Music

What place does it have in your life?

Hello Dear Friend,

How are you? I hope you are all hale and hearty. I am well, still recovering from the blood clot and busy knitting lots of little (and not so little 😁) animals for the Christmas Fair at the end of the month.
Deadline anyone?…
I don’t know about you but the weather here has been very strange. It has been almost permanently grey, with low clouds, low light and low winds. Almost as if we are stuck in the doldrums, I am really looking forward to seeing some blue sky and feeling a breeze on my face. Living on an island there is usually some wind about, and the lack of it is just weird.
November, how is it this time of year again? It seems to have come around very quickly. One minute we were in July and now it is almost time for lights, trees, and reindeer. The holiday season made me think about traditions and things we inherit from family and friends.
More specifically - music. Music is one of the things which we share with others - family, friends, loved ones, even sometimes workplaces can have tunes associated with them. Phantom of the Opera always reminds me of the Outward Bound Centre in Eskdale, Cumbria…

Music

It is always around us, from the annoying tunes they play when you are on hold on the phone, lift music, supermarket music, live bands and musicians in the streets of our towns. How much notice do we pay to it? If you are like me, probably not much.

But there are some songs which can catch you off guard. The song your Dad/Mum/Grandfather/Grandmother loved suddenly popping onto the radio can transport you back years. Suddenly you are in your Gran’s front room, decorations up, holly prickling from the top of every picture frame, while Bing Crosby or Val Doonican croons from the record player…

Most of us have a song which means something to us, what are yours? If you would like to share, I would love to hear about them. For me, there are a few specific ones, as well as some general ones.

First up is Savage Garden’s song Affirmation. Jo and I love this song, it was played during our civil partnership. It was also played at the Australian Olympics closing ceremony in 2000. (The same year Jo and I started seeing each other..)

The next song which strikes a cord for me is (I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson. This song brings back memories of my parents dancing together while it played. Dad also chose it as one of the tracks to be played at Mum’s funeral.

Inheritance Tracks

Alongside those already mentioned I have a great fondness for John Denver, The Spinners, various folk and country singers and many more. I still have Dad’s record collection downstairs.
On BBC Radio 4 there is a program called Saturday Live, and within that program, there is a section called Inheritance Tracks, where they talk to celebrities about songs which have meant something to them or their families.
Do you have a go-to song? One to cheer you up? One which reminds you of happy times? Sad times? Specific people?

Soul Music

This is another great program on BBC Radio 4, it takes one track and talks to people to who it has great significance. One example of this is Bill Wither’s song Lovely Day.

I would love to hear your songs, if you would like to share them.

Until next time, as ever, may your angels and guides watch over you and protect you until we meet again.

Love and Light,

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Until next time, bye for now.

Links:

Affirmation by Savage Garden - YouTube link

(I never promised you a) Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson - You Tube Link and Lyrics

Soul Music, BBC Radio 4, Saturday 26th October 2024 - Bill Withers, Lovely Day

BBC Radio 4 Inheritance Tracks webpage and podcast.

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