Random Photo: Soft kitty

Soft kitty, Warm kitty,
Little ball of fur.
Happy kitty, Sleepy kitty,
Purr Purr Purr

Thursday Thirteen 359: Christmas Sing-Along

One weekend this month while washing the dishes, I had the radio tuned to a local station that plays 24-hour Christmas music. I like this station as they play a nice mix of the old and the new, traditional and contemporary. Here are the songs I was singing along to while cleaning up the kitchen that day.


1. Christmas in the Sand by Colbie Caillait



2. Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill



3. Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano



4. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing by Amy Grant



5. The Heart of Christmas by Matthew West



6. Carol of the Bells by Manheim Steamroller



7. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams



8. The Little Drummer Boy by Chicago


9. Winter Wonderland by Johnny Mathis



10. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch by Thurl Ravencroft



11. Hangin' Round the Mistletoe by Brooks and Dunn



12. I'll Be Home For Christmas by Tony Bennett



13. The Christmas Song by Michael Bublé




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Thursday Thirteen 340: Concerts on the Square

Concertmaster Suzanne Beia performs
Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"
on July 16.

Wednesday evening, July 30, was the final performance of this season's Concerts on the Square. The concerts are performed by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra every Wednesday for six consecutive weeks, and are free (donation sponsored) to the public. The orchestra plays a variety of music from classical to stage and show tunes to pop. In its 31-year run, the orchestra has only had two conductors, and now welcomes a crowd of over 10,000 every Wednesday night. This week's crowd was estimated at 30-40, 000. The Square was packed solid!

People can set out blankets and
chairs beginning at 3pm.

This week's theme was "ShamROCKS!" The first half featured traditional Irish music, while the second half featured the music of U2 performed by guest artists, Jeans 'N Classics, and featured a light show. I had hoped to include a few photos from last night, but Word 7's photo feature is awful -- I can't process pics the way I can on my home computer, so . . . we're stuck with what I uploaded before leaving for last night's concert. Here is a listing of some of the music enjoyed at this final concert:



1. The Wearing of the Green/The Last Rose of Summer/The Rakes of Mallow -- arranged by Leroy Anderson

Many people bring books and spend the
afternoon reading or people-watching.

2. Irish Suite for Strings (II. Windy Gap / III. Fishamble Street - Dublin 1742 / V. On the Bridge at Clash) -- by Arthur Duff

3. Youthful Suite (II. Rustic Dance) -- by Percy Grainger

4. Danny Boy by Frederic Edward Weatherly (Which was, interestingly enough, written by an English lawyer)

5. The Irish Washerwoman/The Minstrel Boy/The Girl I Left Behind Arranged by Leroy Anderson


The U2 portion:

Chairs set on the lawn must be the
low beach type with tubular legs.

6. I Will Follow / Vertigo

7. Beautiful Day

8. Angel of Harlem

9. With or Without You

10. New Year's Day
11. Sunday Bloody Sunday / Pride

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra,
performing on July 23.

12. Desire

13. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

BONUS:

14. Where the Streets Have No Name

15. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

A view from the Capitol's observation deck, hours
before the concert starts.

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Word Crimes

Just found this through Pinterest and had to share. Enjoy!

Morris Dancers

Last weekend, a friend and I took advantage of the pleasant weather and ventured uptown to the Dane County Farmers' Market. Unfortunately, at least half the surrounding area had the same idea, making for a slow-shuffling and densely packed crowd. When we were halfway around, we bought pastries from our favorite bakery stand and sat along the walkway leading up to the Capitol to eat them.

As we found a place to sit, a motley group of performers, many of them sporting bells, began to gather in the middle of the walkway. This, of course, piqued our curiosity.

We soon learned that they were a troop of Morris Dancers. The Midwest Morris Ale, to be exact — naturally I had to do a bit of research on it this week. According to their website, "Morris dancing is a tradition of folk dancing with its origins in the Cotswold region of England." Apparently, there are several dozen teams of dancers here in the United States, and many were in the area for an annual gathering called the Midwest Morris Ale.

The Hobby Horse is a traditional part of the dance team and prances about the ring of dancers. In times of yore, he would often carry a hat to solicit money from observers. Here, he served as informer, answering audience questions about the troop and the dances performed.

It is also usual to have a man dressed in women's clothing — hence the gentleman sporting the yellow sun dress and top hat. Known as The Betty, he is believed by some to be an ancient fertility symbol. Um...sure. If they say so.

