Over the lock-down period Crowded House, in common with a number of other bands and musicians, put together a couple of "live from home" songs, for the Music From The Front Line benefit concert. What I love about this recording is that it was put together over a few hours, with each musician recording their parts individually. How cool is that? As part of this, the band recorded melodic Fall at Your Feet and upbeat Something So Strong, but it's Don't Dream It's Over that I'm sharing below, because it's one of my favourite songs. Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 July 2020
Crowded House
I've been listening to a lot of Crowded House recently. They've been one of my favourite bands for a long time, but I've been finding an awful lot of solace in their music as we've made our way through this strange time. Neil Finn's vocals and songwriting just does what music is supposed to do to me, to take you somewhere totally separate, yet also to display emotions that are so familiar. What a musician he is, I'm delighted that I bagged tickets to see the band in Birmingham next year!
Friday, 24 January 2020
I've Been This Way Before
I've seen the light
And I've seen the flame
And I've been this way before
And I'm sure to be this way again
For I've been refused
And I've been regained
And I've seen your eyes before
And I'm sure to see your eyes again
For I've been released
And I've been regained
And I've sung my song before
And I'm sure to sing my song again
Some people got to laugh
Some people got to cry
Some people got to make it through
By never wondering why
Some people got to sing
Some people got to sigh
Some people never see the light
Until the day they die
But I've been released
And I've been regained
And I've been this way before
And I'm sure to be this way again
One more time again
Just one more time
Neil Diamond
Friday, 6 December 2019
Midnight Rocks
You say with best intention
Let's throw away convention
Set sail across the water
To find the tides of fortune
I say please understand it
Don't let our love be stranded
Upon the midnight rocks (oh yeah), upon the midnight rocks
You say there's no endeavour
We couldn't try together
No storm we couldn't weather
We'll ride the wind forever
I hear the words you've spoken
Don't let our love be broken
Upon the midnight rocks (oh yeah), upon the midnight rocks
Ah, you know, you know it's easy,
Ah, to let it go believe me,
Ah, you know, you know you feel it,
Ah, don't lose it when you need it
I know that fascination
With living each sensation
In your imagination
There is no hesitation
I know your mind is turning
Don't let our love lie burning
Upon the midnight rocks (oh yeah), upon the midnight rocks.
I know that fascination
With living each sensation
In your imagination
There is no hesitation
I say please understand it
Don't let our love be stranded
Upon the midnight rocks (oh yeah), upon the midnight rocks.
Al Stewart
Thursday, 5 December 2019
When life gets you down...
...Buy classic vinyl at local music shops.
Now all I actually need is the player!
Now all I actually need is the player!
Sunday, 26 January 2014
The Entertainer
By my reckoning, it has been about 17 years since the fall board last came down upon the keys, and those punchy, upbeat little piano numbers stopped wafting through the hallway and into the kitchen, lounge, and down the street. In their place came increases in homework, then exams, then coursework, then more exams, then dissertations, and then exams, then work. Never had the care-free days of childhood seemed so far away when, for what seemed like hours, one would sit upright on the stall and bash out those most popular and well-known of tunes - The Phantom of the Opera, In The Hall of the Mountain King (that's the Alton Towers music to us), not to mention my personal favourite, The Entertainer, roundly criticised by some in the family for being too loud, perhaps not played with enough finesse, but still pretty good for an 11-year-old, and one that, at one time, I could probably have played blindfolded.
How unkind have the years been that this is no longer the case, but one thing I have retained is an enthusiasm for the piano, and an unwritten covenant with myself that, some day, I would return to this most beautiful of instruments. Quite fortunate, then, that Lizzie's parents are moving house, for in amongst the inevitable clear out has come Lizzie's old, but incredibly good quality, keyboard. Featuring over 50 different instrument personas, more backing beats than you can shake a stick at, and a hundred pre-loaded tunes to make it look like you've mastered playing perfection, it's an electronic masterpiece that just has to be explored! No, it doesn't match the romance or beauty of a grand piano, but it's certainly more functional for our second-floor flat.
And so, here we are, mid-January 2014, the dawn of a new era, Nich Turner scrabbling around the music scores of a "basics to expert" piano book, furrowing his brow in an attempt to reacquaint himself with the positions of notes, crotchets, semibreves, minims, quavers, bars, treble clefs, bass clefs, flats, sharps, and naturals. It's difficult, frustrating, and oh-so confusing, but I'm absolutely loving being back at the keys after so many years, and this time, there's no homework to get in the way. So watch out world, I'm tickling the ivories once again; and look out Mum - the Entertainer has returned!
