Windham Hill
Instrumental, 2001

I’ve been in love with the theme song of the TV series Once and Again ever since I first saw the TV series (and Billy Campbell and Jeffrey Nordling and Todd Field and… that’s another story, and oh, I wish I look like Sela Ward when I am 43). Well, it’s here, track three of blues guitarist WG Snuffy Walden’s Music by….  W.G. Snuffy Walden. It’s a collection of instrumental pieces that showcases Mr Walden’s skills with the guitar as well as the keyboards. The theme of Once and Again, in fact, is the only piece featuring vocals.

And if the one minute theme on the TV series is too short, here I am exposed to the beautiful Once and Again in all its 3:36 minutes glory. The haunting, wordless arias of Cecilia Bullard and Mary Ellis are complemented by gentle guitars and keyboards that slowly simmer into a glorious, spine-tingling crescendo. It’s simultaneously romantic, sexy, and religious all at once – now that’s democratic music. You can have mind-blowing sex or devotional illumination or both.

There are also lovely pieces such as the gentle Angela Smiled, the idyllic Turtle Bay, and the theme song from the TV series Felicity. These are all perfect music to cuddle up to. I love how Mr Walden and his musicians seem to be able to paint evocative scenes of pure romance and poetry with their music – most of the pieces here are simultaneously too heartwarming and painful to listen to.

Then there’s the sweeping, majestic theme from The West Wing, which in 3:33 minutes Mr Walden conveys more beautiful drama than the entire TV series ever could. It’s regal and classy, the grandest national anthem no country ever adopted.

Music by… W.G. Snuffy Walden is a gem. Combining elegant romanticism with stylish musical licks and polished productions, the music is pure poetry in motion. And did I mention how the theme from Once and Again is this fabulous?