Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Wind In The Whistle

Day 15 — Share Your Music:  30 Days, 30 Songs

Ladies and gentlemen, it is hump day in the 30 Days, 30 Songs challenge.   I’m exhausted and I am not sure I can think of another 15 songs/tunes.  I’ll have to play it by ear (groan).  Clarinet featured heavily in my classical music phase, possibly because No. 1 son was a clarinet player.  I might be biased (I know I am), but I consider the clarinet one of the most beautiful instruments in bands and orchestras.  It has such a warm tone.  Yes, it is time for some clarinet music.

I have listened to the following piece numerous times and I still love it.  It was my son’s audition piece for music school.  My goodness, kids really have to play some challenging pieces for auditions!  One can’t help wondering whether it is an anti-climax when the young students get into the course of their choice.  Anyway, endless music scales and practice was not quite as interesting as birds or native orchids apparently so that foray was short-lived.  Nevertheless, we still love the clarinet, and hope that you too will love Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet Concertino played by Anthony Gigliotti.

Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Casual players welcome.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Shine

Day 14 — Share Your Music: 30 Days, 30 Songs

As a singer in a gospel choir for over six years, I need to include at least two gospel songs as my contribution to the 30 Days, 30 Songs challenge.  Gospel exponent, Tony Backhouse  (a New Zealander), has done a beautiful arrangement of the fabulously uplifting, Shine On.  I thought I would share it with you so that you could hear how Australians are taking traditional gospel music to their hearts.  If you do an internet search on Tony Backhouse and Shine On, you will come across a very high quality recording on Soundcloud.  Amazing sound, amazing acoustics.

I was fortunate enough to sing in the Australian choir that was formed for the Canberra leg of the Beijing Olympics Torch Relay.  We sang this song at one of the torch relay ceremonies.  If my memory serves me correctly, we assembled on the edge of a very foggy Lake Burley Griffin.  We waited for the torch to appear, then began singing.  The torch bearer then carried the torch across the lake on a boat.  It was very atmospheric.

The fabulously talented Sarah of Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Casual players welcome.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

 

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Deep River

Day 13 — Share Your Music: 30 Days, 30 Songs

I have been seeing many photos of beautiful flowing rivers on some blogs recently.  Oh how those rivers make my heart sing.  Whether it is oceans, rivers or streams, it seems that most of us have a spiritual connection with water.  That’s not surprising really, considering where we all come from.  For me, rivers are akin to the blood flowing through my veins.

Anyway, when I saw the river photos, I also heard a song — Deep River — and I thought perhaps this might be a good song for the song challenge. Read more

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

This Goes With That

Day 12 — Share Your Music:  30 Days, 30 Songs.

The first CD I ever got was a Bob Marley CD.  My mother gave it to me.  At first I was rather ungrateful because, you know, it wasn’t disco.  However, it wasn’t too long before that CD became my absolute favourite, and it hasn’t been displaced in my affections.  One of my favourite songs on the CD is Three Little Birds.

harryFor at least 20 years now, I’ve owned a few canaries.  The most I’ve owned at any one time is five.  You can read how I got into canaries here.  We are now down to two canaries, and our oldest, Harry, who is now 12, has been struggling over the last month.  I’m not complaining.  He has been an absolute joy.   I would often sing to him — “it’s Harry I’m planning to marry.”

 

Here’s to Harry.  When he sings all my troubles depart.

Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.  It’s a good one.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Casual players welcome.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

I Do Mind

Day 11 — Share Your Music:  30 Days, 30 Songs.

This song challenge in which I am participating, is proving provocative — provocative in so much as some songs I thought I really liked, I have begun to question.  One song I have loved for a long time is All My Trials (writer unknown).  It has been covered many times, including famously by Joan Baez.  It is a beautiful song that draws attention to social injustice and inequality.  However, it is too late and I do mind, so I am laying that song to rest, at least for now.  But I think I would like to hear this song one last time.  I have chosen the Judith Durham version.

Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Casual players welcome.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Also joining in the Ragtag Daily Prompt — Lost.

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Insects Dancing Or Something

Day 10 — Share Your Music: 30 Days, 30 Songs.