How unkind have the years been that this is no longer the case, but one thing I have retained is an enthusiasm for the piano, and an unwritten covenant with myself that, some day, I would return to this most beautiful of instruments. Quite fortunate, then, that Lizzie's parents are moving house, for in amongst the inevitable clear out has come Lizzie's old, but incredibly good quality, keyboard. Featuring over 50 different instrument personas, more backing beats than you can shake a stick at, and a hundred pre-loaded tunes to make it look like you've mastered playing perfection, it's an electronic masterpiece that just has to be explored! No, it doesn't match the romance or beauty of a grand piano, but it's certainly more functional for our second-floor flat.
And so, here we are, mid-January 2014, the dawn of a new era, Nich Turner scrabbling around the music scores of a "basics to expert" piano book, furrowing his brow in an attempt to reacquaint himself with the positions of notes, crotchets, semibreves, minims, quavers, bars, treble clefs, bass clefs, flats, sharps, and naturals. It's difficult, frustrating, and oh-so confusing, but I'm absolutely loving being back at the keys after so many years, and this time, there's no homework to get in the way. So watch out world, I'm tickling the ivories once again; and look out Mum - the Entertainer has returned!
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Music Museums and Mozart
It is impossible to visit Salzburg without feeling the presence of Mozart. The composer's image is everywhere, his music wafting through the streets and shops, his brand of chocolates available in all the supermarkets, his aftershave for sale in every souvenir shop. Mozart never much cared for the city, finding it boring, but the city has never forgotten him, nor has its love for him diminished over the centuries. After a breakfast of sachertorte and apple
strudel, Lizzie and I went in search of the world-famous composer, starting at the house of his birth.
This is what we discovered.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756, in an impossible-to-miss yellow property on Salzburg's main shopping street, Getreidegasse, in the very heart of the city's old town. The son of Leopold and Anna Maria, Wolfgang was the youngest of seven children, of which only two survived - himself and his elder sister, Maria Anna, known as Nannerl. Both the children exhibited phenomenal talent from a very early age, but it was Wolfgang that most surprised his father, so much so that Leopold gave up his own composing efforts to concentrate fully on his son. This must also be the reason why, during Wolfgang's teenage years, the Mozarts moved across the river, to a bigger and newer building, more grand, spacious and luxuriously decorated, and also much quieter - the perfect place for a budding composer to find the space and air he required.
It was this childhood talent that would take both youngsters travelling all over Europe, beginning with an exhibition at the court of the Prince-elector Maximilian III of Bavaria in Munich, in 1762. The journey continued to Vienna and Prague, then Mannheim, Paris, London, The Hague, Zurich, and Donaueschingen, meeting along the way numerous musicians and composers. On their return home, Wolfgang embarked on a tour of Italy with his father, to Milan and Rome, where he was accepted as a member of the Accademia Filarmonica.
On return from Italy, Wolfgang was employed as a court musician by Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo, the ruler of Salzburg. Here he worked in many genres, but developed a particular interest in violin and piano concertos. Wolfgang, however, grew increasingly restless with his employment and with Salzburg. When the court theatre closed down, he ventured to Vienna in search of work, but found little. He was then accompanied by his mother on a quest to Munich, Augsburg and Mannheim, before he investigated a post to be an organist at Versailles. At this time, Mozart fell into debt and took to pawning valuables. His lack of funds is probably the reason why he delayed in calling a doctor when his mother took ill whilst in Paris. She died on 3 July 1778.
Wolfgang returned to Salzburg all the more dissatisfied. In 1781, he was summoned to Vienna, where Archbishop Colloredo was attending the celebrations for the accession of Joseph II to the Austrian throne. He was offended when he was forbidden to perform before the Emperor, resigning his position after a quarrel. He nonetheless settled in Vienna, persuing his career as an independent performer and composer. This began well, his work soon being performed throughout the German world, his reputation growing. Wolfgang moved in with the Weber family, with whom he'd had previous correspondence in Mannheim, and went on to marry the family's third daughter, Constanze Weber, on 4 August 1782. The couple had six children; Karl Thomas Mozart and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart were the only two survivors.
Between 1782 and 1788, Wolfgang wrote his most famous operatic works, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. Leopold died in 28 May 1787, and in December of that year Wolfgang was appointed "chamber composer" to Emperor Joseph II. Court records have revealed that Joseph intended to keep Wolfgang from leaving Vienna.
The beginning of the Austro-Turkish War in 1787 saw Mozart hit harder times, as the level of prosperity in Vienna declined. In 1788, the Mozart family moved to a suburb of Vienna to reduce rental expenses although, it seems, he merely increased his housing space without saving a penny. Mozart began to borrow money, and it is suggested that the composer began to suffer with depression. As he seemed to be recovering his situation, he was struck down with illness, and by November 1791, his health had somewhat deteriorated. Bedridden, suffering from swelling, pain and vomiting, he was nursed by his wife and her youngest sister, and was attended to by the family doctor, Thomas Franz Closset. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in his home on 5 December 1791. He was aged only 35.
