When I first heard you, I was amazed by your wonderful playing, and my amazement increased when I learned that most of what you play is from your own compositions, which remind us of the compositions of the great Baroque and Classical masters, with your own special flavour.
Yes, thank you, I am enjoying my purchase.
Super nice arrangement. This one is a wee bit of a stretch goal for me; but, I'll get it! Hate to say it but I like this better than the original.
Magnifique morceau ! Difficile mais sublime ! Vaut tous les effort ! Merci David !
Absolutely wonderful piano arrangement for this extraordinary piece. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world!
This is an amazing song David Hicken got a Grammy robbed from him to be honest.
I am not a very proficient pianist, so I was thrilled to come across this arrangement, which sounds so beautiful despite being relatively easy to play. I'm looking forward to David's future arrangements.
Wow. This composition makes me smile and is totally uplifting. I've bought it and will play it in Cathedrals in the UK when I play for visiting choirs. Thank you David.
first off will say I’m an old guy that’s played around on the piano for a while playing only my own simple little compositions… when I came across this piece it just called out to me and I knew I would have to try and learn it… so will probably spend the better part of this year trying to get a handle on this piece ..thx
Beautiful melody that stays in your head. Replayed it over & over when I heard it on Pandora. Ordered the score. Love playing it, challenging me, but so easy to learn. Thank you David for your inspiration & putting it to music. Nancy
My absolute favourite at the moment! And really not so difficult to learn. You will love it!
Hello Mr Hicken, after admiring your virtuoso recording of your composition "Incanation" on YouTube, I would like to present this rhythmical and percussive work myself on my own YouTube channel "hapeorgelplayer" (now 83 videos). I still need some time to prepare recording it by Hauptwerk digital sampling.
If I manage to reproduce your great composition adequately,
I will send you a corresponding link. I am pleased that I became aware of your work.
Grat music piece. An inevitable association with Bach, but on the other hand it is known that it is not Bach. So interesting and intriguing.
Haven’t played the organ much since my uni days but thought this would be a nice project to get my teeth into. Enjoying this piece immensely
Beautiful music, very easy top learn but it sounds amazing. Soon I will look for more pieces.
I heard David Hicken and Andrew Boldi play this version of the song and I absolutely loved it so I decided to buy it to try and play myself and it was well worth it.
Beautiful and fairly simple piece, even for beginners like me!
Wow, what a wonderful piece, well structured melody that seems quite heroic, and the running sixteenths add excitement and anticipation. Well done, my new composing friend. Cheers from Edmonton, Canada.
Thanks for the wonderful music! Gemini breathes freshness and joy. We're going to perform it at the concert.
David Hicken’s The Bell Carol is a captivating reimagining of the traditional Carol of the Bells.
Hicken masterfully blends intricate piano techniques with a vibrant, festive energy, creating a piece that feels both classic and refreshingly modern.
The composition showcases Hicken’s signature style, characterized by its sweeping arpeggios and dynamic tempo shifts, which evoke a sense of joy and anticipation. The melody is rich and resonant, with moments of soft delicacy interspersed with powerful, cascading runs that mimic the sound of chiming bells. Hicken’s technical prowess is evident throughout, yet the piece retains a sense of accessibility, drawing listeners into a warm and uplifting holiday spirit. Whether you’re an admirer of traditional carols or seeking a fresh take on seasonal music, The Bell Carol delivers a spellbinding performance that embodies the magic of Christmas.
French Translation:
The Bell Carol de David Hicken est une réinterprétation captivante du traditionnel Carol of the Bells. Hicken mélange avec maîtrise des techniques de piano complexes et une énergie festive vibrante, créant une œuvre à la fois classique et agréablement moderne.
La composition met en valeur le style distinctif de Hicken, caractérisé par de grands arpèges fluides et des changements de tempo dynamiques, évoquant une joie et une anticipation palpables. La mélodie est riche et résonnante, avec des moments de douceur délicate entrecoupés de passages puissants et fluides rappelant le son des cloches tintinnabulantes.
La virtuosité technique de Hicken est évidente tout au long de l’œuvre, mais celle-ci conserve un aspect accessible, plongeant les auditeurs dans une atmosphère chaleureuse et inspirante de fête. Que vous soyez amateur de chants de Noël traditionnels ou à la recherche d’une interprétation originale de la musique saisonnière, The Bell Carol offre une performance envoûtante qui incarne la magie de Noël.
Portuguese Translation:
The Bell Carol, de David Hicken, é uma releitura cativante do tradicional Carol of the Bells. Hicken combina magistralmente técnicas de piano intrincadas com uma energia festiva vibrante, criando uma peça que soa tanto clássica quanto refrescantemente moderna.
A composição destaca o estilo característico de Hicken, com seus arpejos amplos e variações dinâmicas de ritmo, que evocam uma sensação de alegria e expectativa. A melodia é rica e ressonante, com momentos de delicadeza suave intercalados por passagens poderosas e fluídas que imitam o som de sinos tilintando.
A destreza técnica de Hicken é evidente em toda a peça, mas ela mantém um senso de acessibilidade, envolvendo os ouvintes em um espírito natalino caloroso e revigorante. Seja você um admirador de canções natalinas tradicionais ou esteja em busca de uma abordagem nova para a música sazonal, The Bell Carol entrega uma performance hipnotizante que captura a magia do Natal.
Just on a quick read through Secrets to Better Playing made me think about how I play, how I practice and how I teach. Within a week I have changed my teaching to include sight reading, scales and improvisation every day, and to focus on music reading. My pupils are yet to come back to tell me whether they have enjoyed the experience, but I think they will have improved rapidly, as I have in the last week, in conjunction to playing David's pieces for piano and organ. Well worth the money. Thank you so much David.
