Green Patches

Music For A While

I had to smile when I got in from my weekly singing evening just now  and logged on here to  learn that another blogger,   Avila from Weeble's Wondering has been enjoying themselves Doh, re, mi ing.  A couple of years ago I wrote about starting singing classes and the huge boost  it's given to my self-esteem and confidence.  Even though I sang in the school choir for  years and often join in churchy stuff on high days and holidays, it's only when mid-life crisis struck that I finally plucked up the courage to begin singing in a smaller group and then  on my own. Tonight we warbled our way through 'You'll Never Walk Alone, ' ' You to Me Are Everything,' 'To Make You Feel My Love,' and 'All that Jazz!' Such fun! So, I'll never win prizes but so what!  I don't care. I'll just keep on sinni, I mean...singing!

 

 

 

Epiphany: The Three Kings

 

One of my favourites, to make up for the tone of my past post. Sung here by The Academy of St Martin in The Fields, soloist  - Gerald Finley.

My Top Four July Posts (3): The Heffalump Psalm

To July 2008 and good old Psalm 27.  Some might argue that the link between poor Piglet's encounter with a 'horrible Heffalump' and the psalmist's affirmation of trust in God is how shall we say...tenuous. I beg to disagree. 

Stepping aside - A Grand Day Out

 

 

 

Yesterday saw a rather grey January day being unexpectedly brightened, as I headed over to Salisbury; ostensibly to return some library books to the theological college.  But of course, once done there  - who could  resist popping into the Cathedral.  Especially just now, when artist Bruce Munro's two magical light installations, Light Shower and Water Towers are on display! 

William Pye's beautiful font, ( another happy discovery for me back last autumn) I've found to be a place for quiet reflection, so I was pleased enough to find an excuse to return to Salisbury to see it.  And the cathedral creche was still there.  Put together with these wonderful son et lumieres, it was as if all my Christmases, or more aptly, Epiphanies had come along at once! 

Over the last year I've enjoyed reading  Weekend Retreat's blog as she reflects on her experiences visiting a different retreat place each month and feel quite inspired to try something similar. Of course, whilst I don't think upping and offing onc weekend a month would be either possible or practical for me, maybe something like yesterday's trip might be more doable.  A kind of Quiet, or even half Quiet Day.  A few hours out,  not necessarily in conventional retreat places; being open to the unexpected opportunity...that's quite a thought...  

 

 

 

Songs of Protest and Praise

Garnered at the last minute from the Greenbelt Blog; if you're near Dorchester, it may be worth checking to see if there are still some places left at this weekend of folk music and poetry,  at  Hilfield Priory.

"Songs of Protest and Praise" will be led by Gill and Alan McIntosh, Franciscan

tertiaries based in Weymouth, who sing and play regularly in local folk clubs. The weekend promises music and poetry to assist in "celebrating community with each other, with the marginalised and with the land".

More details here.

 

 

More musical inspiration

following on from yesterday's musical musings . Thanks go again to Maggi Dawn for pointing me towards this wonderful TED talk: Benjamin Zander on Classical music with shining eyes.   

"Who are we being as we go back out into the world?"

Just listen!

"Music for a while

credit freedigitalphotos.net

shall all your cares beguile..."   Maggi Dawn, Mike F and others have been reflecting on the power of music to if not banish, at least calm  the antics of the Black Dog which lurks on the periphery of the mind for so many  of us. I'd agree with one of the commenters on the first blog; I'm afraid  most modern worship songs just don't do it.That's not to say that they don't mean anything to me; they might uplift and often do. ( As do cheesy 70s and 80 disco hits - but we won't go there! ) But to really reach down into those murky depths it has to be deep, rich, multilayered.  Sublime classical gems like the "Sanctus" from  Faure's Reqiuem; the "Proficiscere, Annima Christiana" and " Praise to the Holiest" in Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius;" Bach's "Wir setzen  uns mit Tranen nieder," from the St Matthew Passion - have the power  - for me - to send veins of gold coursing through the mulch, and to begin, to transform a seemingly sodden mass into  a place in which maybe    something just something might begin to grow.

Of course if we're on the subject of gems , I simply can't leave out my all-time favourites and exponents of the classical tradition: The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Enjoy!