Donna Summer - MacArthur Park Suite [Original Extended Version] (Casabla...

5,088,585 views Apr 9, 2012

"MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb in 1968, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. Richard Harris was the second to record it. Other covers include Donna Summer's disco arrangement from 1978 and Waylon Jennings's version recorded in 1969. Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, and Woody Herman all performed big-band jazz arrangements. "MacArthur Park" utilized flowery lyrics and metaphors (most famously, love being likened to a cake left out in the rain) that were considered by media such as the Los Angeles Times to be "polarizing" and "loopy." The inspiration for "MacArthur Park" was the relationship and breakup between Webb and Susan Ronstadt, a cousin of singer Linda Ronstadt. MacArthur Park was where the two occasionally met for lunch and spent their most enjoyable times together. In 1978, "MacArthur Park" by Donna Summer was number one on the American pop music sales charts for three weeks. "MacArthur Park Suite stayed at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart for five weeks in 1978. (LYRICS) Spring was never waiting for us, dear, it ran one step ahead, as we followed in the dance. Between the parted pages, we were pressed, In love's hot, fevered iron like a striped pair of pants. MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark, All the sweet, green icing flowing down... Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it 'cause it took so long to bake it, And I'll never have that recipe again, Again! Aha! I recall the yellow cotton dress, foaming like a wave, on the ground beneath your knees. The birds, like tender babies in your hands and the old men playing Chinese checkers by the trees. MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark, All the sweet, green icing flowing down... Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it 'cause it took so long to bake it, And I'll never have that recipe again, Again! Aha! There will be another song for me and I will sing it. They'll be another dream for me, someone will bring it. I will drink the wine while it is warm and never let you catch me looking at the sun yea, and after all the loves of my life, after all the loves of my life you'll still be the one. I will take my life into my hands and I will use it. I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it. I will have the things that I desire and my passion flow like rivers from the sky. Oh and after all the loves of my life, yea, after all the loves of my life you'll still be the one and I'll ask myself why yea! MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark, All the sweet, green icing flowing down... Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it 'cause it took so long to bake it, And I'll never have that recipe again, Again! You're one of a kind, I gotta have ya, well you're one of a kind, I need to have ya! Right from the start you tore me apart, you took the best part of my heart, Aah! Body and soul, you took me out of control. You stole the best part of my heart, Aah! Ooh! You're one of a kind, you've got magic. I know you're one of a kind, baby you're static. Right from the start you tore me apart, you took the best part of my heart, Aah! Body and soul, you took me out of control. You stole the best part of my heart, Aah! Ooh! Right from the start you tore me apart, you took the best part of my heart, Aah! Body and soul, you took me out of control. You stole the best part of my heart, Aah! Ooh! Baby please (baby please) please don't take your love from me (please don't take your love from me) I am yours for ever more (ever more) 'til eternity. Silently (so silently) listen to the words I say (listen to the words I say) I'm not talking just for play (just for play) listen to me please (won't you listen to me). Heaven knows it's not the way it should be and heaven knows it's not the way it could be and don't you know there's no need to leave! Heaven knows I never wanna leave you, heaven knows I only wanna please you, don't you know love is what I need! Down inside (down inside) don't get caught with foolish pride (don't get caught with foolish pride) blow the other things aside (things aside) it's only you and me (you and me, you and)believe in us (believe in us) we were always meant to be (always meant to be) me for you and you for me (you for me) 'til eternity ('til eternity). Heaven knows it's not the way it should be and heaven knows it's not the way it could be and don't you know there's no need to leave! Heaven knows I only want to love you and heaven knows I never wanna loose you, don't you know love is meant to be! Heaven knows it's not the way it should be and it's not your style so stop with the pretending so come on down and hear me when I cry! MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark, All the sweet, green icing flowing down... Someone left the cake out in the rain, I don't think that I can take it 'cause it took so long to bake it, And I'll never have that recipe again, Again!

My sweet Lord (extended) - George Harrison

"Summertime" - Gershwin

Daniel Hoffmann Farré

Daniel Hoffmann Farré

131 subscribers

7,147 views Jul 13, 2022

→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniel.hoff... → Website: https://www.daniel-farre.com ------------------- Hi, my name is Daniel and I'm a professional event pianist from Germany. What kind of music do you like to play? Let me know down in the comments and don't forget to like and subscribe, new videos are coming soon! I recently started a Instagram account where I'm also posting pictures of my work trips as a event pianist. Make sure to check it out! ↳ https://www.instagram.com/daniel.hoff... (it's a bit complicated to get to the app via this link, you can also just type in "Daniel Hoffmann Farré" in Instagram)

Madame Butterfly. Coro a boca cerrada. Puccini.

3,416,688 views Jan 23, 2011

Madame Butterfly. Coro a boca cerrada. Giacomo Puccini. Director: Miguel Roa. Orquesta y Coro de Voces para la Paz. 2010. Proyecto Solidario: Construcción de una carretera en Ecuador para 40.000 personas https://vocesparalapaz.com/

Barbra Streisand / Donna Summer - No More Tears (Enough is Enough)

28,944,819 views  Jun 23, 2009

Barbra Streisand sings the extended version of one of her first disco hits with Donna Summer in 1979. The song reached #1 and was guaranteed Platinum. (This is the 8 Minute Extension of the original song).

© of Columbia Records

Who Says Music Shouldn’t be Political? Trailblazing Composer Jennifer Jolley

by Janet Horvath, Inteerlude

Composer, conductor, and professor person, Jennifer Jolley believes her music can and should address current and provocative subject matter such as political issues. Consider the 2017 piece The Eyes of the World Are Upon You. The titles of her works indicate what this composer is about. Jolley lives in Texas. The piece bubbled up for her as a direct result of the 50th anniversary of the University of Texas tower shooting and the new campus carry laws allowing those with concealed handgun licenses to carry concealed handguns on public university campuses across the state of Texas.

