Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Goldstone Wood Music Contest - 2015

Welcome to the second annual Goldstone Wood concert!

Our talented musicians were invited to compose and perform music inspired by the Tales of Goldstone Wood series, all for the honor of being named this year's music champion. Gathered together here in this post are all of their submissions! The winner will be selected by Miss Melanie J. Morgan, a talented young animator, who will work with the composers/performers to create an animatic of the winning musical number. (You can enjoy a previous animatic of hers here.)

But really, while the prize is exciting, this is much more about simply sharing the fun! So whether you were a competitor this year, an avid imp, or simply a curious bystander wondering what all the fuss is about, I hope you will thoroughly enjoy the offerings before you.

Many blessings! And happy listening . . .

(If you have trouble understanding the lyrics, many of the artists posted them in the Youtube descriptions. Visit those pages to read the lyrics there.)



 Book: Golden Daughter
Character: Hymlumé
Music and Performance by Meredith Burton





Book: Veiled Rose
Character: Rose Red
Lyrics by Meredith Burton
Music and Vocals by Abby Cashen





Book: Starflower
Music and performance by: Clara Diane Thompson




THE BALLAD OF GOLDSTONE WOOD
Lyrics by: Ryebrynn
Vocals and music by: Abby




Book: Veiled Rose
Music and Vocals by: Melissa Snow
Venture into the Wood Between. It is a place of mystery
and one never knows what one may find."





LULLABIES AND DREAMS

Book: Golden Daughter
Music Composed by M.S.L. Miranda
Vocals by Meredith Burton





Book: Veiled Rose
Music Composed by Allison Ruvidich
Performance by Allison Ruvidich
“Coming Through the Roses” is a song I wrote based on the novel Veiled Rose by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.  It is a dark pseudo-folk song for solo voice and guitar, both of which I perform.  All the images are in the public domain.  I hope you enjoy.





Book: Heartless and others
Music and performance by: Clara Diane Thompson





Book: Veiled Rose
The tune is “Forest Green” which is an anonymous English ballad in the public domain.  The arrangement was done by Ralph Vaughan-Williams in 1908.
Performance by Michael Jones and Family





Book: Goddess Tithe
Music Composed by Allison Ruvidich
Performance by Allison Ruvidich
Moon's Lullaby is a song I wrote based on the novella Goddess Tithe by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.  It is a lullaby for solo voice and piano, both of which I perform.  All the images are in the public domain.  I hope you enjoy.




 DAUGHTER OF GOLD
Book: Golden Daughter
Lyrics and Singing by Hannah Williams: aspiring author, artist, and Goldstone Imp




  
IT'S LOVELY TO BE ME
Book: Starflower
Written and Performed by: Beckah and Abby







Book: Moonblood
Contributors:
Hannah Williams: Reader, writer, artist, and Extreme Imp Enthusiast!
Clara Darling: The beautiful voice that haunts Goldstone Wood! One of the Five Glass Slippers authors.





A song of Bard Eanrin, written at some point after the events of Starflower. You will most certainly have heard "One and Only" before, although perhaps under a different name and different lyrics. The reason for that is simple. As its popularity spread in the Near World, mortal songsters found themselves wishing to mimic the brilliance of this song. So, they swiped the melody and set their own (much inferior) words to it. But these are the true lyrics.
 Keyboard: Ruth
Vocals: Kara, Laura, and Lydia
Pennywhistle: Kara
Lyrics: Beckah. I mean, Eanrin.





FINDING HIS PATH
 Music and Lyrics by: Brittney
Performed by: Brittney
This piece was inspired by Lionheart's journeys in the Goldstone Wood series. In the song, Lionheart is on his way back home after being knighted by the Prince, and is reflecting back on all the mistakes he's made. All he longs for is to find his place, or Path. I (Brittney) wrote the song and played/sang it; my brother and mom posed as Lionheart and a traveler, respectively.





Book: Goddess Tithe

 This lullaby was performed by Daniel Hodge, pianist, and Erin Hodge, vocalist. We read the Goddess Tithe novella aloud together last summer, and both of us were in tears when we read the final lullaby. Erin composed the music not many months after, and the lyrics are, of course, the work of the incredible author, Anne Elisabeth Stengl.







