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I believe I posted this song in a different arrangement maybe three years ago. But as I was going through some audio files this afternoon, I found the present live recording of Melissa”s Song that I wanted to share with any of you who might catch this.
Melissa Belton died at age 19 in 1999 in a solo car accident as she was returning to Biola University in California following a Spring Break at home with her family and friends. A gifted double-reed musician, Melissa played a number of my pieces for English horn and oboe the previous summer, purchasing the music through her teacher.
When Melissa died, her oboe teacher, Diane, asked if I would accompany her on something for English horn at Melissa’s Memorial Service. When we met two hours later to rehearse, I had written Melissa’s Song and asked Diane if she would like to play through it. The decision was made to play this piece at the Memorial Service.
Some months later, Melissa’s family organized a scholarship concert in her memory to benefit The King’s Academy where Melissa had attended high school. Her parents requested Melissa’s Song to conclude the concert and engaged Julie Giacobassi, the English horn specialist from the San Francisco Symphony and Melissa’s local English horn teacher, to play the score with me. Julie’s amazing breath control and sense of phrasing are so evident in this simple recording.
If any of this story (and the accompanying music) speaks in a particular way to you, you might wish to visit the website Melissa’s family set up for her: http://www.dearmissy.org/ Some very interesting information about Julie Giacobassi can be found here: http://www.afm6.org/archive_JulieAnneGiacobassi.htm You can find the printed score at my website: http://www.paulpage.org/Paul_Page_Music/English_Horn.html
(the picture is of Melissa Belton)
Melissa Belton died at age 19 in 1999 in a solo car accident as she was returning to Biola University in California following a Spring Break at home with her family and friends. A gifted double-reed musician, Melissa played a number of my pieces for English horn and oboe the previous summer, purchasing the music through her teacher.
When Melissa died, her oboe teacher, Diane, asked if I would accompany her on something for English horn at Melissa’s Memorial Service. When we met two hours later to rehearse, I had written Melissa’s Song and asked Diane if she would like to play through it. The decision was made to play this piece at the Memorial Service.
Some months later, Melissa’s family organized a scholarship concert in her memory to benefit The King’s Academy where Melissa had attended high school. Her parents requested Melissa’s Song to conclude the concert and engaged Julie Giacobassi, the English horn specialist from the San Francisco Symphony and Melissa’s local English horn teacher, to play the score with me. Julie’s amazing breath control and sense of phrasing are so evident in this simple recording.
If any of this story (and the accompanying music) speaks in a particular way to you, you might wish to visit the website Melissa’s family set up for her: http://www.dearmissy.org/ Some very interesting information about Julie Giacobassi can be found here: http://www.afm6.org/archive_JulieAnneGiacobassi.htm You can find the printed score at my website: http://www.paulpage.org/Paul_Page_Music/English_Horn.html
(the picture is of Melissa Belton)
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magnatone
Oh Paul, this is extraordinary! Thank you for this backstory - I believe I remember both the story and your original post. But this live version is breathtaking in its gentle and forlorn beauty. Thanks for this gift, and being willing to share it here.