Resonant
songs by Richard Schletty and friends
A major musical work is in process – an internet
collaboration of David Gómez Sanz (Segovia, Spain) and Richard Cecil
Schletty (St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A.). This hour-long opus will deal with
evil, suffering, the silence of God, the restless spirit, faith, salvation,
selfless love, Christian discipleship, and the necessity of right relationships
with the hierarchy of creation. Click
here for a complete chronology of project development
as well as preview MP3s of all ten movements as they are written and recorded.
If you like my songwriting and singing, or would like to
buy a CD or become my Renaissance-styled patron, please drop me a line
at rschletty@schletty.com
| Schletty’s
Music at Other Sites |
See Schletty's song pages at the following music sites:
Reverbnation.com: www.reverbnation.com/rschletty
MacJams.com: www.macjams.com/artist/Postludes+Trio
Folk Alley: openmic.folkalley.com/richardschletty
Schletty's last gig was on April 4, 2008 with Waltham Abbey
Singers. He sang bass in the choir and did some Jesus soloing in
the Heinrich Schütz St. Matthew Passion. You Tube video here.
Rocka-Rolla, Schletty's rock band from
his college years, is one of the groups featured in
"The
Scene: Johnnie Rockers and Musicans" in Saint John’s
University Magazine, Winter 2007.
Like sound waves, Johnnie musical
talent travels across the country. Meet Saint John’s
University alumni as they sell out venues, load up
iPods and entertain
music fans...read more
Here is the Rocka-Rolla article: RockaRollaArticle.pdf
Check out a couple Rocka-Rolla
videos!
Dreamville
Instrumentation by Luca Frappola (Italy)
Lyrics, vocals and mixing by Richard Schletty
(U.S.A.)
©2006 Luca Frappola and Richard Schletty
Lyrics
For so many years I've been workin' like
a dog.
Seems my day is done – I'm reall y in a fog.
Now I'm coming home on a cold and moonlit road.
Home to Dreamville, with a story to be told.
Took me fifty years
to discover what I need:
A wife, my kids, a house, and a very tiny seed.
It's the seed of hope, it's the sun on the rise.
It's called Dreamville, it's a poet's paradise.
All these lofty
thoughts, they had never filled my mind
'til I found a voice and a stringed axe to grind.
I'm reinventing wisdom, I'm tearing down the fence.
I'm bringin' to the masses a plain man's eloquence.
I will
give my words to the humble and the proud.
I will sell my soul to the God who shouts aloud:
"Use your tools, son. It's time to make your move!
All those folks are waiting to see what you can prove."
Now
I'm coming home, I'm a wailing down the stretch.
This ain't no hopeless hopefulness, a stupid pencil sketch.
It's virtually reality. It's right there, down the road.
Soon I'll be in Dreamville, that's where I'll get my
lode.
^
The Old Red Box
Instrumentation by Luca Frappola (Italy)
Lyrics, vocals and mixing by Richard Schletty (U.S.A.)
©2006 Luca Frappola and Richard Schletty
Lyrics
In an old red box I found a picture of
you.
In an old red box remnants of love I once knew.
In an old red box I found a letter you wrote.
In an old red box one lingering note.
I gaze at your image frozen in time.
I read between lines, the reasons, the rhyme.
Your ruby lips distant, your rosy cheeks faded.
My heart, it was sealed, now you dare invade it.
In an old red box such unbridled yearning.
In an old red box the old flame still burning.
In an old red box I found a picture of you.
In an old red box remnants of love I once knew.
With each passing year warm colors turn gray.
Regrets all must die as flesh turns to clay.
I gaze at your image frozen in time.
I read between lines, the reasons and rhyme.
In an old red box I found a picture of you.
Such unbridled yearning, remnants of love I once knew.
In an old red box I found a letter you wrote.
Oh, woman, my heart's in my throat!
^
Galactic Overdrive
Virtual instrumentation by Sil-VER (Italy)
Lyrics, vocals, tambourine, derbecka and ESQ-1 synth additions by Richard Schletty
(U.S.A.)
©2007 Sil-VER and Richard Schletty
 Lyrics
Nature calling, stardust falling
Galactic ride, shuttle slide
Prophets of doom, prepare my tomb
Overdrive, overdrive, overdrive
Looking to the East, looking to
the West
Trying with their might to see who is the best
Overdrive, overdrive, overdrive
This crazy world’s on overdrive
Got an axe to grind cause I cannot
find
Redemption in a garden gone to weeds
Take me up to Planet X with very cool effects
Escape pod ready, here I go!
