For a good many, this winter is the most miserable in recent memory. We need something to make us smile.

Let's make off to sunny ancient Greece and spend a little time with that lovable cuss, Diogenes!

I offer you The Philosopher, the first movement of a three-movement choral work entitled: Philosophical Anecdotes.

I wrote this piece in 1979 for the Kenyon College Choir. I thought about the students who would sing it. They study philosophy and classics; surely they'd like to sing something sublime, ancient, Greek. But Kenyon students also have a sense of the irony of their situation, pursuing the liberal arts in Gambier, Ohio, surrounded by cornfields.

I remembered Diogenes, the great curmudgeon. An ancient Greek philosopher, yes, but a wag, a grump, a mocker of mundane values. I thought that irreverent settings of anecdotes about a guy like Diogenes might appeal to the students. It did! They sang the music with gusto!

Three of Diogenes' exploits are recounted in the piece. The first movement, The Philosopher, sets to music a prose account of the old grump’s most celebrated moment, when he snubs Alexander the Great. The opening words of the story have a distinctive calypso rhythm. Recite them yourself: "The philosopher Diogenes lived in a tub!" Snap your fingers as you half-speak/half-sing those words. Accent the important syllables and, bingo, you've got the opening of my setting, and thus the mood for the whole piece, an improbable combination of ancient Athens and calypso music!

I love to write rounds. Choirs learn them quickly and easily. Singing a round, a choir can sound terrific after only a few minutes of rehearsal. My setting of those words about Diogenes just happened to make a couple of mighty fine rounds! You'll hear them sung first in unison, then in parts.

The second movement recounts Diogenes' famous search, with a lantern, in broad daylight, for an honest man, the third his contemptuous quip upon visiting a country fair, "Lord, how many things there are in the world of which Diogenes hath no need!" Those movements are funny, too, but let's hear them for some other time.

For now, you're cordially invited to pass three minutes in the company of Diogenes. Don't expect much from him! Alexander the Great would have done anything for Diogenes, but the philosopher's only request of the most powerful man in the world was that he get out of his light.

Ha! You have to love the old rascal!

Philosophical Anecdotes is performed here by The Gregg Smith Singers.

Rick Sowash
Cincinnati, OH
January 26, 2014

🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶

Weary of dreary February? Let’s make off to sunny Greece and spend a little time in the company of that lovable sourpuss, Diogenes!

I offer you The Search, the second movement of a three-movement choral work entitled Philosophical Anecdotes which I wrote in 1979 for the Kenyon College Choir.

Diogenes is philosophy's great curmudgeon, the Grecian Groucho. A wag, a scold, a mocker of mundane values. I thought that settings of anecdotes about the irreverent Mr. Diogenes might appeal to the Kenyon students. I was right! They sang it lustily!

Three of Diogenes' exploits are recounted in the piece. The first movement sets to music an account of the old grump’s celebrated snub of Alexander the Great, no less. The last movement recounts Diogenes’ visit to a country fair where he snorts at all the frivolous “finnimbruns” offered for sale.

In the second movement, Diogenes does ‘street theatre,’ carrying a lit lantern through Athens, mid-day, begging the question, “What are you doing, Diogenes?” He has his answer ready: “Looking for an honest man."

Ha! You have to love the old rascal!

If you want to follow the lyrics as you listen to my setting, here they are:

“Diogenes’ Lanthorne” by Samuel Rowlands, 1628

"Athens I seek for honest men,
But I shall find them God knows when.
I’ll search the city, where I can see
One honest man, he shall go home with me."

An odd day’s work Diogenes once made
And ’twas to seek an honest man, he sayed.
Through Athens with a lantern he did go
When people saw no cause he should do so
For it was mid-day and the sun did shine,
Yet he unto a humor did incline.

"Oh, Athens I seek … etc."

He spake as free to Alexander’s face
As if the meanest plowman were in his place.
’Twas no men’s persons that he did respect,
No matter where he looked, vice he did detect.

Imagine you see him walking your streets
And everyone’s a knave with whom he meets.
Note their descriptions, which good censure craves,
Then judge if he rightly might count them all knaves.

"Oh, Athens I seek … etc."

To hear the Gregg Smith Singers performing The Search from Philosophical Anecdotes, click on the link above.

To see a PDF of the score, click on the link above.

Rick Sowash
Cincinnati, OH
Feb. 26, 2017

🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶 🎶

Let's bestir ourselves, stretch our wings and, by a flight of fancy, make off to ancient Greece to pass a little time in the company of that lovable cuss, Diogenes!

I hope you’ll let me share with you The Philosopher, the first movement of a three-movement choral work titled: Philosophical Anecdotes.

I wrote this music in 1979 for the Kenyon College Choir. I thought about the students who would sing it. They study philosophy and classics; surely they'd like to sing something that was sublime, ancient, Greek. But Kenyon students also have a sense of the irony of their situation, pursuing the liberal arts in Gambier, Ohio, a haven of high-minded learning with cornfields stretching out in all directions.

I remembered Diogenes, the great curmudgeon. A ancient Greek philosopher, yes, but a wag, a grump, a mocker of the world's values. I thought that irreverent settings of anecdotes about Diogenes might appeal to the students. It did! They sang it lustily!

Three of Diogenes' exploits are recounted in the piece. The first movement, The Philosopher, sets to music a straightforward prose account of the old grump’s most celebrated moment, when he snubs Alexander the Great. The opening words of the story have a distinctive calypso rhythm. Recite them yourself: "The philosopher Diogenes lived in a tub!" Snap your fingers as you half-speak/half-sing those words. Accent the important syllables and, bingo, you've got the opening of my setting, and thus the mood for the whole piece, an improbable combination of ancient Athens and calypso music, of all things!

I love to write rounds. Choirs learn them quickly and easily. Singing a round, a choir can sound terrific after only a few minutes of rehearsal. My setting of those words about Diogenes just happened to make a couple of mighty fine rounds! You'll hear them sung first in unison, then in parts.

The other two movements recount Diogenes' famous search, with a lantern, in broad daylight, for an honest man and his contemptuous quip upon visiting a country fair, "Lord, how many things there are in the world of which Diogenes hath no need!" Those movements are funny, too, but let's save them for another time.

For now, you're cordially invited to pass three minutes in the company of Diogenes. Don't expect much from him! Alexander the Great would have done anything for Diogenes, but the philosopher's only request of the most powerful man in the world was that he get out of his light. Ha! You have to love the old rascal!

To hear The Gregg Smith Singers performing The Philosopher, click on the link above.

To follow the score while you listen, click above for a PDF of the sheet music.