Morris Dancing is an English tradition combining dance and music, and has been performed for more than 500 years — perhaps even longer. The origins have been lost over time, with dances being passed down from one generation to the next.

The dances are typically performed by a set of six dancers, but with such a large group, exceptions were made. It turns out there were around 50 performers stationed at each corner of the Capitol Square, which we noticed as we continued our circuit. The dancers waved handkerchiefs during some dances, and clashed sticks together in others, while bells strapped to their legs jingled with every move.

An "ale" is a private party where a number of Morris teams come together and perform dances for their own enjoyment. The term dates back to the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, where "ale" referred to a church- or village-sponsored event at which ale or beer was sold as a fundraiser, with Morris dancers hired to perform. In North America, "ale" is now widely used to describe a weekend of dancing, including public performances and workshops.

Music is always performed live. Alas, between the observers and performers, I was unable to get a clear shot of the musicians. Traditional instruments include the pipe and tabor (a small drum), but may also consist of a fiddle, guitar, accordian or concertina.

We only stayed to watch the first two dances, as it was growing hot and the pressing crowd had us feeling rather surly, but it was definitely an interesting diversion. And really — how often do you happen upon something like this, especially in the vast Midwest of North America?

Cinco de Mayo in Memphis

A song for Cinco de Mayo . . .






Meanwhile down on Beale Street
Drinking in a Beale Street bar
There's a fog rolling off the Mississippi
Has anybody seen Arkansas?

And the deckhands from the towboats
Come ashore wearing Mexican shoes
Headed strait for Graceland
It Was the first thing they wanted to do

Cinco de Mayo in Memphis
Marchetti singing the blues
Soul Sisters huggin Senoritas
All sportin' Blue suede shoes


(Rest of lyrics)

Let it Go

I love this song, though there's something about it that always makes me want to cry. Last Wednesday GMA held a live sing-along event with thousands across the USA joining in, which I was able to catch before leaving for work. You can see and read about it HERE. Idina Menzel will perform the Oscar-nominated song live during the awards ceremony tonight.

Happy Rubber Ducky Day!

I've seen this car around town a few times this past year.

Rubber Ducky, you're the one,
You make bath time lots of fun,
Rubber Ducky, I'm awfully fond of you;
(woh woh, bee doh!)

Rubber Ducky, joy of joys,
When I squeeze you, you make noise!
Rubber Ducky, you're my very best friend, it's true!
(doo doo doo doooo, doo doo)

Listen to "Rubber Ducky"

Thursday Thirteen 313: SNC

The all-male a cappella group Straight No Chaser will be at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee Tuesday night (Dec 17). Since I can’t be there to see them in person, I thought I’d share some of my favorites with all of you. Some of these are vocal only, others are from live performances. I love their harmonies and blend of voices, the way they can go from funny to serious in a heartbeat, and the twist they give some popular songs. Enjoy!


1. First, of course, is the song through which I discovered SNC a year ago and my favorite version of The Twelve Days of Christmas.




2. Soldier . . . Absolutely LOVE this one. If you only listen to one of these, make it this one!




3. Lady Gaga mix — I’m not a Gaga fan, but I love this medley. Makes me laugh every time I watch or listen to it.




4. Rhythm of Love/Can’t Help Falling in Love




5. Christmas Wish




6. The Lion Sleeps Tonight . . . Awesome vocals and the antics make me laugh every time I watch or listen to it.




7. O Holy Night . . . Have I mentioned how much I love Jerome Collins’ voice?




8. Wonderwall




9. Somebody That I Used to Know




10. Every Day is Christmas, featuring Colbie Caillat.




11. I’m Yours/Somewhere Over the Rainbow




12. Like A Prayer




13. The Christmas Can-Can . . . I first heard this last month on YouTube and was positively giddy when I heard it on the radio on Black Friday (Dec 29) . . . while shopping.




BONUS, because it is, after all, Christmastime:

Carol of the Bells




Auld Lang Syne





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Thursday Thirteen 296: Concert on the Square edition

Getting this up a bit late this week, owing to not being home Wednesday night. Friends and I attended the third of this season's Concert on the Square series. The concerts are performed every Wednesday evening at the Capitol, for six consecutive weeks, and are free to the public. Listeners are invited to bring a chair or blanket, a picnic dinner (though you can also purchase box dinners from one of the pricey vendors), and enjoy a summer night listening to live music.

