oregon: the silence of a candle

well it’s sunday morning and overcast with the very real possibility of more rain today. it’s funny you know, people comment on these rainy and overcast days as “miserable”, “not very nice” even “terrible” and i generally don’t see them or experience them as any of that. i have always liked rain and sun equally. i’m not sure that i can explain why or even if there’d be any merit in attempting. it just is that way for me.

so from my cobbled together setup i’m going to write about a music group that has remained more-or-less close to the centre of the golden fish music collection. music that fits well with rainy sundays. by some people’s standards the collective members of this group could be described as a “super group” as they are - in retrospect - all stars in their own right. certainly at the group’s inception they were known quantities but not “stars”. however, as each has amassed an impressive catalogue and time has worked its wonders on their respective celebrity they have emerged as the extremely talented and creative individuals that collectively shone as the group oregon.

oregon was initially comprised of four musicians: ralph towner (guitar ,piano ,synthesizer ,trumpet ), paul mccandless (woodwind instruments ), and glen moore (double bass ,violin ,piano ) and colin walcott (percussion ,sitar ,tabla). these four musicians were at the time they met, all members of paul winter’s consort which had laid the foundation for so many careers and really cemented the relationship between seemingly disparate forms of music that we later came to term ‘world music’.

looking at oregon’s instrumentation you could correctly surmise that what they played was what is now generically labelled “world music”. back when they were playing, the music had no name or label it was actually considered part of jazz.

in my own view, the band’s most powerful and beautiful music was recorded for vanguard in the 1970’s. in this period they blended indian and classical music with elements of folk and jazz to produce a sound that was uniquely and recognizably their own.

among their many claims to fame, the apollo astronauts took their music to the moon with them and named two craters after songs crafted by oregon entitled “icarus” and “ghost beads”. my favourite piece of music by oregon has always been the hauntingly beautiful “the silence of a candle”. my favourite rendering of this tune is on their album entitled “in concert” during which towner sings the following lyrics:

the silence of a candle
-----------------------
by ralph towner, (c) 1972

music and lyrics taken from paul winter - winter consort's album, "icarus"
the music also appears on oregon's "music from another present era" and "live in concert"

there falls the words of fools about my ears
to hasten by the years the journey that I make
through myself.
the travellers that pass by me as I wend my way
all reaching out to say their path can find the way
to the truth.
answers everywhere, promising solutions to my fears
leading through halls with no doors in the walls
and leave me in the darkness.
but to close my ears to all will bar the way
for those who've travelled through.
the silence of a candle burning in my room
speaks softly of a peaceful balance to be found
just beyond.
the road within without a right or wrong
with lanes for only one where solely one must see,
and will know.
a stillness that resounds, singing sounds of hope to light my way
drawing me near to a path that is clear,
to free myself from darkness.
and the voice within the candle whispers of a timeless peace
that lies beyond.
and the voice within the candle whispers of a timeless peace
that lies beyond.

the first version i’ll share with you here is a longer instrumental version dominated by lyrical sitar playing.
oregon, the silence of a candle:


the second version i’ll share is a much shorter, very delicate rendering of the piece by oregon’s guitarist ralph towner:

to learn more about the ongoing journey of oregon then you should visit the band’s website.