Released 1998 Label Narada | Length 4:10 Composer(s) Bradley Joseph | |
Genre Instrumental, easy listening, new age | ||
"The Glen" is a composition by Bradley Joseph and is not included on any of his original albums. It was written exclusively for the 1998 Narada compilation album, "Stories", a Narada Artist Collection, in which "Extraordinary performers reveal their artistic inspirations in deeply personal instrumental memoirs". This song later appears on the 2001 Narada compilation album 20 Years of Narada Piano.
Contents
History
From the album liner, this is Joseph's story behind writing "The Glen":
My father never traveled much until late in life, and he told me he regretted not having those experiences to call upon through his years. So when I drove from Minnesota to Los Angeles at age 23, I was thrilled not only by the spectacular scenery but also by the realization that I could use these memories for a lifetime.
Heading west on a winding road from Las Vegas at twilight, I found myself in a rose-colored canyon unlike any glen I had ever seen. I pulled over, jumped up on the warm hood of my rusty '77 Malibu, and my tired eyes watched night fall over the Mojave Desert for the first time. The jagged horizon and chilling breeze spoke to me in common terms: loneliness and vulnerability, promise and beauty. I'll never forget that sunset.
Structure
"The Glen" has an ABAB song format (meaning two themes that repeat). It starts out slowly and increases in intensity. As the song progresses, Joseph slowly builds the texture with harmonies from other instruments and layers, a crescendo of instruments that decrescendos at the end, with the left hand on the piano providing the rhythm for the song.