Cherie’s Choices

Rising to a challenge is stock for some of my customers. Heroes and Heroines look to the task and come through, just as CherryPie did with her program of song for Christmas.

I set a small task and threw open the Music Room. “What are your Christmas favourites?”.

Cherie brought hers for our enjoyment.

“It is difficult to choose from my favourite Christmas Carols and songs. And when narrowed down there are also many good YouTube versions… it is difficult to choose a favourite and some of my favourites are not available on YouTube. But I got there in the end.
My choices are all ones that I sung regularly when I was in a choir, but I have chosen a variety of styles rather than choosing full choir versions in every case.”

And what delights too.

Once in Royal David’s City.  Taken from ‘Carols from King’s’ 2004.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RC34N1TfCQ

The ‘Cathedral Choirs’ are a jewel in the English Tradition. And what can match them?

I have to admit a soft spot for this little girl. Her voice and youthful purity is captivating. It reminds me.

Jackie Evancho – Silent Night

There is a special space in my heart in which my own little blond girl should be. It is waiting for her to come back to it.

But from small things, big ones grow and sometimes they go away.

The Little Drummer Boy Performed by the Albright Angels and Mane Men

And now some healthy big girls without male accompaniment. What a fine harmony.

All Angels sing “The Angel Gabriel”

The boys get a turn too. And what boys they are !

“This one is not part of my Christmas choices (or something I have sung) but I came across it whilst I was browsing around on YouTube. The voice is phenomenal. I thought you might enjoy it ” 🙂

Vienna Boys Choir – Ave Maria

I hope you enjoy them 🙂
CC

I enjoyed them all, m’dear. Your glass is full and waiting.

And finally a Taverner’s Turn.

Another little girl, Rhema Marvanne, going places and singing praises.

O Holy Night

A satisfying evening. God Bless, Cherie.

But there is only so much an old Knight’s heart can hold before it overflows and I need to hurry off and wring out my towel.

Perhaps my other customers could just go over to Cherie’s Place while I tidy m’self up a bit.

I shall be down in the Crypt with this one. Not simply Christmassy, but out of the depths.

Canto Gregoriano
CREDO IN UNUM DEUM
Schola Gregoriana

Pax Dei.

• Posted at ParzivalsHorse

Growing up with Music

I first got into music when I learned to play the recorder whilst I was in junior school.  I used to practice for ages at a time mostly on my own but sometimes with my brother. The neighbours often commented on how lovely the sound was. I got far ahead of where I should have been in the ‘Learn to Play’ book.  The music Mistress was a bit of a stickler and wasn’t too impressed with this. She said I should have been practicing the same page over and over again!  In future I kept my progress to myself and when she asked I said I was always on the page she had told me to practice.  She invariably thought the pieces I had been told to practice were good enough so the fact I had  moved ahead obviously wasn’t adversely affecting my playing.

After I moved to senior school I took up the Clarinet and played in the school orchestra.  I also joined the choir.  For a time I played in the junior band, helping out on the kettle drums and percussion instruments.  As well as playing the clarinet, I made my own bamboo pipes which have a much more mellow sound than the recorder.  It was fun and challenging to make and tune them, getting one note at a time as the instrument progressed.  I enjoyed playing the base pipe in a small bamboo pipe quartet.  My base bamboo pipe was actually made of aluminium, because it was difficult get bamboo large enough.

I had endless fun going all around the county and sometimes further afield to perform in concerts, old people’s homes, hospitals and many other places.

One memorable occasion was singing at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in the Saturday evening concert.  We were the last choir on stage and the schedule had slipped so we performed a lot later than planned.  We sang several encores and eventually got home at 5am in the morning after watching the sunrise on the way home.

 At the Christmas concerts we were always joined by former pupils and they were a lot of fun.  On one occasion when it was time for the orchestra to play I had 10 trombone players standing right behind me.  It was so loud I could hardly hear myself think, let alone play!

The event I loved the most was Christmas Eve, singing carols by the Ironbridge. Over the years more and more local people turned up and joined in. The singing only lasted for 30 minutes, but by the end of it you knew that it really was Christmas…

I have kept all the programmes from the concerts we performed in and I still enjoy getting them out from time to time and remembering the pieces we used to perform.

On and off over the years I have carried on with my music. Although I am currently in a lull,  I do feel it calling me again…

• Posted at Vision and Verb.