One of my favourite songs as a child was the Ugly Bug Ball sung by Ronnie Hilton.  It is on my Parade of Disney Hits album that was produced by Axis Records for EMI.  That album also has Ronnie Hilton singing Thomas O’Malley Cat.  Another favourite.

bug

Yes, I still have the album but we had to go hunting for it.  (That is the Royal We.  He was not amused.)  Almost everything ever produced is available on that YouTube these days, but not this song.  I’ve given you all the information in case you want to race out and buy the album from that popular online sales site (you’ll know the one).  I checked and there is a copy still available for AU$15.  Totally worth it if you still have a record player.

 

All that I could manage to dig up for today’s post is the Burl Ives version.  It is still fun and definitely worth a listen.

Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Casual players welcome.

To change the tone, I think I may have a couple of protest songs coming up in the following days.

Kind Regards.
Tracy

 

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

RUOK?

Day 9 — Share Your Music:  30 Days, 30 Songs.

There’s no harm in asking.

Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June.  You can see her latest post here.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Casual players welcome.

I will return to light programming tomorrow.

Kind Regards.
Tracy

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Winter: Joy and Sorrow

Share Your Music — 30 Days, 30 Songs.  Day 8.

In the 90s, when disco was dead, I went into my classical music phase.  It was also the time I had my first baby.  That was a difficult time and a difficult pregnancy.  I listened to quite a bit of classical music when I was pregnant, and because I was new to it, I chose a few old standards.  One of my favourite pieces was/is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.  I particularly liked “Winter”.  It is like four seasons in one.

I had my baby during winter.  That seems quite ironic to me now.  I didn’t listen to much music after the birth.  I was too exhausted.  Too depressed.  Perhaps I’ll write about that one day.  About four months after I had the baby, I went to the mall with my mother and my little boy.  We went into a shop and were browsing when Vivaldi’s Four Seasons came on.  My son started waving his arms in time with the music.  My mother and I were stunned.  The shop assistants came over too to see this young baby conducting to the music.  It was “Winter”.

xyzAfter all that time, he had remembered.  I wonder if this is why he likes classical music so much and once considered a career as a classical musician.  That career path didn’t come to fruition, but it did extend my classical music phase for about 20 years.

Ready for some conducting?

Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Casual players welcome.

Kind Regards.
Tracy

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Dancing Is Living

Day 7 — Share Your Music:  30 Days, 30 Songs!

My husband is a few years younger than me.  Not by much, but I have to wait for him to retire.  Sometimes it seems like the age difference is much larger.  I suspect he didn’t listen to much commercial radio when he was a young child.  He also spent some of his youth in another country so there is a cultural gap song-wise that occasionally needs to be bridged.

He caught up with one of my favourite songs recently when we watched the BBC mini-series, River.  Have you seen that show?  It is wonderful and completely tragic.  It featured Tina Charles’ 70s hit, I Love to Love.

Check it out.  The song and the mini-series.  I recommend both.

Sarah at Art Expedition is hosting 30 Days, 30 Songs for the month of June. You can see her latest post here.  It is not too late to join in the challenge.  Everyone welcome.

Kind Regards.
Tracy

 

Posted on by Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Fears Before Bedtime

Ladies and Gentlemen, there has been a death in the family and fears tears before bedtime.

For weeks now, we have been nurturing two huntsman spiders.
Here is one posing as a fridge magnet.

huntsman.jpg

We were admiring one this evening when suddenly the spider lost its balance and fell onto the floor.  We tried to get to it before Fynnie the rat-eating dog.  It was horrendous.  It was frightening.  Alas, we were too late and the spider was slain.  It’s a dog eat spider world.  Fynn is a dog of diverse tastes.

There is only one thing to do.  You guessed it.  Release the Kraken.  (Sorry, that’s another program).  Interpretative dance.  Join me and release your inner dog, bitch or spider.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

Response to:
The Ragtag Daily Prompt — Nurture, and
Sarah’s Share Your Music – 30 Days 30 Songs Challenge.  It is not too late to join the challenges.  Casual players welcome.  Click on the links to join in the challenges.