KEY CHORALE: Such a gift - and out of the clear blue sky (so to speak).

On Friday 22nd I went shopping and tuned in on my car radio to WUSF our local public radio station.

WUSF (University of South Florida) was beginning yet another dreary political taking heads programme (lots of opinion, few facts), so I switched over to WSMR  (Sarasota Music Radio). there to encounter Christmas music of such immense beauty that my heart was filled with wonder and joy.

It turned out to be an (edited?) version of the recent Christmas Concerts given by Sarasota's fabulous KEY CHORALE under the direction of the storied choral conductor Dale Warland.


Since I was driving and shopping I could  not enjoy every moment of this wondrous Concert,
but there were three pieces which took me back into "lovely memory land".

 FIRST 

 Es ist ein Ros entsprungen  by Michael Praetorius (translated or paraphrased ) into English as "A Great and Mighty Wonder".

 MEMORY As a High Schooler in a "pretty good" School Choir I set out with others  at one Christmas-tide to sing carols (spontaneously) at the homes of some of our teachers.

 Oh, how I remember singing "A great and Mighty Wonder" at the doorstep of a teacher who lived in the Bishopston area of Bristol.  (The song is set to the tune by Michael Praetorius which is known in English as "Lo, ere a Rose"
SECOND 

 One Christmas Eve when I was the Rector at St. Stephen's in Pittsfield MA the choir sang "Il est né, le divin Enfant" in French.

 There happened to be a young Frenchman in the congregation.  It pleased him greatly to hear a carol in his own tongue, and he remarked that the choir got the French accent right.

THIRD

 About four years ago my friends Jonathan and Andi Taylor took me to the Riverview High School (SRQ)  Choir Holiday Concert and Madrigal Dinner "Renaissance Feast". Their younger son Jacob was one of the stars the the show.  It was a fine evening and marked the very first time that I'd heard the Catalan Carol "Fum Fum Fum"

 Thank you Key Chorale for bringing back these good memories.

 https://youtu.be/fUGTzpntLs8       Lo ere a Rose
https://youtu.be/NJ8ieXU-oOw     A great and mighty wonder
https://youtu.be/RbC-P8Cm-dY       Il est ne  (Edith Piaf)


https://youtu.be/999slUsTCpw         Fum Fum Fum



Comments

  1. Ann Albritton24 December 2017 at 07:07

    I love your prattle - and thanks for posting the links to the music. I'll listen on my laptop sitting in bed this morning in Tallahassee. Christmas joy, thanks to you.

    ReplyDelete

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