embellished singing that is idiomatic to the Baroque period. The soloists are soprano Arleen Augér, contralto Anne Sofie von Otter, countertenor Michael Chance, tenor Howard Crook, and bass John Tomlinson. BBC Music Magazine described Trevor Pinnock’s recording of Handel’s Messiah as, “One of the freshest and most exciting Messiahs on CD reconciling ‘authentic’ practice with the work’s undoubted scope for grandeur. Superb soloists.”
Trevor Pinnock’s recording of Handel’s Messiah can be bought here.