We leave Mozart's residence, via the obligatory shop, and step out into the late afternoon air. Back at Mozartplatz, (and much to Lizzie's insistence!), we don our ice skates and take to the rink. Now, I've never been ice skating before, but I find the whole thing impossible to master. Children of only 9 or 10 years old zoom confidently past us as we cling to the side, hardly daring to take a step out to the middle of the ice. "Helicopter arms" is how Lizzie describes me when I do venture away from the edge, limbs flailing all ways, whilst the statue of Wolfgang Amadeus looks down on us in judgement. Of course, he probably mastered this at the age of five.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756, in an impossible-to-miss yellow property on Salzburg's main shopping street, Getreidegasse, in the very heart of the city's old town. The son of Leopold and Anna Maria, Wolfgang was the youngest of seven children, of which only two survived - himself and his elder sister, Maria Anna, known as Nannerl. Both the children exhibited phenomenal talent from a very early age, but it was Wolfgang that most surprised his father, so much so that Leopold gave up his own composing efforts to concentrate fully on his son. This must also be the reason why, during Wolfgang's teenage years, the Mozarts moved across the river, to a bigger and newer building, more grand, spacious and luxuriously decorated, and also much quieter - the perfect place for a budding composer to find the space and air he required.
 |
| Mozart's birthplace, 9 Getreidegasse |
 |
| Mozart's Residence |
It was this childhood talent that would take both youngsters travelling all over Europe, beginning with an exhibition at the court of the Prince-elector Maximilian III of Bavaria in Munich, in 1762. The journey continued to Vienna and Prague, then Mannheim, Paris, London, The Hague, Zurich, and Donaueschingen, meeting along the way numerous musicians and composers. On their return home, Wolfgang embarked on a tour of Italy with his father, to Milan and Rome, where he was accepted as a member of the Accademia Filarmonica.
On return from Italy, Wolfgang was employed as a court musician by Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo, the ruler of Salzburg. Here he worked in many genres, but developed a particular interest in violin and piano concertos. Wolfgang, however, grew increasingly restless with his employment and with Salzburg. When the court theatre closed down, he ventured to Vienna in search of work, but found little. He was then accompanied by his mother on a quest to Munich, Augsburg and Mannheim, before he investigated a post to be an organist at Versailles. At this time, Mozart fell into debt and took to pawning valuables. His lack of funds is probably the reason why he delayed in calling a doctor when his mother took ill whilst in Paris. She died on 3 July 1778.
 |
| The Mozart family around 1780 (Source: Wikipedia) |
Wolfgang returned to Salzburg all the more dissatisfied. In 1781, he was summoned to Vienna, where Archbishop Colloredo was attending the celebrations for the accession of Joseph II to the Austrian throne. He was offended when he was forbidden to perform before the Emperor, resigning his position after a quarrel. He nonetheless settled in Vienna, persuing his career as an independent performer and composer. This began well, his work soon being performed throughout the German world, his reputation growing. Wolfgang moved in with the Weber family, with whom he'd had previous correspondence in Mannheim, and went on to marry the family's third daughter, Constanze Weber, on 4 August 1782. The couple had six children; Karl Thomas Mozart and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart were the only two survivors.
Between 1782 and 1788, Wolfgang wrote his most famous operatic works, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. Leopold died in 28 May 1787, and in December of that year Wolfgang was appointed "chamber composer" to Emperor Joseph II. Court records have revealed that Joseph intended to keep Wolfgang from leaving Vienna.
The beginning of the Austro-Turkish War in 1787 saw Mozart hit harder times, as the level of prosperity in Vienna declined. In 1788, the Mozart family moved to a suburb of Vienna to reduce rental expenses although, it seems, he merely increased his housing space without saving a penny. Mozart began to borrow money, and it is suggested that the composer began to suffer with depression. As he seemed to be recovering his situation, he was struck down with illness, and by November 1791, his health had somewhat deteriorated. Bedridden, suffering from swelling, pain and vomiting, he was nursed by his wife and her youngest sister, and was attended to by the family doctor, Thomas Franz Closset. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in his home on 5 December 1791. He was aged only 35.
 |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, painted posthumously by Barbara Krafft in 1819 (Source: Wikipedia) |
We leave Mozart's residence, via the obligatory shop, and step out into the late afternoon air. Back at Mozartplatz, (and much to Lizzie's insistence!), we don our ice skates and take to the rink. Now, I've never been ice skating before, but I find the whole thing impossible to master. Children of only 9 or 10 years old zoom confidently past us as we cling to the side, hardly daring to take a step out to the middle of the ice. "Helicopter arms" is how Lizzie describes me when I do venture away from the edge, limbs flailing all ways, whilst the statue of Wolfgang Amadeus looks down on us in judgement. Of course, he probably mastered this at the age of five.
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| In the shadow of Wolfgang Amadeus |
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| Ice skating on Mozartplatz |
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