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra performs a variety of music each week, often with guest artists. The music selections include classical, swing, pops, and stage-and-movie themes. In short, there's pretty much something for everyone. The first concert of the season included Tchaikovsky's "Waltz" from Sleeping Beauty and Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. Last week's was an homage to Independence Day with music by American composers and ending with the 1812 Overture.

And tonight? Well, that's the subject of this week's post: Thirteen of the songs heard at tonight's concert, featuring harmonica virtuoso, Robert Bonfiglio. I've included links to YouTube, should you wish to listen to any of the selections, except the last one. Since I could not find a link to that medley, or even a listing of all the songs included, I've linked to two of the songs I remember being in the medley.

Enjoy!


1. Hoedown from Rodeo (Aaron Copland)
(Americans may recognize this from the “Beef . . . it’s what’s for dinner” commercials.)

2-4. American Frontier (Arr. Calvin Custer)
-- Oh! Susana
-- Shenandoah
-- America, the Beautiful

5-7. Beach Boys Medley (Arr. Calvin Custer)
-- Good Vibrations
-- I Get Around
-- California Girls

8-11. Duke Ellington medley (Arr. Calvin Custer)
-- Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
-- Do Nothin’ ‘Till You Hear From Me
-- Sophisticated Lady
-- It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got that Swing)

12-13. Suite George (Gershwin Medley) (Arr. Eric Knight)
-- Summertime (Performed by Sissel--a bit slower than the version played tonight, but one of my favorites.)
-- I Got Rhythm (Performed by Judy Garland--it was the best version I could find.)



So...anyone care to take a guess as to which of the above-listed songs has been in my head since leaving the concert? Go on, give it your best shot. ;-)

Next week's concert should be a fun one--a tribute to Sir Elton John, with special guests Jean Meilleur and John Regan.


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Thursday Thirteen 294: 80's Dance Party

Sometimes in the evenings, I like to listen to the local "oldies" station while I am on the computer. I particularly like the "80s at 8" segment, though a part of me is offended that songs I grew up on are now considered "oldies" (no offense to those who may be slightly older than I). Sometimes the host plays a song I haven't heard in years or may have forgot about, and some nights it's hard not to get up and dance along. Here are a few songs heard on a recent evening.


1. Sweet Dreams (Are made of This) by The Eurythmics




2. If You Leave by OMD




3. True by Spandau Ballet




4. Party All the Time by Eddie Murphey




5. Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar




6. Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle




7. Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart




8. Mony Mony by Billy Idol




9. Driving My Life Away by Eddie Rabbit




10. Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears




11. Sexual Healing by Marvin Gay




12. Safety Dance by Men in Hats




13. Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Wave






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Wishing You a Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Do you have any plans for the evening, exciting or otherwise? Here, NYE will be spent in the company of friends during our annual gathering. We'll open Christmas presents, gorge ourselves with a rather extensive buffet, play games, and talk into the wee hours of the evening. New Year's Day we'll get up just in time to watch the Tournament of Roses Parade commercial free on HGTV. The theme this year is "Oh, the places you'll go," and it's always fun and interesting seeing how creative entrants are. This year's parade includes 41 floats, 24 bands, and 21 equestrian units. Among the entries will be the Badger cheerleaders with Bucky Badger and the UW Marching Band.

We'll graze on leftovers throughout the afternoon, talk some more, and maybe put in a movie or play games before watching our Wisconsin Badgers take on the Stanford Cardinals in Wisconsin's third consecutive trip to the Rose Bowl. This is the 99th Rose Bowl game, with more than 64,500 tickets sold. Here's hoping for a successful showing this year--go Bucky!

I leave you with a few songs to ring in the new year, and wish you a safe and happy celebration!

12 Days of Christmas

I stumbled across this little gem on youtube a few days ago and I have to say -- hands down, it is now my all-time favorite version of this song. Enjoy!

Oh--you might want to set down any food or beverages before watching. You've been warned. *G*






Tell me that wasn't AWESOME!