Galactic ride, shuttle slide
Prophets of doom, prepare my tomb
Overdrive, overdrive, whoa, eyes wide
Stranger calling, sun is falling, galactic ride
Some people gonna
die today because of hate
I place more flowers at the castle gate
I thought about running, but I'd rather fly
Kick it into overdrive to the starry sky
^
Trail of Tears (1838 Cherokee
Removal)
Music ©2006 Hendrik Steiner
and Karl Anselm.
Lyrics ©2006 Richard Schletty.
Production by Richard Schletty.
More information about the
Indian Removal Act here: http://www.nationaltota.org/the-story/
 Lyrics
Touch me this day, let your story unfold.
Lift me on wings to mountains of gold.
Thanks for the grieving, damned for the taking.
Cherished possession cut from your flesh.
[chorus]
On the path where you died,
in the land of the free,
on the trail where you cried,
"Nunna daul Isunyi."
In 1830, Jackson made so
a Land Exchange Treaty for settlers greedy.
This Act of Removal Davy Crockett decried.
But in 1838, Van Buren complied.
[chorus]
On the path where you died...
Send your army of thousands
to shepherd them west.
Make them homeless in their homeland
with rifles and fists.
[chorus]
On the path where you died...
Music ©2006 Hendrik
Steiner and Karl Anselm, Lyrics ©2006
Richard C. Schletty
^
Happiness Calling
This is a "New Renaissance" song
about hope and love emerging from shadows of darkness. See Feter's original
orchestral composition: www.macjams.com/song/25259
From Iraq, via e-mail, Feter
sent to me his beautiful Renaissance composition (as a raw MIDI
file). I remixed and revoiced his three polyphonic instrument parts
in Apple
Logic
Express.
I wrote
lyrics and sang all voices.
Live tambourine and ceramic drum were added to enhance the feeling of a Renaissance
period piece. I tried to get good stereo separation and depth of sound. Feter
and I are both very happy with this mix but know there is always
room for improvement. We hope
you like it. Special thanks to Hendrik Steiner from Munich,
Germany, for important comments which helped
shape the final mix.
I wish I had better software
instruments...or a live session with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Song
art by Richard Schletty. Adapted from a photo by Etienne Wansa,
Aslout, Lebanon. www.aslout.com
Lyrics
 Happiness
is calling to me, my friend.
Love is making my heart to sing.
Years spent in the darkness.
Now the sun is rising.
Emptiness filled me.
Bitterness killed me.
Oppression stilled me.
Now I'm free to give myself to you.
Happiness is calling! Love is
returning!
Hopefulness is now surrounding us.
Love is making our hearts to sing.
Strength comes from the harmony.
Simple needs embracing.
Flowers blooming.
New steps taking.
Feelings sharing.
Now I'm free to do what I must do.
Happiness calling! Love is returning!
©2006 Richard Schletty
and Feter McBlues
^
Another cross-Atlantic collaboration
with Hendrik and Karl! Music ©2006 Hendrik Steiner and Karl Anselm.
Lyrics ©2006 Richard Schletty. Thanks to Norman Miller for inspiration
to softly protest the follies and immorality of mankind.
Lyrics
Rest, little child, as yet undefiled.
I'll sing you a story, an old allegory.
This big world so fertile rests on a fat turtle.
It suffers the weight of greed, lust and hate.
The sky has a black eye from smokestacks and wheels.
Hear the cry of the loons and the barking of seals.
When the forests are felled, the oceans will eat the hills.
Wake, all you reapers, you takers and
keepers.
Let us be one with the ones who have none.
A new generation must fix degradation.
All treasures to share with nurturing care.
Who will awaken? Who is not shaken
by caps that are shrinking, by heads that aren't thinking?
When substance is lost, we all will pay the cost.
In the Sky above the Water there lived the Ancient One and his people.
A Great Tree bearing flowers and fruits nourished them. One night, the wife
of the Ancient One dreamed that the Great Tree was uprooted. To fulfill such
a powerful prophecy, the Great One and his warriors pulled with all their might
and lifted up the Great Tree, leaving a big black hole. Many creatures tried
and failed to reach down and pull up Earth from the bottom of the hole. Finally,
muskrat succeeded, clutching Earth in her right paw. Great Turtle said, "Put
Earth on my back." The tiny bit of Earth grew on Great Turtle's back until
it became the whole wide World.*
Now into the black night the tortoise might drop.
Will you help the Great Turtle keep our garden on top?
Will you see wisdom etched on the back of his shell?
Oh, Little One, will you help?
* Narrative adapted from creation story of the Onondaga
Indians of the northeastern woodlands of North America
^
Thou Art More Lovely
Comments by Jack Miller: "Shakespeare's
Sonnet 18 is one of his best known and most loved, due in part to
its accessibility. As you listen, imagine a man
walking in an open meadow
on a summer's day, daydreaming of his lover. He begins to contemplate, in his
own heart, to what he can compare her. But comparisons fail, even as he considers
a summer's day or the sun itself. She is unique. The inspiration to
do this was born of a desire to bring Shakespeare in a modern
musical form to today's audience. This piece has a light jazz flavor and in it
Richard delivers one of his best vocal performances.
