music to love

i have been doing a lot of listening to music this week. i think i am needing to get back to practicing and more orchestral playing. when life is difficult, losing yourself in music is really helpful. anyway, this blog post is brought to you with St Anthony’s chorale, which i played in my first orchestra ? with Marie Ind [who i adored!] like this! and has always had a special resonance with me because of loving that orchestra so much. I cried when I left. As i went ‘up’ the orchestra’s i got to play Brahm’s variations in the end. And I so need to lose myself in this kind of music again.

hmm, daddybean does appear to have stopped blogging doesn’t he. this is a bit of a home-ed blog disaster, as he does most of the home-ed! This blog is brought to you with Grieg’s holberg suite as background music, in vain effort to block out singularly awful pub band next door!

thurs: hmm, not tots and nots due to a poxy chickens breakout at a terrible time for us, but yes to dual gym. [peers at BK] ‘Reading, discussing, Dsing, Oggly Googlies, VR and NVR. SB now showing BB about different hardnesses of pencils’ ‘They are turning the water off for a bit (water co digging hole in the road) kids excited about idea and filling up all sorts of things :-)’ ‘BB: “I could get my poo and roll it into sausages with my hands”. Me: “Don’t you think that sounds a bit yucky”?’ [ermmm, lets gloss quickly over that one! ] When I got home, read books and played games with BB [don't wake dad and who's who] whilst snuggling SB and she did some maths, then chatted about animal crossing, oh and we watched dr who i think. Chris and I started the latest series of BSG [holberg 2]

Fri:they played monopoly [also cribbed from BK] not cribbed from BK [unfortunately] was that SB’s glasses were ready, so they went and picked them up and spent the rest of the day and early evening at his parents. my phone was dead, so a text never reached me, so i spent the earlyy evening wondering where all my family were, and the later evening saying goodbye to a work colleague with a really appalling meal! [there was a single choice for veggies - starter = roasted pepper and tomato with some rocket, main = roasted pepper, tomato and rocket tart!! and TBH, it might as well have been tipped out of a jar [prob was actually as a bit watery]. but i got to sit next to some interesting people and have interesting conversations.

SO to today, I wasn’t allowed up initially as craft things going on - i think this may be related to mother’s day if lucky. so i had a bit of a lie in and finished Imperium , which i have really enjoyed [ although as reading The Dolphins of Laurentum: Roman Mysteries 5 (The Roman Mysteries) to SB at the moment, i have felt a bit over-romaned at times!!]. [small break to get to part 3 of holberg suite! - now, where was I??]

oh yes, i got up and went to see what was happening. SB ds-ing animal crossing, then did piano practice with me. BB and i then read a variety of stories, and SB and i looked at minimus chapter 3. A short break as BB insisted on getting the paddling pool out as it was sunny, and was surprise at how cold that was!! however, both girls did have a whale [wail] of a time and came in freezing. i sorted out some seeds for sowing. i am feeling time pressed this year, so we are going for some easy things that we def like, rather than trying to do loads. then lunch for the girls [too close to brekkie for me!]

both girls declared keen to do some science [we had been going to the science festival again this weekend, but somehow inertia and a desire by me for a simple day at home kept us here. BB was enthusiastic to do the 'bean thing' so we have 3 jars of broad beans, a control, a fridge and an airing cupboard to compare. SB got out a kitchen science kit she got for Xmas and was happy to see a volcano in there. BB found the other volcano and we were away. [holberg 4] we decided to colour green, and SB’s does a massive shoot up. obviously a tighter fit and smaller hole so more pressure [and far more mess] = way more fun!! With shaking them, could make BB’s do it, and SB’s even more dramatic - may add video clip. so we are all out of vinegar, and will need to buy bicarb in suma quantities!! After we had washed and cleaned up i set out to do a slow explosion [tho actually not entirely sure it will explode!] we put sugar, yeast and warm water into bottles with balloons on the top. SB actually guessed the right gas [well, i guess we had just released it in far more dramatic manner!!], and we have been checking back on it. balloons inflating, not sure will pop!!

more playing outside in the paddling pool until a small contretemps saw SB retire to the top of the climbing frame with the non-verbal reasoning book [half way through already] and BB into the playhouse. i got ingredients for seed sowing, so both girls joined me on the grass - bB first for a bit, then SB for much longer, and brief return of BB.

edited to add, due to the lack of life in my gardening blog, i am going to stick this here for now, we sowed chilli peppers, tomato illidi [a huge success last year] and gardeners delight, pea misty, sunflowers [must buy some more seeds] and dwarf french bean gold tepee.

we looked at the birds guzzling on the birdfeeders - more and more. must be mouths to feed. in to tidy playroom [v poor grace!] I read The Rock Factory: A Story About Rocks and Stones (Science Works) [holberg 5 - though pub band having a break], they helped chris peal potatoes and I remembered a small parcel so SB opened it. We had a go at the first duet in Descant and Treble Recorder Duets which we were evenly matched for as i was on treble, so finally coming to grips with what the notes actually are. She just had a few counting issues, but even the low D noticeably better, and we both decided that it had def been fun.

