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Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Ivana Raymonda - Song For The World (Original Song & Official Music Video

149K views 11 days ago #Hippie #Woodstock #SingerSongwriter Official Music Video by Ivana performing "Song For The World" Music & lyrics by Bluestarman.

Saturday, December 23, 2023

CHRISTMAS WITH ANDRÉ RIEU 2023 - Silent Night/Stille Nacht


Hey everyone, Welcome to this brand new Christmas With André Rieu 2023 video. After a long year of waiting, it's finally time to enjoy this wonderful Christmas show again. Please enjoy 'Silent Night' by André Rieu, Emma Kok and The Johann Strauss Orchestra. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. There are many more videos of Christmas With André Rieu to come. If you want to see videos from a different perspective, make sure to subscribe to @AmeliasStorybook69 Merry Christmas and all the best for 2024!

CHRISTMAS CAROLS CONCERT ROYAL ALBERT HALL 2023 .



The tale of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas


 Composers Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine were assigned to write songs for Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland. Among those that they came up with were The Boy Next Door, The Trolley Song and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The movie was about a family who must relocate to New York after the Holidays and an important part of the story was how they did not want to leave their happy life in St. Louis. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was written for Garland to sing to child actress Margaret O’Brien. And in keeping with the plot, it was a sad song. When Frank Sinatra decided to record a cover in 1957, he requested Martin and Blaine for a happy version. This is what we now listen to from Sinatra and other artists who thought of it as a beautiful Christmas song that they just had to record their own version.



SOUNDS FAMILIAR - Baby A. Gil - The Philippine Star 

December 24, 2023 | 12:00am


I was only able to watch the musical Meet Me in St. Louis on Betamax many years after it was released in 1944. But I was already familiar with one of its soundtrack songs, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas because of the movie The Victors.

That film was a war drama from 1963 and the song was used in a scene where a deserter soldier was executed. It was a poignant moment which I never forgot. It was rendered more powerful with the sound of Frank Sinatra singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as background music.

To this day, despite many other versions I still think of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas as the saddest Christmas song ever written. Now, I recently found out that how it was originally written was even sadder.

How can anybody write a sad song about Christmas? Well, composers Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine did. The songwriting duo was assigned to write songs for Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland. Among those that they came up with were The Boy Next Door, The Trolley Song and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

The movie was about a family who must relocate to New York after the Holidays and an important part of the story was how they did not want to leave their happy life in St. Louis. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was written for Garland to sing to child actress Margaret O’Brien. And in keeping with the plot, it was a sad song.

Very sad indeed. Check out the original lyrics which I found in an article by Ellen Gutosky in the online mag Mental Floss.

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas/ It may be your last/ Next year we may all be living in the past/ Have yourself a merry little Christmas/ Pop that champagne cork/ Next year we may all be living in New York.

“No good times like the olden days/ Happy golden days of yore/ Faithful friends who were dear to us/ will be near to us no more.

“But at least we all will be together if the Lord allows/ From now on we’ll have to muddle through somehow/ so have yourself a Merry Little Christmas now.”

The message was, have yourself a merry little Christmas while you can because next year will be different for us.

Garland’s reaction was instantaneous. “If I sing that to little Margaret O’Brien, the audience will think I’m a monster.”

The tale says that it took Martin and Blaine some convincing but they later agreed to work on the song. After some editing or I should say a little tweaking, Garland had the song she wanted and a true Christmas classic was born.

However, it was still sad. So, when Sinatra decided to record a cover in 1957, he requested Martin and Blaine for a happy version.

And this is what we now listen to from Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Ella Fitzgerald, Kelly Clarkson, The Carpenters, John Legend, Sam Smith and so many others who thought of it as a beautiful Christmas song that they just had to record their own version.

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas/ let your heart be light/ from now on our troubles will be out of sight/ Have yourself a merry little Christmas/ Make the Yuletide gay/ From now on our troubles will be miles away.

“Here we are as in olden days happy golden days of yore/ Faithful friends who are dear to us will be near to us once more.

“Through the years we all will be together/ if the fates allow/ Hang a shining star upon the highest bough/ and have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”

And that is how that shining star made it to the highest bough. Isn’t it just amazing what a little tweaking can do to the lyrics of a song.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Friday, December 22, 2023

Michael Buble - white christmas



Transcending Tunes of Light and Shade Handel: Messiah

by 

Credit: http://www.portlandhandelsociety.org/

George Frideric Handel © portlandhandelsociety.org

The reasons for this tradition are somewhat apocryphal: one version is that at the first London performance in 1743, the audience “together with the King”, were so moved by the ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus that they spontaneously rose to their feet. An alternative explanation is that King George II was so tone-deaf that he thought the performance had finished, and the orchestra was playing the National Anthem: once the King stood, everyone present was obliged to stand too. Whatever the reason, there is something really special about standing for such an uplifting and triumphant piece of music.

