Sunburned Fedora

Shakespeare is my co-writer

Many years ago, I worked as a sound designer and sometime composer for professional theatres in San Diego, chiefly the Old Globe Theatre and the San Diego Repertory Theatre (and a couple of smaller ones I don’t remember). I also owned a very small recording studio in a warehouse I shared with several painters and visual artists (mine was third from the front door, hence the name below).

Inspired by Bob James compositional work on a recent production of The Tempest at The Globe, as well as my new Ensoniq Mirage Sampler, I decided I’d try putting my own stamp on one of the songs from the play. You can hear the results below.

Sometimes referred to as Ariel’s Song, it’s an incantation sung (invisibly) to the shipwrecked prince Ferdinand as he searches the island for his father, the king, and any fellow survivors. I’ve rarely, if ever, written a song where I didn’t also write the lyrics. I guess if you’re going to do it, you might as well start at the top.

Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
Ding-dong, bell.