Book: Golden Daughter
 Written and performed by: Hannah Rogers





Book: Veiled Rose
Written and performed by: M.S.L. Miranda






 Book: Moonblood 
Music written and performed by:  Stuart McAdam
Lyrics written by: Jemma Tainsh and Stuart McAdam




ETANUN'S LAMENT
Book: Dragonwitch (prologue)
Music Composed by: Erin Hodge
Vocals by: Erin Hodge
Accompaniment: Daniel Hodge

Lyrics by: Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Read them here.





Producer: EverRising Productions

About the producer: EverRising Productions is a collective of Christian artists seeking to glorify God through the medium of audio and visual presentations.

Collaborators for this project:
Hannah Williams: award winning artist, blogger, and aspiring novelist with a love for all things Tolkien and Stengl

Bryn Riplinger-Shutt: writer, historian, publishing director, and general neat freak

Stephen Shutt: professional musician, blogger, nationally recognized lecturer on apologetics, and voice actor (someone had to find jobs for all those voices)

David Chamberlain: staff musician for an internationally acclaimed recording studio who believes that bagpipes and accordions should be used very little and from very great distances.




Enormous thank you to all of the talent that participated in this contest! What a fantastic event this turned out to be. I hope all of you listeners enjoyed the concert. Do leave the artists and performers some love in the comments! They worked so hard and they deserve praise for their efforts.

22 comments:

Anastasis Faith said...

Wow! There's so much talent displayed here! Clearly, a lot of time and effort went into each one of these! Way to go, y'all!! :) Thank you for sharing your gifts with the rest of us!! :)

Psalms w guitar said...

Great stuff! My wife and I really enjoyed listening to the way in which others of you resonated with the stories!! It's funny, Lionheart's character (for example) becomes slightly different for each of us as we read and process.

Many of us have never done this before, and it was really good to go through the difficulties of making these.

Hannah said...

This is so amazing!!!! Everyone did such fantastic work! The lyrics, the music, the singing...it all comes from the heart, and it's wonderful! Great job!

Allison, I ADORE your songs, especially "Coming Through the Roses." Wow, wow, wow.

Meredith, your voice is lovely as ever!

Missy, this is an incredible amount of work! It's so haunting and the filming is great and you make such an beautiful Nidawi!

Marissa, your music compositions are always chilling!

Jones Family, that is SO adorable! I just about was overwhelmed but too much cuteness! The goat! <3

Those lyrics about Gleamdren slay me, Beckah and Abby. :)

And not a surprise that Eanrin actually first composed Greensleeves.

Brittney, I love how you and your brother collaborated on this! The pictures are just too great.

Erin....Erin...and Mr. Hodge....WOW. I love listening to your music, and you DID ONE ON ETANUN? EEEEEEEEEK! Etanun is like one of my favorite characters of Goldstone Wood and to have something written about him by Anne Elisbeth Stengl is a bit much to bear... *gasps, gasp*

Hannah Rogers, how have you hidden from me that you are a musical genius? This is so beautiful!

ghost ryter said...

So much beautiful music! If I can, I'll stop back later and comment about each song, because really they're all fantastic. Great job everyone!

Corrie said...

Thank you everyone for putting in all of this beautiful work and sharing it. (I always suspected Eanrin wrote "Greensleeves" and "Black is the Color".)

Unknown said...

These are amazing!

Meredith said...

Phenomenal work from everyone! Such beautiful and heartfelt songs, and I love how so many people collaborated this year. Hannah, you sing beautifully, and the lyrics you wrote for each song are amazing! Allison, how wonderfully you captured Rose Red's character and Moon's Lullaby made me cry. Mr. Michael and family: That song was so wonderful! I loved how you did it like a play, and that scene is one of my absolute favorites in Veiled Rose! Britney: I loved your song for Lionheart! Bekka: Eanrin actually wrote Greensleeves! Perfect! Clara: Fantastic renditions of the songs! Ever Rising Productions: Oh, my! Such vivid examination of Eanrin's heart. Ms. Rogers: I loved your version of Rise Up My Heart! You captured Hymlume's sadness but ultimate strength as well. The piece fits the mood of that incredible scene. I loved the song based on Starflower as well.
Thank you once again, Ms. Miranda and Ms. Abby. I had such fun working with both of you.

I know I've missed someone, but I listened to every composition and I'm just in awe of the marvelous talent! Thank you so very much. God bless.

E.F.B. said...

Oh my goodness, these are all so wonderful! What talent! *applause* I think I'm going to have to go listen to them all again. :)

Sara said...

I love these contests, getting to see everyone's creativity and talent displayed!

Meredith - you have such a beautiful voice, as well as a talent for writing music. "Rise up my heart" is so reverent and hymn-like.