SO finally to tea infront of Dr who, and much enjoyed scribbling one. BB off to bed with chris, and SB and i looked at the doctor who website, and she played some games on it. SB and I played connect 4 - which she is getting rather good at. Usual bedtime roman mystery read from me, and she is currentyl reading Ordinary Jack - The Bagthorpes 1 and enjoying it. [a far cry playing holberg, and band restarted]

i think cold is well provided for in music. so i plan at some point to listen with the girls to some clips of cold music. before we start, we are going to think what sounds make us think of the cold, and at the end we can try - perhaps - to make our own cold sounds.

vivaldi winter

vaughn williams antartica
which i have to admit to not liking!

james horner ocean of memories

and we will see what we thought was cold/wintery about each one.

the last christmas themed musical monday for this year! Bach’s christmas oratorio

it is so difficult, as explained previously, i do love most/many of the carols!
but i thought i would go back intime. so here is some messiah - for unto us a child is born

you know you love it! it doesn’t matter which version. ok maybe it does aargh! but you have to sing along!! now, i have a soft spot for enya, and also for adeste fideles, but not for this. I have a feeling i am quite catholic in my carol tastes! i have a soft spot for jose carreras too, but… [and no, english isn't his best language is it!]

lets just sing along again!

encore!

first by the mediaeval baebes [once i had got over their name i like lots of their renditions]. i think this might be a bit slow mind you, and i don’t like the change in rhythm. but the diction is clear!
not quite my thing at all! steeleye span!!
honestly!! where is the version i would like!! you would have thought it would be easy.
hmm, still not right. i had no idea i was so fussy.
not so sure about the weird dynamics, but the closest so far. and i def like the accompanying instrumentation at the beginning, though it gets overdone [imho].
just as I was going to give up the search, here we are. thank goodness! not perfect but i think i just like *my* version on cd!! they are here as well, with a slightly altered version. yeah, this is more like it isn’t it!

i am sorry, i have a sneaking suspicion that the whole of december will be filled with christmas carols - which i adore! so i will start with a proper advent hymn!
yay! i love, adore etc christmas carols. and my spine starts to tingle, and i smell the cinnamon/cloves and oranges!

i was debating between ballet - in celebration of SB’s ballet exam, or violin - in mourning for her giving up. SO i have chosen violin, in the hopes my spare strings will come soon, so that i get practicing!
of course, talent like this is extremely rare [perlman age 13!!!] though, to be fair, i prefer this version.
but that is starting near the end! lets have a bit of the beginning. its good isn’t it!

not the best recording quality, and a short clip, but my heart belongs to menuhin. she how he just flows with the violin, effortless!

a very old recording, i do prefer this more modern version though, the bowing suits me better! much more legato! but i think it doesn’t have the heart of menuhin. [hideous dress though hey!] this has been youtubed weirdly, so it starts with the rather fab first mvt cadenza. however, at about 5 mins is the start of the second mvt [the first and second mvts ‘run together’. this is prob my fav of the youtube offerings, a clear singing violin tone, rubato not overdone, but def emotional!
Enjoy!

i love the way the swirling water of the vltava river has been captured in this piece of music. this is just a snippet. i would recommend searching for a copy of the whole thing though!

well, after the previous desperate post i thought i should post a bit of ballet music. this comes with ballet video too!! enjoy!

i heard this whilst drving today. i prefer the slightly sprightlier versions rather than the dirges. amaxing what difference a bit of speed makes to the whole feeling and emotion of the music. this is a slower version for comparison. what do you think??

i was actually looking for the credo of his harmonie messe as it has my favourite ‘in vitam venturi saeculi amen’ phrase. funny to like one phrase so much!! but i do. must keep searching.

gloria anyway! obviously, i sang this as part of Leeds Festival Chorus. this chap has put out all 3 sections of the gloria, but the bit i want is in the credo!

so, if we are really going for some good glorias!

this one by vivaldi - or faster!! [i think i have listed this before though, so doesn’t count!!

or perhaps a bit of bach?

or, i might have to agree with the youtube claims here

i should prob have listed these in musical ages shouldn’t i? a mozart gloria

and quite differently, a Poulenc gloria - haunting isn’t it.

in honour of SB who has now played this both in her GBDF and ACE piano book, and tune a day violin book. i also played it in my GBDF book more years ago than i cared to remember! i have also played it ‘for real’ and like his named symphonies a lot. i chose this version as my sister was taught piano by richard hickox’ mother, and i like the collegium musicm and their period instruments. Although not credited, this sounds like modern instruments for comparison.

here is the clock bit of the clock - again much played and much loved, fantastic first violins bit!!

and i like the idea of the farewell as well. humour and politics in music!!

and here it is. this is the music that IS my mother to me. i knew it was mozart, and thought it had a country name in it as well so i just searched piano and youtube! [since there is no singing facility] isn’t it absolutely fab. you can imagine it played to show sheer joy and fun. Thankyou mum for my wonderful musical childhood. love you.

we were talking yesterday and led to as a child spotting my mothers mood by the music she played. she loved playing this whilst i was a child.  searching for her fav still

I wonder if my children will associate this and this with me? my mother also frequently played this suite, leading me to want to learn it.

i am sorry, i am feeling v stringy. nearly went for some ballet music, but… this time of year always reminds me of string residential courses, as the leaves turn and it starts to get nippy!

SO here it is, the piece of music we played on my fist residential string course, and loved ever since. the st paul’s suite. written for the similarly named girls school where holst was musical director. this is the second half

sorry, I am on a bit of a string roll! i just find this particular musical style to be particularly relaxing. i love it!! must meet up with em to release my baroque soul!! anyway, here are some alternatives!!

on a far cry fest. here they are with the serenade for strings. this has LOTS of musical memories for me from the Bucks county string orchestra - my first residential music course.

soul soothing music. if a far cry ever come to this side of the pond i want tickets btw