Glenn Miller, Glenn Miller Orchestra

When I was trying to think of a song that meant a lot to me it was very difficult to choose just one song since I love a lot of different music and feel deep meaning for different songs for different reasons.  When I finally started to chose I started with this song that is one that I've loved listening to over and over for the past many years.  I can't honestly think of any specific meaning of why I love this song but everytime I hear it I like to close my eyes and just picture that I'm in a music hall and watching the band play the song.  There is something magical in hearing the music.  I also love how the tempo doesn't really change but many other elements change of how it feels so soft and then yet so powerful at the same time.  Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller is one of my favorite songs for many reasons I can't explain.

Beat:  The beat for this song is very consistent through the entire song with a tiny exception at the end of the song.  The beat is maintained using a the rhythm guitar and is also further accentuated by the rest of the orchestra following the beat and at times playing the rhythm of the song to the beat.

Tempo:  The Tempo for this song is a slower tempo as the song is meant to be danced as a slow dance or waltz style. 

Meter:  In my opinion the meter for this song is a slow 4/4.  There isn't any specific accentuation in the beat.  I feel that the beat that the listener hears is mainly to make this song easier to dance to, although if one listens to the melody, the feel of the song is a lot more flowing and wouldn't be as easy to distinguish the beat with the rhythm guitar.

Rhythm:  The rhythm to this song is quite simple as it repeats itself a number of times and is fairly basic when listening to it in its individual parts.  The complexity of the song arrives with the varying of the notes and instruments used in the song.

Timbre:  When listening to this song the element of timbre is quite unique in my opinion.  The reason I feel this is the case that there is actually a mix of timbre in the song.  The predominant feel sound is very bright because of the brass instruments that are playing a lot of the harmony of the song.  The reason why I feel though that there is a mix is because of the clarinet's and how even though they are a lot more subdued they are playing the main melody of the song.  I've always found this song and many other songs by the Glenn Miller Orchestra very interesting because of the mix and combinations of timbre in their music.

Harmony:  The harmony of the song is interesting because of the timbre of the harmony.  Normally one would expect to hear brass instruments as the main melody and other darker instruments as the harmony, but in this case it is the opposite.  The brass section of the orchestra is simply playing the harmony, although it is a very important as it is helping establish further to the beat of the song.  the brass is very definite in its notes and is coinciding with the beat of the rhythm guitar where as the main melody is a lot more fluid and flowing in its style.  I love how the harmony gives such a contrast to the melody but yet fits in quite well and quite neatly with the whole arrangement.  This song is a polyphonic song with the varying parts helping develop the song to sound simple but yet also complex.