Mike, on guitar, provides excellent
lead rhythm and flourishes as well as a short solo that make this song come
together. Richard shows off his growing skills with some great background acoustic
guitar playing. Employing the mighty "pencil tool", I provide the upright
bass as well as a little live shaker shaking. We hope you like it."
Lyrics: William
Shakespeare
Musical Composition: Jack Miller
Vocals and guitar: Richard Schletty
Lead rhythm and solo guitar: Mike Lavoie
Bass & Shaker: Jack Miller
Mixing (Apple Logic Express 7): Richard Schletty
copyright 2004 Postludes
Trio
Lyrics
 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed.
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
^
The Minstrel Boy
This is my own interpretation,
of a song written by Thomas Moore (1779-1852) who set it to the
melody of The Moreen,
an old Irish aire. My version is based only on listening to a
recording by Paul Robeson. I had never heard any other version.
I do vocals, drum
and guitar. I worked
out my own chord progressions, raising the key from Robeson's A
flat to a much more comfortable D major.
Lyrics
The minstrel boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you will find him
His father's sword he hath girded on
And his wild harp's slung behind him.
"Land of Song!" said the warrior bard
"Though all the world betrays thee.
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee!"
The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's
chain
Could not bring that proud soul under.
The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again
For he tore its chords asunder.
And said "No chains shall sully thee
Thou soul of love and bravery!
Thy songs were made for the pure and free
They shall never sound in slavery!"
^
Sleep, Baby, Sleep
with orchestration
Lyrics and melody: Christopher
Schletty (this song came to him in a dream)
Arrangement, vocals, guitar: Richard Schletty
Mixing (Apple Logic Express 7): Richard Schletty
Copyright 2004 by Christopher Schletty and Richard Schletty
 Lyrics
Sleep, Baby, sleep
on this magic night.
Sleep, Baby, sleep
while Mother holds you tight.
Little baby, so so small,
lying in that humble stall.
So sleep, Baby, sleep
while angels watch they keep.
Sleep, Baby, sleep
while angels hum a tune.
Sleep, Baby, sleep
beneath the golden moon.
Kings and shepherds see the star
and come to visit from afar.
So sleep, Baby, sleep
while angels watch they keep.
Sleep, Baby, sleep
beneath the starry sky.
Sleep, Baby, sleep
to Mary's lullaby.
You have come to save us all,
little Jesus, so so small.
So sleep, Baby, sleep.
^
Duerme, Niño, Duerme
with orchestration
Lyrics and melody: Chris Schletty
(this song came to him in a dream)
Spanish translation from English: Elías José de Andres Martos
Arrangement, vocals, guitar: Richard Schletty
Mixing (Apple Logic Express 7): Richard Schletty
Copyright 2004 by Christopher Schletty and Richard Schletty
 Lyrics
Duerme, niño, duerme
la noche es mágica.
Duerme, niño, duerme
que tu madre te abraza.
Criatura, tan pequeña,
Echado en tan simple cuna.
Duerme, niño, duerme.
Los ángeles te guardan.
Duerme, niño, duerme.
Los ángeles te cantan
Duerme, niño, duerme
bajo la luna de plata.
Reyes y pastores de muy allá
vienen al ver la estrella brillar.
Duerme, niño, duerme
Los ángeles te guardan.
Duerme, niño, duerme
bajo el cielo estrellado.
Duerme, niño, duerme
a la nana que María ha cantado.
Has venido a salvarnos a todos,
Pequeño Jesús, oh Dios!
Duerme, niño, duerme.
Ahhh...
^
Dormi,
Parvulus, Dormi
A cappella, 3-language medley, with
bridge
Verse lyrics and melody: Christopher
Schletty (the song came to him in a dream)
Bridge lyrics: Richard Schletty
Spanish translation from English: Elías José de Andres Martos
Arrangement and vocals: Richard Schletty
Mixing (Apple Logic Express 7): Richard Schletty
Copyright 2004 by Chris and Rich Schletty
 Lyrics
Dormi, parvulus, dormi.
Dormi, parvulus, dormi.
Duerme,
niño, duerme
la noche es mágica.
Duerme, niño, duerme
que tu madre te abraza.
Criatura, tan pequeña,
Echado en tan simple cuna.
Duerme, niño, duerme.
Los ángeles te guardan.
Duerme, niño, duerme.
Los ángeles te cantan
Duerme, niño, duerme
bajo la luna de plata.
