ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – This week’s trivia question: Which tune on the album, which you will hear an excerpt of at the beginning of this program, is a blend of two musical traditions, and what are they?
Roger Davidson is a composer, pianist and interfaith minister, dedicated to expressing the joy of life and the universal love of God for all. Founder of the Society for Universal Sacred Music, which for many years presented concerts and festivals with composers from around the world, his main goal is to bring greater life energy, spirituality and reconciliation to the world through music. His compositions range from choral, orchestral and chamber music to klezmer, jazz, Brazilian music, Argentine tangos and traditional dance music from the British Isles..
Villages of Old is Davidson’s second album of klezmer music— the first having been produced in 2011, also with the Frank London Klezmer Orchestra. It contains 15 tunes which express a wide range of emotions and feelings and draw on folk traditions from multiple cultures, from Hungarian music and English country dances to tango and Israeli folk music.
This week we are speaking with Roger about the album and how his faith and professional experience influenced its creation. You can listen to the full album on YouTube here.
