Leonard Cohen

I am putting the finishing touches to my Leonard Cohen book. My editor returned it to me for a final run through. I addressed all the issues and am nearing the end of a final read through before returning it to the publisher. I liked the positive sentiments of this song so I thought I’d share it with you.

‘Villanelle for Our Time’ (Leonard Cohen, Frank Scott)

We’re reaching back through time to Leonard’s involvement with the Montreal poets. He has set a poem written by his friend Frank Scott to music. It is the perfect piece to follow on from the tragedy of 9/11, full of optimism and hope. The poem expresses the view that humanity can put aside all divisions of religion, creed and race and discover a brotherhood/sisterhood in which we all prosper. We can, through our intelligence and humanity, put aside corruption and selflessly create a real democracy based not on self-gain, power or self-aggrandisement but on the good of the people. We do not need to keep playing out the power games and the selfish chasing after wealth that has left millions dead in wars, concentration camps and gulags. We can, from our brains and hearts, create a better world. The poem remains a potent warning against following leaders who use fear and hate to set up authoritarian regimes that oppress. Although these words are not Leonard’s, the sentiments are. He has always been an optimistic supporter of human dignity and the need to develop a real working democracy that would result in a fairer world free of exploitation and corruption. We all have our part to play: ‘We rise to play a greater part … From bitter searching of the heart. Not steering by the venal chart’.

   This highly positive piece was recorded on 6 May 1999, directly after returning from his Buddhist retreat, still full of serenity and hope for himself and mankind, pouring out love and kindness. We can never have a surfeit of hope, can we?

   Adjani played a central role, creating the jazzy backing and raising the latter reprises with her sensuous vocalisation. The piece begins with Leonard simply reciting the words in his rich timbre with no backing. The jazz group come in with soft brushed snares, a flowing bass and lightly run piano passages, leaving Leonard in the foreground to give prominence to the words.

   Following a short musical interlude, Leonard returns to repeat the poem and Adjani comes in to emphasise the positive line, ‘We rise to play a greater part’. They duet: Leonard recites and Adjani gently sings in beautiful counterpoint: ‘This is the faith men know’. The verse is repeated for a third time and ends with Adjani’s ethereal vocalising.

Leonard Cohen – Villanelle for Our Time (Official Audio) – YouTube