Sometimes I record something that doesn’t need to go anywhere. A passing idea I didn’t want to overwork, but still wanted to capture. Just enough to feel like it’s finished. I like keeping the threshold low for these: no pressure, no release, just playing. A few of those ended up here. Not on Spotify, but still worth hearing. And if there’s a story behind them, I’ll share that too.
‘Die mij Droeg’ is a church song, using the image of an eagle carrying its young to express care and protection. The metaphor speaks to ideas of support and guidance in times of uncertainty. The lyrics were written by Huub Oosterhuis, a Dutch poet and theologian, and set to music by Tom Löwenthal, a composer and choir director. Their collaboration brings together text and music in a way that resonates beyond strictly religious contexts, inviting reflection on vulnerability and strength.
Over the past few weeks, this song kept coming back to me. When I was a teenager, going to church wasn’t really on the top of my to-do list, but I always appreciated the music—especially the choir my parents sang in. I was drawn to the rich harmonies and often strong melodies. This song is one of those pieces that seems to have taken root in my subconscious and then suddenly surfaces at an unexpected moment. As soon as it came up, I looked for a recording and discovered a beautiful version by singer Trijntje Oosterhuis.
You can of course start by ear, but then you risk missing something—like a line or a harmonic progression. I wanted to go back to the source of the piece and create a simple piano arrangement from there. So that’s what I did. I found the original choir part, wrote out the harmonies as chords, and transposed the key down a step (from Eb to Db). Trijntje Oosterhuis sings it in Db, and since I had played along with her recording a few times already, I was used to playing it in that key.
“This song is one of those pieces that seems to have taken root in my subconscious and then suddenly surfaces at an unexpected moment.”
I’m curious what you think!
Leave a reply down below and let me know!
Thanks for reading!
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1 Comment
Dag Floris,
Ik kende het nummer niet maar ik heb er een paar keer naar geluisterd en ik vond zowel jouw uitvoering als van Trijntje echt mooi!
Chapeau!
Groetjes Anton