Jennifer Jolley © Liz Glenn

The Eyes of the World Are Upon You is written for massive forces—huge numbers of brass and winds, and multiple percussion instruments. A mournful English horn opens the piece. Gradually Jolley increases the layers of sound by adding more wind instruments. The brass gradually contributes to the volume. An abrupt cut-off clears the air for the chimes to toll alone, arrhythmically, but the entire band interrupts fortissimo destroying the vigil with dissonance. The calm returns. At the end of the piece, the conductor stops to allow the lone English horn to plaintively finish leaving us to ponder the sorrowful message. 

In 2018 Jolley wrote Prisoner of Conscience, a collaboration with librettist Kendall A. It comprises fourteen movements for vocal ensemble. The inscription “a crude homage to three heroes unjustly incarcerated, fighting a corrupt system…” powerfully evokes the detention of innocents. This is a highly unusual and unique work. The piece, for female voices only, a cappella, is spellbinding.

Prisoner of Conscience addresses Vladimir Putin directly in a series of searing indictments especially in the spoken movements such as Pussy Riot’s Performance. Each movement utilizes different techniques. The first segment, The Eve of Destruction sets the stage in a snappy rhythm with the lyrics, “Biting an apple, over and over again…”. With rich harmonies and an arresting message, the movement becomes a round. Then This Trial is Highly Typical, an intense denunciation, spoken by one of the performers, precedes a beautiful and religiously charged movement in the style of a Gregorian chant. I recommend a parental advisory for some of the next movements that include profanities. Oh Bondage, Up Yours! 

In Death to Prison, Freedom to Protest, one of the vocalists reiterates a pulsing propulsive accompaniment “Sh-Sh-Sh”. A spoken voice enters alongside the vocal harmonies, and a lone soprano sings a gorgeous melody over repeated rhythmic hums. One last movement is spoken, “open all the doors… taste freedom with us…” before the finale Prisoner of Conscience a contemplative conclusion that fades out humming. As a performer myself, I know that performing this work—at almost 30 minutes in length and requiring so many diverse techniques—is very challenging. The recording is a highly effective rendition of this mesmerizing composition and I can only imagine how effective it would be in person.

Some compositions by Jolley © Jennifer Jolley Instagram

Jolley’s eloquent and riveting music written for concert bands dispels every notion of what we typically might imagine band music to be.

March! was commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association. Imagine all the marches written to galvanize citizens during war. Jolley has used this form to illustrate ongoing political conflicts between North and South Korea. It has all the features of a typical march—a stirring rhythm, cymbals crashing, snare drum smashing, and brash brass wailing. The Sousa-like opening gradually decompensates. There are several abrupt stops, and suddenly an eerie audio announcement interrupts. The effect, combined with high pitched electronic dissonances, makes our stomachs churn. A melodic chorale follows, lovely human voices gently undulating. But that too is brutally interrupted and drowned out by the insistent snare drums. March! raises questions in an enthralling fashion. 

In the mix of Jolley’s works is a fabulous solo cello piece entitled Compulsive Bloom brilliantly played by cellist Matt Haimovitz. Much of it consists of vehement octaves, played ponticello or on the bridge so the sound has a harsh edge to it. Alternating sections of high whistling sounds in harmonics give it contrast. It’s a fine addition to the solo cello literature. 

Jolley is currently an assistant professor of music theory and composition at CUNY Lehman College, has been a composition faculty member at Interlochen Arts Camp since 2015, and she held positions at Texas Tech University and Ohio Wesleyan University. She has written a blog full of thought-provoking ideas and is a contributing writer to the new music news site I CARE IF YOU LISTEN powered by the American Composers Forum.

Jennifer Jolley is not afraid to provoke, to address political issues, to experiment, and she is the composer to watch.

This 1919 cartoon accurately predicted mobile phones at concerts over 100 years ago...

William Haselden 1919 cartoon. Picture: Mirrorpix

By Kyle Macdonald, ClassicFM

 

A cartoon in the Daily Mirror from the early 20th century almost unbelievably anticipates the sound of ‘pocket telephones’ in the concert hall.

We’ve all experienced it. Sitting in a concert hall or theatre, the audience is hushed, and the music at a beautiful pianissimo...

And then *ding ding ding*, a mobile phone starts to sound of digital beeps or that all-too-familiar marimba ring tone.

But it turns out that English illustrator William Haselden (1872–1953) predicted it all, a whole century earlier, in a cartoon titled When we all have pocket telephones, published in The Daily Mirror in 1919 when the telephone was a very new invention.

It asked: what if we had a portable, pocket or *mobile* telephone with us in our day to day? And how might they interrupt concerts? It’s all quite prophetic...

Read more: Did you know the original Nokia ringtone comes from a piece of Spanish classical guitar music?

William Haselden cartoon. Picture: Mirrorpix

The cartoon was placed alongside other situations where this ‘pocket telephone’ might prove a personal annoyance and social nuisance: whether it be on a busy train, when you’re in a hurry, with babies, or even when you’re at the alter.

Take a look at the full set of the remarkable prophecy below:

William Haselden cartoon. Picture: Mirrorpix

Haselden drew political cartoons and caricatures, but became most famous for pieces of social commentary on middle-class fashions and manners. His illustrations, like this one, were often drawn over a number of panels, for which he has been viewed as the father of British strip cartoon. 

We wonder what he might have thought if he was instantly transported to a concert 100 years into the future, and hearing the now omnipresent announcement before performers take to the stage: “Could we please ask you all to set your phones to silent”.