My ‘now’ song: Pachelbel’s Canon in D

Do you ever have a song, an idea, a storyline, or an image stuck in your head? And it just refuses to go away? For some time at least. I have this with music—it could be a song, an instrumental piece, a jingle, etc. This becomes my ‘now’ song, and the ‘nowness’  (pardon my English here) could be for any length of time.

My ‘now’ song is Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D and I present 2 versions here. The first version has the Canon being played by 3 violins, as it was originally meant. The second version is an adaptation of the Canon by the London Symphony Orchestra for a full orchestra. Both versions are equally beautiful.

I first heard Pachelbel’s Canon in D about 16 years back as part of a Western Classical Music Appreciation course in Mumbai. I was so moved by this piece of music that for about 3 years or so, I would play this Canon first thing in the morning after waking up, and the last thing at night before I went to bed.

Such is the Canon’s appeal that I have heard this music played at weddings as well as funerals. Some people find this music to be sad, some people find it happy. I just find it an emotional piece of music or music for the soul.

Yesterday, out of the blue, Pachelbel’s Canon in D just popped up in my head and I just had to listen to it. And listen to it again. And again.

And before I knew it, it had become my ‘now’ song!