“Bleeding Heart” is a set of six easy pieces drawing inspiration from "The Lesson" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The poem begins with the song of a mockingbird, heard in a dark sleepless night by someone wrapped in deep sadness. As the narrative unfolds, Dunbar uses the mockingbird’s song to shift the focus from personal sorrow to the empowering mission of comforting someone else. It is a tribute to the potency of music and the profound impact of empathy.
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet, novelist, and playwright. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky prior to the American Civil War. He died of tuberculosis at age 33.
Ben Lahring (b. 1986) is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League ofComposers. Additionally, he is the classical guitar instructor at Ambrose University. From his formative years spent in tropical northern Australia to a globe-spanning music career, Lahring has always been bold in his musical explorations. As a performer-composer, his album Driftwood was reviewed to high acclaim as "a work of originality and shimmering beauty" (Vivascene) and “one of the most singularly beautiful guitar recitals” (Fanfare Magazine). Lahring counts among his composition teachers Dr. Heva Chan in Sydney, Australia, and Drs. Laurie Radford and Allan Bell in Calgary, Canada.
