An accomplished composer, conductor and lecturer, Eric Whitacre has quickly become one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. The Los Angeles Times has praised his compositions as "works of unearthly beauty and imagination, (with) electric, chilling harmonies"; while the BBC raves that "what hits you straight between the eyes is the honesty, optimism and sheer belief that passes any pretension. This is music that can actually make you smile.”
Though he had received no formal training before the age of 18, his first experiences singing in college choir changed his life, and he completed his first concert work, Go, Lovely, Rose, at the age of 21. Eric went on to the Juilliard School, earning his Master of Music degree and studying with Pulitzer Prize- and Oscar-winning composer John Corigliano.
Many of Whitacre's works have entered the standard choral and symphonic repertories and have become the subject of several recent scholarly works and doctoral dissertations. His works Water Night, Cloudburst, Sleep, Lux Aurumque and A Boy and a Girl are among the most popular choral works of the last decade, and his Ghost Train, Godzilla Eats Las Vegas, and October have achieved equal success in the symphonic wind community. To date, Whitacre's published works have received thousands of performances and have sold well over 750,000 copies worldwide. He has received composition awards from the Barlow International Composition Competition, the American Choral Directors Association and the American Composers Forum. In 2001, Whitacre became the youngest recipient ever awarded the coveted Raymond C. Brock commission by the American Choral Directors Association.
As a conductor, Whitacre has appeared with hundreds of professional and educational ensembles throughout the world. In the last ten years he has conducted concerts of his choral and symphonic music in Japan, Australia, China, Singapore, South America and much of Europe, as well as dozens of American universities and colleges where he regularly conducts seminars and lectures with young musicians. Over the past few years, these loyal fans and supporters have moved online, spreading Eric’s popularity to an ever-expanding worldwide audience. Upcoming commissions include works for The King’s Singers with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and an oratorio - featuring full orchestra, choir, and soloists – celebrating the opening of the new Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, TX.
His music has been featured on dozens of commercial and independent recordings. His first recording, The Music of Eric Whitacre, was hailed by The American Record Guide as one of the top ten classical albums of 1997. In 2006, a full collection of his a cappella music, Cloudburst and Other Choral Works, was released on the renowned British classical label Hyperion Records. The album quickly became an international best seller, appearing in the top ten of both Billboard’s and iTune’s Top Classical Albums charts. Two years after its debut, the critically acclaimed release continues to be a top-seller. The collection earned a 2007 Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance.
Most recently, Whitacre has received acclaim for Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, a cutting edge musical combining trance, ambient and techno electronica with choral, cinematic, and operatic traditions. Winner of the ASCAP Harold Arlen award, this musical also gained Whitacre the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award for most promising musical theater composer. Following its sold-out run, the most recent production earned 10 nominations at the 2007 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, including one for Best World Premiere Musical.
Mr. Whitacre lives in Los Angeles with his wife, celebrated soprano Hila Plitmann, and their son.
This Marriage
Eric Whitacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
The lyrics of Eric Whitacre's song This Marriage express well wishes and blessings upon the union of two people in marriage. The opening line expresses the hope that this marriage and the vows exchanged within it will be blessed. The metaphor of "sweet milk" and "wine and halvah" in the following line illustrate how the union of the couple should be rich, nourishing and enjoyable. The image of the "date palm," with its ability to provide fruit and shade, is invoked to symbolize the fertility and protection the relationship should offer.
The song also prays for the couple's daily lives to be filled with joy and paradise-like happiness. The marriage is expected to be a manifestation of compassion and a promise of future happiness. Finally, the lyrics describe the marriage as an "omen" that welcomes the moon in a clear sky, suggesting that it will be a good sign and bring prosperity to the newlyweds.
Line by Line Meaning
May these vows and this marriage be blessed.
May this marriage be graced with divine favor and blessing.
May it be sweet milk,
this marriage, like wine and halvah.
May this union be as nourishing and delightful as sweet milk, wine, and halvah.
May this marriage offer fruit and shade
like the date palm.
May this marriage provide sustenance and refuge, much like the date palm tree.
May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise.
May this relationship be filled with joy and laughter, making each day feel like paradise.
May this marriage be a sign of compassion,
a seal of happiness here and hereafter.
May this union be an emblem of kindness and empathy, and a confirmation of joy both in this life and the hereafter.
May this marriage have a fair face and a good name,
an omen as welcomes the moon in a clear blue sky.
May this marriage be characterized by beauty and an honorable reputation, resembling the moon's arrival on a cloudless night.
I am out of words to describe
how spirit mingles in this marriage.
I am unable to put into words the wonderful way in which the spirits of this couple unite in this marriage.
Writer(s): Eric E. Whitacre, Jalal Al-Din Rumi, Kabir Helminski
Contributed by Ian H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.