Visit our new site at revgalblogpals.org.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Musical Musings... all over the world


Here I am where we are nearing 80+ degrees during the day and we are supposed to be feeling in the spirit of preparing for Christmas. I wish I could blow some of this weather the way of folks who are so very cold right now and vice versa - it's just plain strange to be turning the air conditioning on in December.

On to the topic of today. I don't have to tell you there is more music for the holiday season than can possibly be played and enjoyed. I have the music to prove it. However, I have a few I offer to you that you may not have as part of your collection that I enjoy. And... I hope you will also.

Back in May, I shared a Maddy Prior CD of hymns - she has a flavor all of her own and her Carols and Capers CD is no different. Think contra dancing. Think singing in a pub. Prior and her Carnival Band are entertaining. Those of you familiar with the group Steeleye Span will be familiar with Prior's music. I going to tell you the CD is pricey right now because it's an import - but head over to ITUNES and it is much more affordable.

A Feast of Songs: Holiday Music from the Middle Agesis a lively collection of familiar and unusual traditional songs and dances from the middle ages that celebrate the winter season and its associated festivals and holidays. Songs from the British Isles, Ireland, Germany, France, Poland and Sweden blend medieval and renaissance tonalities with a festive folk energy that awakens the spirits of past ages. Notice how they don't use the words Advent or Christmas? Well, they should - these should be mostly familiar to you if you have been around listening to lots of Christmas music. Shoot, we even sing some of these in church and you probably do too!

What I REALLY like is the variety of instruments they have accompanying the singers. These include lute, dulcimer, viola, violin, mandolin, guitar, sitar, flute, recorders, French horn, herald trumpet, doumbek, tar, bodhrán, tabor, tambourine, and cymbals, Moroccan and African drums, and many other percussion instruments.

Anonymous 4 have a beautiful Christmas CD Wolcum Yule: Celtic and British Songs and Carols - Anonymous 4 with Andrew Lawrence-King I don't think they will disappoint any listener. Their voices consistently sound as one and are as pure as I have heard.

And if you like Anonymous 4 and with music which throws in a New Age flavor and spice into it, you may like Mistletoe and Wine: A Seasonal Collection by Mediaeval Babes. Here is one of the selections on the Mistletoe and Wine CD:

And, in addition, Wednesday Festival is a part of the comment section here. If you would like to post and provide a link, use this to help you along:
<a href="the url of your blog post goes here">what you want the link to say goes here</a>

Remember, you can go to the Amazon links to listen to excerpts of the above CDs. Please remember, if you are shopping, you can use the search box and RGBP will benefit.

Ok, I have shared some of my collection of music for the season- won't you share some of your favorites?

20 comments:

  1. Good morning! I will be at work today, so won't be able to comment during the day, but wanted to be able to keep up with the comments, so am activating the follow up comments on here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh...and while I haven't been blogging very much this week (too busy baking!), I did share a wonderful newly found recipe for spicy gingersnaps over at my place .

    ReplyDelete
  3. Been busy moving and settling in. Hubby was installed and I have a question.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Speaking of Christmas music, the second annual QG Sappy Christmas Song competition is underway at
    my place

    Come and join in the fun--contribute your own lyrics or just lurk along with us!

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you are into geeky science things, I have blogged about (with pictures) the latest brain scans of my daughter. It scientific
    proof of miracles!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the GREAT recommendations!

    I am hosting my last POETRY PARTY before the New Year, so come on over and read the beautiful submissions and share your own poetic words.

    ReplyDelete
  7. welcome to our winter weather. It's 6 below (centigrade) which is in the twenties F.

    But at least it's not as dark and rainy as it's been for weeks. If anything comes down now it will be snow ... and that will be lighter.

    ReplyDelete
  8. help! I'm in sort of a quandary. I am in need of a hymn for Advent 4 that is about making room. our bulletins for Advent 4, Christmas Eve, and Christmas 1 have to be in by Monday so the admin can get everything done and be off with her family. I've already used 12 and 13 in the Presbyterian Hymnal--Prepare the Way and People Look East. (we've already done O Lord How Shall I Meet You this Advent...)
    Any ideas??
    Sorry to post this here...though I have to say, if I could use something from the medieval-celtic CD, I totally would because they sound so cool!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ice fell out of the sky on us today, Cathy!

    It's unusual enough that we are all going around gaping at each other. And hoping it won't continue and stick. We've got places to go and things to do...and when it ices...everything stops here. Otherwise we just slide around like dopes on the roads.

    Thanks for the wonderful music and video.

    Blessings to all.

    ReplyDelete
  10. In the spirit of Wednesday Festivalness, here's the (nearly complete) Love Feast
    liturgy for the contemporary service. Comments & suggestions very much welcomed.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Teri:

    How about:
    Joy to the World ("....let ev'ry heart prepare Him room")

    and
    Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne ("there is room in my heart for thee...")

    possibly unhelpful...

    Deb


    P.S. Cathy I LOVE Anonymous4

    ReplyDelete
  12. For some reason the links didn't work for me, but I will look on my own. I have an earlier Maddy Prior CD called A Tapestry of Carols, I wonder if the one you mention is different? The second one sounds good too. I also am a big fan of Anonymous 4. They did a free concert at St Mary's Basilica in MPLS once after Sat. eve. mass. So I showed up early and went to Mass in order to get a good seat. Peak experience -- being there in the sanctuary when they came in and wandered around the chancel warming up and testing the acoustics. (The concert was good too; and the Rose Ensemble played at the Mass.)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, and next week I will share some more favorite music on my Tuneful Tuesday blogpost. But for now, get thee behind me, Satan! I'm not supposed to be buying any more Christmas music for myself (or anything else) I need to get my Christmas shopping done!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you Auntie Knickers, for bringing to my attention of the botched links! They should be fixed now!

    I, too, have heard Anonymous 4 live - a treat for the mind and soul.

    Ok, all the links should be working - if they aren't, chime up!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I really miss the Wednesday festival, and I am unclear as to where it went. Can anyone enlighten me please?
    Thanks
    Happy Advent!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Amy,
    Wednesday Festival will return December 26 - we are having a few different holiday related posts right now. There are some folks who have placed their links in the comments for people to visit.

    Hope this helps!

    ReplyDelete

You don't want to comment here; instead, come visit our new blog, revgalblogpals.org. We'll see you there!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.