7,171

This is now my 7171st journal entry. I will not e writing much at the moment because i have a stiff wrist. Why do i have a stiff wrist? May be too much typing or the other thing you do with your hand solo. Clue .. starts with W.

Chillaxing Today

Had a really nice lie-in this morning after the long day i just had. Still have a couple of reports to finish off but apart from hem it will be a very chilled out day here at home.

BTW we had a very crispy frost last night.

Tuesday Music Selection

To cheer me up a bit some music stuff -

Everything But The Girl - Blame

I love Tracy Thorn's voice.

Everything But The Girl - Before Today

Thanks for listening.  I shall crawl under that rock now.

Pics From Northiam

Pics from Northiam yesterday.

Pics From Hastings and Eastbourne

These first two pics are from Hastings yesterday.



( Pics here )

Asgardians

My new middle name is Thor.

Answer for question 4595.

[Error: unknown template qotd]Slightly tiresome but i do think that there are great musicians now as their was in the past. Music changes and so do musical styles. Some styles go out of fashion and then return afresh. I love the musical past but i also search out new music and finding some great music out there.

Contemporary artists that come to mind are Joanna Newsom, and Eliza Carthy. I could mention oodles more but these are the two that stand out for me.

I would not dismiss any genre totally, well maybe country and western..

Lamentations

And now music from an early English opera and two versions of the same piece of music - Dido's Lament from Henry Porcell's "Dido and Æneas"

Malena Ernman (sublime performance)


Thy Hand Belinda", "When I am Laid", "With Drooping Wings"

Maria Ewing, as Dido.

• Aeneas: Karl Daymond, baritone
• Belinda: Rebecca Evans, soprano
• Sorceress: Sally Burgess, mezzosoprano
• Second Woman: Patricia Rozario, soprano
• First Enchantress: Mary Plazas, soprano
• Second Enchantress: Pamela Helen Stephen, mezzosoprano
• Voice of Mercury: James Bowman, countertenor


Of the two versions i slightly prefer this one with Richard Hickox and the Collegium Musicum 90.

( Synopsis of opera )

Full fifty six minute opera here at this link - it is one of my favourites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30Idh9ySHa8&ab_channel=SimonBirch

Melancholic music for a melancholic Tuesday.

Quiz Time

Two connecting walls form Only Connect. Can you get the four connections in each wall?

Jeff Buckley

I was listening to Great Lives on BBC Radio 4 earlier today and the great life being discussed was of Jeff Buckley - i have his "Grace" album , which i think is a tour de force.

In this edition, musician and performer Nitin Sawhney champions the life of Jeff Buckley who he regards as a genius singer, songwriter.
The expert is Steve Abbott who was a friend of Buckley's and released his debut record. Matthew Parris is the presenter and the producer is Perminder Khatkar."

Here is his version of Dido's Lament (apologies for the poor sound but these were taken from demo recordings).

And from the Grace album his version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"