Music
Rick Rosen was truly shocked and dismayed at age 6 when he was advised that, no, he had actually not written the Triumphal March from Aida and that someone had beaten him to it. Shaking off this disappointment by age 8 or so, Rick went on to play in & write several songs for numerous rock n’ roll bands, jazz bands, and recording projects.
Over multiple decades as a church musician - singer, conductor, composer, administrator - Rick’s offertory anthems, communion music, service music, and incidental music have played a significant role in worship at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Burlingame, CA and Church of the Messiah in Gwynedd, PA. Additional works include a variety of songs, choral and instrumental compositions and arrangements for various ensembles.
Of his first piece for Cordus Mundi, Rick says, “Christmas Shells presented itself during a couple of solitary, introspective, meditative, beach-walking days between Christmas and New Year’s in 2009. Although the piece was first sung at Church of the Messiah services as Supplication, a gradual anthem employing another more sacred text, this performance utilizes the original words and sentiment.”
Premiere Performance of Christmas Shells by Cordus Mundi
Through the 1950s & 1960s, the “Pogo” comic strip (humor with a bite) was drawn & written by animator, cartoonist and commentator Walt Kelly. Known by many for their rendition of “Deck us all with Boston Charlie”, the Pogo characters lived in both Kelly’s mind and in the Okefenokee swamp. They reasoned & spoke in a manner which often appeared to make little or no sense, but in actuality (and often ironically), said everything which needed to be said. In addition to creating the comic strip, Kelly wrote marvelous little four-line vignettes which were often amusing, whimsical, and meaningful at the same time. Three of these meaningful (?) mini-poems in particular grabbed my attention, and they each found melodies and settings in relatively short order. These Miniatures are lovingly dedicated to my late friend, student & teacher, Robert Herron.
Premiere Performance of Three Okefenokee Minatures by Cordus Mundi
More links to Mr. Rick’s Music Compositions
Kyrie Eleison - The Dream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDU6ICd4Zxw
I Lift My Eyes to the Hills - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlfJgjVRXQg
Advent Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3P7tn236j0
Advent Song/rehearsal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTPHdBwA_QI
Hangin' Up My Heart - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prv1zEpr6gY
Differently/live - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXmHbN-ceG8
Did You Never Know - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_VIN67lbqo
Differently - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOMTC99j58Q