Abby - you really do it all - singing, playing, composing! I especially love in the Ballad of Goldstone Wood how the music subtly changes with each new story.

Ryebrynn - what a neat idea to combine all of the individual stories into one continuous bedtime story for a restless child! Very creative, and the lyrics are great.

Clara - your voice is really lovely, and the music you wrote for each song fits it so perfectly. I especially love your rendition of "Song of Spheres."

Melissa - this gave me shivers in the best way! I love the haunting echo effect, it really captures the mystery of the Wood

M.S.L. Miranda - Lullabies and Dreams has a nice Eastern feel to it that works really well. (Also, did you choose the images that went with the song? They're breathtaking). And "Waltz of Arpiar" is so eerily beautiful, it would make a perfect musical score for certain scenes from Moonblood.

Allison - You are a young woman of many talents! You have a wonderful singing voice, play the guitar and piano very well, and have a true gift for writing music and lyrics. I especially enjoyed "Coming Through the Roses," as I've always liked folk-style music.

Michael Jones & family - really fun and creative! I love that you made this a family project. You all did a great job playing your parts. It's obvious that you had a lot of fun with it (and the goat just killed me!)

Hannah W - Oh wow. I loved this scene in Golden Daughter so much, and the emotion in your song is incredible. The lyrics are so sad and beautiful. I also love the music you wrote for "In Between."

Beckah & Abby - oh my goodness, what a perfect song for Gleamdren! I smiled so much at this!

Ruth/Kara/Laura/Lydia/Beckah (whew) - I adore the idea of Eanrin being the original composer of Greensleeves! The lyrics are SO like him, and the instruments and vocals are very well done. Great job, all of you!

Brittney - what a beautiful reflection of Lionheart's journey! I really love these lyrics.

Daniel & Erin - you both have so much talent! These two songs are exquisite, and each moved me nearly to tears.

Hannah R - so much power in this. This is such an incredible scene, and you really did it justice.

Stuart & Jemma - Awesome lyrics, and the music makes the perfect background - light and pretty, but just the slightest bit sad.

Hannah/Bryn/Stephen/David - I'm...speechless. I could hardly breathe through this whole composition; I didn't want to miss a word that was spoken or sung. Absolutely brilliant.

Thank you all for sharing your work! Everything was beautiful. I'm kind of glad that someone else is picking the winner this year - I think I would have too hard a time voting!

Unknown said...

Thanks Sarah!

Therru Ghibli said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Therru Ghibli said...

Wow!! The music here is so amazing and wonderful, just brimming with talent, hard work, and fun!!
Thanks to Ms. Meredith, Beckah, and Ryebrynn for working with me!! I had a lot of fun!!
And thanks to everyone for their kind and encouraging comments!!
Abby

Carrie-Anne Thomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Carrie-Anne Thomas said...

Wow...

So much... amazingness.

I like these three the best: Coming Through the Roses, Black is The Color, In Between, and Daughter of Gold.

Anonymous said...

Rebekah L. here... I love music and I love Goldstone Wood, so this was an epic treat! The words beautiful, sad, and epic get a little repetitive, but it's all true!

Part one!

Meredith Burton: So pretty! You have a lovely voice!

Meredith Burton & Abby Cashen: Ooo! Very cool! Poor Rose Red. I love it! :)

Clara Diane Thompson: That is one of the loveliest things I have ever heard. Your voice . . . it's so beautiful! With Eanrin's beautiful lullaby! Beautiful beautiful!

Ryebrynn & Abby: That is totally epic! I love it! The perfect amount of information about each story sung in such a beautiful way!

Melissa Snow: Oh, that is so beautiful and eerie... I loved the video of the trees, and then suddenly their was a strange beautiful girl and I was like "wow! didn't see that coming!" :D

M.S.L. Miranda & Meredith Burton: So beautiful! The sound is just so lovely and amazing! Movie soundtrack style! And the pictures that go with it are splendid and just WOW! And it just keeps getting more beautiful and mysterious! Epic Epic Epic!
... And my heart kind of stopped when it said "Won't you follow me" at the end there. Oh my. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

Allison Ruvidich: Oh I love how it sounds like one of those beautiful tragic Irish love songs!! My heart is just glowing over here... That chorus... Oh my. I just can't express my feelings right now. It's so so good! Even after listening to all of them, I think this one's my favorite.

Clara Diane Thompson: So pretty! I love your voice!

