The Green Fields of France

I've recently been working on something about WWI and these seemed appropriate

The Green Fields of France

Put your arms around me honey

Playing on my iPod: Anne Murray

An odd choice for someone who seems rooted in Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras music. But once again, memories come into play. In the 60's at the height of folk music popularity, CBC Television ran Singalong Jubilee during the summers (also later as part of their winter schedule.) Although Murray didn't appear until 1968 both she and the programme are inexorably tied to my "lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer."

More Anne Murray: Canada's Songbird

Playing on my iPod: Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741)

Now that we are into winter I thought I would listen to this today. The Largo is perhaps my favourite movement of the "L'inverno" concerto. Calm and serene as a crisp winter day after a snowfall.

Merry Christmas

My sweet embraceable you

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Playng on my iPod - Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)

Is it too early?

I just switched my iPod to my Christmas playlist - just a sample above - 18 hours of music and who knows how many repeats. I'll probably be sick of them by next week, but I'm in the spirit (not the spirits, that comes later) today.

Yes, I see Mantovani on there. Not sure I can stand that many strings.

Nostalgia

In the early 60's, before the British Invasion. I had this thing about Bert Kaempfert's music. I owned a lot of his albums, which back then were about $6.00 or $7.00 at Woolco - April in Portugal, Afrikaan Beat And Other Favorites, A Swingin' Safari, That Happy Feeling among others and, of course, Wonderland by Night. I think I even continued to buy until I started university in 1964.

My days of Kaempfert's music are well past. I lean toward the Baroque/Classical/Romantic periods with a mix of 50's and 60's, Edith Piaf and now and then Anne Murray - after all she is Canada's Songbird(1). But occasionally I get nostalgic, particularly at this time of the year when the nights are early, the weather is cold and there's a hint of snow in the air. And nothing speaks to that nostalgia more than this song.

1: More on Piaf and Murray in later posts.

Hold me, thrill me kiss me

For larger photos, click the first or any one

Playing on my ipod - Franz Ignaz Beck (1734 -1809)

Then he kissed me

'Tis when the lark goes soaring
And the bee is at the bud,
When lightly dancing zephyrs
Sing over field and flood;
When all sweet things in nature
Seem joyfully achime -
'Tis then I wake my darling,
For it is kissing time!

---

Eugene Field 1850 - 1895
From Kissing Time

Look in a mirror

I never thought I would post about Justin Bieber, one of the most irritating girl singers I have ever heard, but I can't let this pass.

This is how he dressed to receive his Diamond Jubilee award from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

According to Bieber's tweet:

"The pic of me and the Prime Minister was taken in a room in the arena where i was performing at that day. I walked straight from my meet and greet to him, if you 'Hayley' expect me to have a change of clothes let a loan a suit at that specific time that’s crazy, It wasn’t like it was like I was going into his environment we were at a hockey arena. Wow am i ever white trash hayley peterson lol."

I usually try to be kind, even when I don't want to be, but just one word - twat. Beebs, dress for the occasion! Did you have to wear that mishmash to meet and greet? Of course not. You chose it while you could have easily chosen something that would have been suitable for both events. Yes, Beebs, despite what you say you could have even had a change of clothes. Arenas have changing rooms, you know. There's no need to look like a reject from the cast of "Hee Haw." You have the money to pay to have someone think about these things for you even if you can't. White trash? Don't set your sights too high.

Oh, while I'm at it and because I hate that Twitter makes people lazy, "let alone" not "let a loan."

We all love a man in uniform (or out of it)

I praise the dance, for it frees people
from the heaviness of matter and binds the isolated to community.
I praise the dance, which demands everything:
health and a clear spirit and a buoyant soul.
Dance is a transformation of space, of time, of people,
who are in constant danger of becoming all brain, will, or feeling.
Dancing demands a whole person,
one who is firmly anchored in the center of his life,
who is not obsessed by lust for people and things
and the demon of isolation in his own ego.
Dancing demands a freed person,
one who vibrates with the equipoise of all his powers.
I praise the dance.
O man, learn to dance,
or else the angels in heaven will not know what to do with you

---

Saint Augustine (354 - 430)

I've hungered for your touch

Playing on my iPod: Christian Cannabich (1731 - 1798)

Give me a kiss to build a dream on

Give me a kisse, and to that kisse a score;
Then to that twenty, adde a hundred more;
A thousand to that hundred; so kisse on,
To make that thousand up a million;
Treble that million, and when that is done,
Let's kisse afresh, as when we first begun.

---

Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
To Anthea (III)

I just want to make love to you

And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.

---

Andrew Marvell (1621 - 1678)
To His Coy Mistress