Music Meditations
LD Music Meditations combines poetry and music to bring soul-soothing and life-affirming art into your day.
Featuring classic and contemporary poetry by Northeast Ohio writers along with curated performances from Les Délices live-performance archives, each episode concludes with prompts for mindfulness or guided listening.
Listen online or call the toll-free Music Meditations Hotline: 216-859-5800
We’re proud to feature readers and writers from across Northeast Ohio through LD Music Meditations.
Latest Episode:
A Meditation on Stillness
Julie Warther's extended haiku poem "One Child's Candle," explores themes beauty and stillness in imagery from Christmas Eve, including a whispered, reverent third verse of the carol "Silent Night," performed here by members of Les Délices (featuring soprano Elena Mullins) from the group's 2020 virtual concert Noel, Noel.
All Episodes
A Meditation on Stillness
Julie Warther's extended haiku poem "One Child's Candle," explores themes beauty and stillness in imagery from Christmas Eve, including a whispered, reverent third verse of the carol "Silent Night," performed here by members of Les Délices (featuring soprano Elena Mullins) from the group's 2020 virtual concert Noel, Noel.
Listen →A Meditation on Possibility
Dave Lucas's poem "Three Kings," reframes the Epiphany as a universal quest about possibility. In this meditation, we pair Lucas's poem with an instrumental performance of the old French carol, “Or nous dites Marie,” arranged by the French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, as performed by Les Délices for our 2020 virtual concert Noel, Noel.
Listen →A Meditation on Togetherness
This meditation pairs Thomas Campion's classic poem "Now winter night's enlarge," with the 17th-century English ballad Drive the Cold Winter Away, sung in this performance by soprano Elena Mullins. The theme of both the poem and the song is that quality time spent in each other’s company on those longest and coldest nights of the year offers unique opportunities for building community.
Listen →A Meditation on Nostalgia
Diane Kendig's poem "At the Christmas Tree, on a line by Seamus Heaney," delights in flashes of recognition and nostalgia. The music, John Playford's seventeenth-century variations on the ancient tune Greensleeves features violinist Julie Andrijeski.
Listen →A Meditation on Humility
Christina Rossetti's classic poem "Christmas Eve" contrasts the miracle of Jesus’s birth with his sacrifice. In this Meditation, recited by Dee Perry, we hear an instrumental noel, "Le Roy des cieux vient de naître" arranged by French Baroque composer Michel Corrette, performed live in concert by Les Délices in 2018.
Listen →A Meditation on Otherness
Featuring the poems Mary Ann and Jellyfish by Joyce Nichols, read by Debra Nagy. The music comprises a short prelude and the rondeau Les Sylvains by French Baroque composer Robert de Visée performed live by lute player Lucas Harris in concert with Les Délices in 2019.
Listen →A Meditation on the Moment
Featuring the poems Being in the Country and Dancing by Dalin Evans and Ode to 1795 by Mike Dayton, read by the authors. The music comprises two movements (a Prelude and Allemande) by French Baroque composer Louis Antoine Dornel performed live by Les Délices in 2013 with baroque oboe, viola da gamba, and harpsichord.
Listen →A Meditation on Personal Growth
Featuring the poems God is On Your Side by Mildred Dixon and Transformation by Mike Dayton, read by the authors. The music is an instrumental work by French Baroque composer Marc Antoine Charpentier, his Symphonie on the chant fragment "Tantum Ergo," performed live by Les Délices in 2015 with an ensemble of strings and organ.
Listen →Meditation on Strength & Perseverance
Featuring poetry by Laura Grace Weldon: Self-defined and music by François Couperin Couperin: Prelude in C (live performance by Mark Edwards, harpsichord)
Listen →A Meditation on New Beginnings
Featuring poetry by Kathleen Cerveny: Forsythia read by Leon Bibb. Music by François Couperin: La Vivacité from his Neuvième Concert.
Listen →A Meditation on Change and Malleability
Featuring poetry by Diane Kendig, Writ in Water, read by Leon Bibb with music by Henry Purcell.
Listen →A Meditation on Healing & Transformation
Featuring the poem Beach Glass by John Gabel, read by Leon Bibb. Music by François Chauvon.
Listen →