Ballad of the BeanPole: Oh my. I was grinning the whole time! Great performances! Y'all's costumes and voices are so cool! Love the goat! ;)

Allison Ruvidich: More beautiful Irish style epicness! You're voice is beautiful! I love the pictures you picked! I haven't read Goddess Tithe, so I feel like I can truly appreciate it but I love it anyway! ...Now I'm getting sleepy. XD

Anonymous said...

Part two!

Hannah Williams: AAW! I love that! And now I know what you sound like! :D I don't know why that makes me so happy but it dose.

Beckah and Abby: Oh that's hilarious! Gleamdren's a mess. XD I love the way it's sung! :D So Gleamdren! Love it! :D

Hannah Williams & Clara Darling: So pretty and haunting! Great lyrics Hannah (and pictures. ;))! Beautiful Voice Clara! :D

One and Only: Oo, Greensleeves! I love the way y'all did it! Great lyrics Beckah, er, um, Eanrin. Very pretty voices and instruments! Great pictures too! AND THAT ONE LOOKS JUST LIKE BEBO AND Iubdan. O_O

Brittney: Great song! And melody! And voice! Really love you're voice! So pretty! THOSE PICTURES. OH WOW. IT'S LIONHEART AND ROSE RED! IT'S ALL SO PERFECT! WOW. WOW WOW JUST WOW.

Daniel & Erin Hodge: So sad and beautiful... I don't even now what's going on but I know it's sad and beautiful. Great piano and very pretty voice!

Hannah Rogers: ...I . . . don't have words. It's so tragic and so beautiful, just like the Goldstone Wood books. And, those pictures... Wow. I applaud you, very loudly for that beautiful performance. I have to read Golden Daughter...

M.S.L. Miranda: OH LOVELY. OH BEAUTIFUL. OH WOW. The way you did the music is just fantastic. The sounds are so enchanting and beautiful. Chills went down my arms at the end there... You're an amazing musician! Amazing!

Jemma Tainsh and Stuart McAdam: Such lovely music and words!!!

Erin & Daniel: My heart just broke in that beautiful sad way Stengl always brakes it. I'd never read that deleted song till now and that melody and voice going along with the words as I read them was just amazing. Amazing job guys. Just amazing!

BLACK IS THE COLOR: The cake has been taken. I am out of words and feelings. Out, okay? That voice! That is so Eanrin when he's not happy...
But, wait, Eanrin loves Imraldera and she doesn't love him? Is he making this up or did I miss something or WHAT? Yikes. Wow. When the picture of Una, Felix, and Eanrin at the old Bridge appeared right after he "so Will you" my jaw literally dropped and my mouth hung open for like half the credits.

Esther Brooksmith (wisdomcreates) said...

Wow, that was amazing! I loved this! What a collection of talent! From first to last, that was a fabulous concert. Thank you to everyone who entered and to Anne for posting them for us to hear. :D

Hannah said...

Thanks everyone for all the lovely compliments! :)

I've been listening to so many of these songs on repeat.

Shonna Slayton said...

What a fun contest. The quality of submissions is impressive. I have no idea how Melanie J. Morgan is going to be able to choose a winner. Lovely, lovely work, and I like having a soundtrack in my mind now for these novels :)

Becky said...

I'm standing and cheering! Wow...just wonderful! The creativity, the music, the lyrics, THE VOCALS, THE HEART! You have it. Thank you one and all for sharing.

Jenelle Leanne said...

Wow, these are all so very beautiful.

Clara - your Eanrin's Lullaby is simply lovely. And I love the tune you put to the Song of the Spheres! I'm always at a loss when I come across songs in books, because I want to hear the melody, but am rubbish at coming up with one.. so thank you for giving an example of what it could sound like!

Allison - really loved Coming Through the Roses, dark but upbeat, neat contrast, it sounds very Veiled Rose! Kind of has a bit of an Irish-folk feel to it.

Hannah and Clara - In Between is haunting and creepy, and I loved all the images that went with the music.

Brittney - Finding His Path truly captured the tone of regret that must torture Lionheart as he tries to figure out how to make amends. Beautifully done.

Daniel and Erin - wow! So pretty! I love the way the piano and vocals work together in both songs - especially in Where Did the Songbird Go? But also in Etanun's Lullaby.

M.S.L. Miranda - I loved the Waltz of Arpiar!

To everyone who worked on Black is the Color... words are not enough. Ahhhh, Eanrin!!! It's so perfectly Eanrin!

BrynS. said...

Absolutely lovely job everyone!!