Where were you hiding, genius?

All these years; from the day I dropped the lid on the keyboard and stacked away my books. I knew all the Masters then, especially the ones who figured in my examinations. I still remember them all and decades later, when I muse through their volumes .... volumes of classical music, researching them, even the lesser known ones when I began putting into print all those classics, flying across the seas to not to miss the London Philharmonic Orchestra once too often, on two occasions to watch the New York Symphony Orchestra but never discovered you.

Why were you gathering dust all these years when you were going to crack my heart with your fabulous CANON in D.

Why on earth had the score to be called. CANON instead of Ascention when all the time you wrote sacred music the world appear to have forgotten or not known. Then, suddenly I heard this wondrous score that I had never heard before, simply heavenly and out of this world. I played it over and over again like experiencing a physical ascension of our Lord.

Its’ composer, Johann Pachelbel I discovered.

Very often when one it gripped by the intensity of a score that dazzles the mind, various shadows or visions rise from such compositions because of their inspirational effect felt. I always visualised Rudlf Nureyev rising off the score of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake suite. Those impacts can be that of the boy next door, a solider who laid down his life, a child or a parent who is no more. Music can play upon their memories. I have felt the presence of my music teacher, Glenice Range whose tender, caring beautiful nature has had such influence when I was her student and now I always associate her with the haunting music of Schubert. And presently, my discovery of Pachelbel's CANON in D, it brought into focus its brilliant symphony magically involving a radiant spiritual leader with a resounding knowledge of classical repertoire whose presence I feel each time this score is played.

The ‘feel’ of ascension

‘All Christians are passionate about the ascension of our Lord that marks the greatest day in our lives. His sacrifice, coming into the world to take upon Himself our sins and pay the final sacrifice to redeem us all. No one reveals its truth better than the Holy Bible and we are vaguely aware of its visionary reveal but what I discovered in CANON is the ‘feel’ of the Lord's ascension in a twelve minute saga rising to take His seat on the right hand of His Father, whence He shall come to judge both the quick and the dead.’ The composer takes us on this wondrous spectacular journey, rising, rising and rising above His creation. The fugue is in its robust form of polyphonic or contrapuntal composition and contain an orderly score treated with one or more themes and set for three parts which I amount The Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

The underlying principle can be the Holy Trinity in that all parts are equal. This is only my theory on CANON and can be right or wrong. Yet, when I keep listening to its haunting melody, all I can see in the spirit of Ascension, the rise of the Lord and its ‘feel'.

A spiritual journey in music is beyond normal bounds of calling and to imagine that of all people I can be swept off my feet by a composer of BAROQUE era (1600-1750) with such a stunning score. I went over the rails in my emotive nature and at times, near brink of tears.

Who is Johanne Pachelbel?

Never heard of him until a fortnight ago and all the while he was lying in my collection. Born in Germany, (1653-1706), his principle claim to fame during his lifetime was as an organist and composer who wrote many chorales for the organ. But he wrote profusely sacred scores that included ninety five Fugues as interludes to the Magnificate as well as non-liturgical toccatas, preludes, keyboard suites and many similar pieces. One cannot list his motets because it is so long.

He was privileged to tutor Johanne Christoph Bach who later tutored Johann Sebastian because he was a close friend of the Bach family. His greatest act was to pioneer musical symbolism by using such devices in his sacred music as repeated notes to illustrate (this is evident in CANON) steadfastness; minor keys for sorrow, major keys for joy and portrayed evil on a broken diminished seventh chord.

The sad part of his genius is that he never discovered himself nor his genius in music. Had he done it, he would have been in par with the worlds greatest ones. His only contemporary I was able to trace, was the Italian Arcangelo Correlli who was noted for the popular CONCERTO (grosso) Op. 6, No. 8

Had the composer titled Ascension instead of CANON in D, Pachelbel would have superseded Handel's Messiah as the ‘rising’ Christ.