Songs in My Head Saturday

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This gorgeous arrangement of Air and Simple Gifts, written by John
Williams for the inauguration, has been in my head all week. Did you
know they actually prerecorded the music on Monday, because the

frigid temperatures would alter the instruments and cause them to

lose pitch? During the inaugural performance, the piano keys were

detached from the hammers and the stringed instruments were

soaped to prevent the sound. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak

Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill

did a fabulous job of making us believe they were truly in the moment!

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

~

Songs in My Head Saturday

This song has been in my head all week. I'm not sure why.

Song in My Head Saturday

Songs in My Head Saturday

These two songs have been in my head all week, since I watched
Joyeux Noël, the story of the Christmas Eve of 1914, in the Western
Front in France in World War I, when the Scottish, German and
French troops have a time of truce and share moments of peace
and friendship.

This first one is Bist du bei mir sung by Natalie Dessay and
Rolando Villazón, whose voices were used in the film. The
words in English loosely translate:

If you are with me, I will go joyously to my dear and eternal rest.
Ah, how joyful would be my end if your loving hands closed my
faithful eyes.

I am only too thankful my sons were home with me this Christmas.
My heart goes out to all of those whose loved ones are in harm's way
in Iraq. Peace and safety to them.



Hymne des Fraternises, with a montage of the film.