For me ‘Messiah’ will forever be associated with the beginning of the Christmas season. When I was at school, it formed an integral part of the concert which ended the Autumn term, along with the service of nine lessons and carols at the church next door to my school. I must have sung Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at least 10 times, for the tradition of performing it at Christmas continued when I joined my university choir.

Background

‘Messiah’ was composed in 1741, with a text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. Initially it received a modest public reception, despite Handel’s established reputation in England, where he had lived since 1712, but gradually the oratorio gained in popularity and it is now one of the best-known, much-loved and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.  

The Story

The work is organised in three sections: Part 1 tells the story of the birth of Christ and includes all the familiar elements of the Christmas story. Part 2 is concerned with Christ’s passion and death, his resurrection and ascension, and ends with the joyous ‘Hallelujah’ chorus. It is this aspect of the work which makes it just as applicable for performance at Easter as well as at Christmas (in fact, its premiere in Dublin took place 19 days after Easter 1742). Part 3 returns to the theme of resurrection and represents the real core of the work as Christ’s resurrection is connected to our own redemption and sense of hope, beautifully affirmed in one of the work’s most famous arias, ‘I Know that My Redeemer Liveth’. And I suppose the best thing about ‘Messiah’ really is all the memorable ‘tunes’ – from ‘Ev’ry Valley Shall be Exalted’ to ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’, ‘I Know My Redeemer Liveth’ to the charming duet between tenor and alto ‘O Death Where is Thy Sting’. Then there are the choruses: ‘And the Glory of the Lord’, ‘All We Like Sheep’, ‘For Unto Us a Child is Born, ‘Hallelujah’, and the wonderful fugue of the final chorus. In between all this are some beautiful solos, recitatives, which serve to move the narrative forward, and delightful orchestral interludes.

Handel brings the text to life with light and shade, storms and sunshine, fugue and counterpoint, and a huge variety of textures and “word painting”, the technique of having the melody mimic the literal meaning of the libretto. Because of the skilful way in which Handel organises the material, and the universal, redemptive message of the text, Messiah remains a work which is uplifting and life-affirming, regardless of how it is performed.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Simbanggabi | Philippine Madrigal Singers, UP Singing Ambassadors & Aten...


Tutti during the Sudi Awards at the Metropolitan Theater on 21 December 2022. Simbanggabi was composed by national artist for music, Mr. Lucio San Pedro. Prof. Raul M. Sunico, PhD, accompanied the choirs on the piano. Mr. Jonathan M. Velasco conducted the choirs.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Silver Bells


Silver Bells · Percy Faith & His Orchestra and Chorus Christmas Is... ℗ Originally Released 1966 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.

Bach For Christmas - A Musical Celebration (Classical Music)


Celebrate the holiday season with the timeless and festive melodies of "Bach for Christmas." Immerse yourself in the Baroque brilliance of Johann Sebastian Bach's compositions, carefully selected to evoke the spirit of Christmas. Bach's intricate counterpoint and rich harmonies weave a tapestry of joy, solemnity, and celebration. From uplifting chorales to delicate pastorales, this playlist offers a musical journey that transcends time, capturing the essence of the holiday season through the masterful creations of one of classical music's greatest composers. Let the intricate beauty of Bach's music add a touch of elegance and reverence to your Christmas celebrations. 👉 Listen to classical music on other streaming platforms. The links are below: 📌 Bach for Christmas: https://lnk.to/Various-Artists-Bach-f... 📌 100 Most Essential Christmas Classical Pieces: https://lnk.to/100-Most-Essential-Chr... 📌Nutcracker and the Great Ballets Highlights: https://lnk.to/Various-Artists-88-Hol...

Monday, December 18, 2023

Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? (Live Aid 1985)


Band Aid performing at Live Aid in front of 72,000 people in Wembley Stadium, London on the 13th July, 1985. The event was organised by Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for the Ethiopian famine disaster. Broadcast across the world via one of the largest satellite link-ups of all time, the concerts were seen by around 40% of the global population. Remember to subscribe to stay up to date with all new releases in the channel.

"The First Noel," 550 BYU Musicians Celebrate Christmas