Love Bears The Cross - Free Download

LOVE BEARS THE CROSS is a short intermediate piano work written as a sacred piece for the observance of Good Friday.  Inspired by a request for music made by pianist and teacher Michelle Miller of Edmonton, Alberta CA, the piece was designed as a short introspective work to be performed as part of a Good Friday service.

The piece began with the idea of a Gravé March to depict the heaviness of the Cross.  Upon arriving at the first C major chord, the thought came to mind of how religion has shared a much different view of life and death throughout most of A.D. history than we presently have.  Furthermore, music's modes of Major and Minor have also made a shift in symbolism as these views have changed.  For ages the Minor Mode was associated with life with the Major Mode associated with death and the everlasting piece that exists in the Kingdom of Heaven.  

 

With that thought in mind, the concept of form for a work to last no longer than 3 minutes could be conceived with the meaning and symbolism required of such an observance.  A simple ABA form was devised with all sections carrying the rhythm of the original March idea.  The B section being in Major, to our ears brings the thought of the deep Love to be understood in the Passion which come as a relieving contrast to the e minor tones surrounding it.  From a more historical and religious perspective, the rounded binary form and the contrasting tonalities can be perceived as live into death, and then the resurrection of life through the return of the A section.  The choice of the Picardy third at the conclusion of the A section to further parallel the Major and Minor symbolism , as well as the title itself, came as an afterthought once the work was completed