Wordless Wednesday 58: Anticipation

(Blankets set out for Concerts on the Square; Madison, WI)

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Thursday Thirteen 250: Local Music

It’s Memorial weekend, and here in Madison that can only mean one thing: it’s time for Brat Fest! If you don't know what Brat Fest is, check out this Thursday Thirteen post I wrote in 2008. In addition to marathons, tons of good food, rides and games, there are also four entertainment stages. I always get a kick out of the names of some of the local groups. Here are a few playing Brat Fest this year:

1. Voodoo Fix
2. Awesome Sauce
3. Killer Cars
4. Brair Rabbit
5. Tiger Clutch
6. Twang Dragons
7. Sexy Ester
8. Red Hot Horn Dawgs
9. Lords of Trident
10. Hunting Charo
11. Stop the Clock
12. A Torrid Affair
13. We Shall Be Bandits


I don’t know what kind of music any of these groups play, or how good they are (or aren’t, lol) as I have never even heard of them before, but you have to at least give credit for creativity.


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Thursday Thirteen 244: New Music

Some new music to add to your playlists--click on any link to see/hear the video.


My Old Neighborhood by James Maddox

That Wasn't Me by Brandi Carlile

Happy Pills by Norah Jones

Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum

Drive By by Train

Watching You Watch Him by Eric Hutchinson

Shadow Days by John Mayer

Down in the Valley by The Head and the Heart

Somebody I Used to Know by Gotye, featuring Kimba

Walk by Mayer Hawthorne

Time Spent in Los Angeles by Dawes

Free by Graffiti6

On the Run by Kaiser Chiefs



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Thursday Thirteen 240: An American Song Writer

The music and movie industries lost another star this week, though most would probably recognize him more for his music--songs of your childhood or that of your children--than his name. Along with brother Richard, Robert B. Sherman wrote more than one thousand songs during his storied career, penning music for dozens of films and stage productions. The brothers started their collaboration after WWII, on a dare from their father, Al Sherman, who was also a well-known song writer. Bob Sherman died Tuesday, March 6, at the age of 86.

Here are a few movies Sherman scored--and some of the talent who brought the films and music to life:


1. The Parent Trap (1961, starring Hayley Mills)


2. Summer Magic (1963, starring Hayley Mills and Burl Ives)


3. The Sword in the Stone (1963, starring Sebastian Cabot)


4. Mary Poppins (1964, starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke -- won Oscar for Original Song, "Chim Chim Cher-ee")


5. The Jungle Book (1967, starring Phil Harris and Sebastian Cabot)


6. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968, starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes)


7. The Aristocats (1970, starring Phil Harris and Eva Gabor)


8. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971, starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson)


9. Snoopy, Come Home (1972)


10. Charlotte's Web (1973, starring Debbie Reynolds and Paul Lynde)


11. Tom Sawyer (1973, starring Johnny Whitaker and Jodie Foster)


12. Huckleberry Finn (1974, starring Jeff East and Paul Winfield)


13. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977, starring Sebastian Cabot)


The Sherman Brothers are also responsible for one of the most recognizable and annoying theme park songs known the world over. Can't guess what it is? Click here to find out.


Be honest--how many of these have you seen? How many are in your personal video library?


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The Sky is Crying

The music world lost another icon Friday, blues singer Etta James, age 73. Though her passing was not a surprise (she had been battling leukemia and was hospitalized in December), her loss still saddens me. Miss James won six Grammies during her long career, putting out a final album, The Dreamer, just last year. I have two CD compilations of some of her greatest hits, At Last! and The Definitive Collection. Among her best known songs are: At Last, W-O-M-A-N, Try a Little Tenderness, Something's Got a Hold on Me, Tell Mama, Damn Your Eyes, The Sky is Crying, I've Been Loving You Too Long, A Sunday Kind of Love, Stormy Weather, I Just Want to Make Love to You -- and one of my favorites -- The Man I Love.

Thankful

Although this is from his holiday album, I feel this song appropriate for today. May you have much for which you are thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!






Thankful
Written by David Foster, Richard Page, Carole Bayer Sager
Sung by Josh Groban

Some days we forget
To look around us
Some days we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

(Read the rest of the lyrics)

Thursday Thirteen 225: New Music

Some new music for your listening pleasure—click on any link to hear the song.

01. Foster the People — Pumped Up Kicks

02. Mat Kearney — Hey Mama

03. Fitz and the Tantrums — Don’t Gotta Work It Out

04. Red Hot Chili Peppers — Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie

05. Adele — Someone Like You

06. The Bodeans— Blowin’ My Mind

07. Coldplay— Paradise

08. Bon Iver— Calgary

09. Death Cab For Cutie— Stay Young, Go Dancing

10. The Decemberists— Calamity Song

11. NeedtoBreathe— Drive All Night

12. Florence and the Machine— Shake it Out

13. Ryan Adams— Lucky Now





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