Reyes y pastores de muy allá
vienen al ver la estrella brillar.
Duerme, niño, duerme
Los ángeles te guardan.
[bridge]
Born in the fullness of time,
Spirit and matter
combine.
Praise to the King of all kings,
The Son of the God of all things.
Here in this portal,
new life
immortal.
Counting your sheep,
in peace, baby, sleep.
Sleep, Baby, sleep
beneath the starry sky.
Sleep, Baby, sleep
to Mary's lullaby.
You have come to save us all,
little Jesus, so so small.
So sleep, Baby, sleep.
^
Love Alters Not
Lyrics:
William Shakespeare (Sonnet 116)
Music/arrangement: Jack Miller
Vocals/arrangement: Richard Schletty
Acoustic guitar: Mike Lavoie
Rhythm guitar/tin flute: Jack Miller
Editing/mixing: Richard Schletty
More info and comments at MacJams
site
Lyrics
Let me not to the marriage of true
minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! It is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
^
The Spiritual Power of Matter
Voice: Richard Schletty Accompaniment:
Jued Martinez and Richard Schletty
Jued Martinez (juedm) provided
a GarageBand sound bed (Stringing.mp3) and an invitation to collaborate.
I started adding voice parts and percussion in a rather random
manner. I really had no idea the fun would lead me in the direction
of musically interpreting some powerful passages written by a French
poet-philosopher-priest-ascetic.
The central sung narrative is
from Hymn of the Universe by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Chapter
3:
The Spiritual Power of Matter.
Note re Teilhard's writing: "Behind
the poetic language and imagery Chardin depicts creation as an
evolutionary process with the existence of matter as the
necessary precondition for the appearance on earth of spirit, and describes matter
as the 'matrix of spirit' in which life emerges and is supported." [From
http://www.religion-online.org/showbook.asp?title=1621]
This mix includes
the "Our Father" prayer in Latin, Spanish and
English. I have eliminated the vocal harmonies used in earlier versions because
I felt they were out of sync with the lead cantor (Matrix of Spirit). The "Our
Father" prayer represents human beings growing into holiness.
Lyrics
You called me: here I am!
Driven by the Spirit far from humanity's caravan routes, you dared to venture into the untouched wilderness; grown weary of abstractions, of attenuations, of the wordiness of social life, you wanted to pit yourself against Reality entire and untamed.
You had need of me in order to grow;
and I was waiting for you in order to be
made holy.
And now I am established on you for life, or for death. You can never go back,
never return to commonplace gratifications or untroubled worship. He who has
once seen me can never forget me: he must either damn himself with me or save
me with himself.
I am the fire that consumes and the water that overthrows; I am the love that initiates and the truth that passes away. All that compels acceptance and all that brings renewal; all that breaks apart and all that binds together; power, experiment, progress – matter: all this I am! ^
You're The One
Voice and guitar: Richard Schletty
A song I wrote in 1972 for the woman I would marry. After I sang it to her on the sands of Lake Sagatagan she said, "Nice, Rich.".
Lyrics
You are mine and I am yours.
I love you. You love me.
I would like to kiss your lips.
Come to me, come to me.
You're the one who can break my heart in two
If you say you won't be forever true.
This I pray, every hour of the day,
That you'll be my dear friend forevermore.
^
More Decrees, If You Please
Voice and guitar: Richard Schletty
Lyrics
More decrees, if you please.
World's a mess, I confess.
Immorality is rampant.
Time to honor each commandment.
Lords and popes, pontificate!
Rabbis, clerics, remonstrate!
Saints, please guide us! Lawmen, chide us!
Angels, reunite detritus!
Statute, edict, manifesti,
Canon, maxim, rule, decree.
Fiat, law, encyclical,
Rescript, proclamation, bull.
Moral freedom's problematic
when it makes a crazed fanatic.
Give us penalties for lewdness.
Jurisprudence for our crudeness.
Stanch the tide of deadly culture.
Leave no blood trails for the vulture.
Mentor, nurture, discipline.
Show tough love to those who sin!
Statute, edict, manifesti,
Canon, maxim, rule, decree.
Fiat, law, encyclical,
Rescript, proclamation, bull.
Law enforcement should be tougher
so that we don't have to suffer
all the pain of retribution
laced with bitter elocution.
Make your camp on higher ground.
Ruminate on things profound.
Find your center, make love enter
every pore of the dissenter.
Statute, edict, manifesti,
Canon, maxim, rule, decree.
Fiat, law, encyclical,
Rescript, proclamation, bull.
^
If you are looking for my cluster
of poetry, click here
Copyright 2003-2008, Richard Cecil Schletty, Sonority Publishing,
Saint Paul, Minnesota
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