For Harp Escape vol. 11, I played two songs: What the River Says and Aer Enim. Both of the songs have a river theme.

If you like this music, you can purchase an arrangement of this medley on my website here or at SheetMusicPlus.com

What the River Says

“What the River Says,” is a song I wrote is inspired by two wonders of the Pacific Northwest: the Methow River of Eastern Washington, and the late great poet William Stafford. The title “What the River Says,” comes from a line in Stafford’s poem, “Ask Me.”

Ask Me by William Stafford

Some time when the river is ice ask me
mistakes I have made. Ask me whether
what I have done is my life. Others
have come in their slow way into
my thought, and some have tried to help
or to hurt: ask me what difference
their strongest love or hate has made.

I will listen to what you say.
You and I can turn and look
at the silent river and wait. We know
the current is there, hidden; and there
are comings and goings from miles away
that hold the stillness exactly before us.
What the river says, that is what I say.

Aer Enim

The second song, Aer Enim, is a song written by Medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen, originally composed as Gregorian Chant. Hildegard von Bingen was a naturalist, spiritual teacher, and author on several books on natural medicine. Hildegard lived in Germany 1000 years ago. I transcribed a collection of her music – Songs of Hildegard von Bingen is available now anywhere you purchase sheet music.