Bleeding Heart is a set of six easy pieces drawn from "The Lesson" by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The poem begins with the song of a mockingbird heard in the small hours by someone wrapped in deep sadness. As the narrative unfolds, Dunbar uses the bird's song to shift the focus from personal sorrow toward the empowering act of comforting someone else. It is a tribute to the power of music and the weight of empathy.
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet, novelist, and playwright, born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky. 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 of Composers. He is the classical guitar instructor at Ambrose University. From his formative years in tropical northern Australia to a globe-spanning music career, Lahring has always been bold in his musical explorations. 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). He studied composition with Dr. Heva Chan in Sydney and Drs. Laurie Radford and Allan Bell in Calgary.
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