Category: The Evening Pause

A nightly pause from the news to give the reader/viewer a bit of classic entertainment.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

10:01 pm

A Christmas Eve pause: As I have done now for several years on Christmas day, I bring you the classic 1951 version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim. In my opinion still by far the best adaption of the book and a truly wonderful movie.

And as I noted in a previous year:

Dickens did not demand the modern version of charity, where it is imposed by governmental force on everyone. Instead, he was advocating the older wiser concept of western civilization, that charity begins at home, that we as individuals are obliged as humans to exercise good will and generosity to others, by choice.

It is always a matter of choice. And when we take that choice away from people, we destroy the good will that makes true charity possible.

It is also most important that we all heed the words of Christmas Present: ‘This boy is ignorance, this girl is want. Beware them both, but most of all beware this boy.’”

One comment

Binbam – What is Hanukkah?

6:01 pm

An evening pause: Most of this season I honor the Christmas holiday for my Christian readers with pauses of beautiful Christian music. Tonight however I thought it would be nice to take a break and present this short video describing the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. This year Hanukkah begins on Christmas, December 25, and runs through January 2, 2025, so I am a little early, but that’s all right.

Like almost all Jewish holidays, part of Hanukkah’s purpose is to celebrate a victory over oppression. In this case it celebrates the revolt of the Maccabees against the Greek effort to obliterate the Jews. Or as Jews like to joke about all Jewish holidays, “They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat!”

3 comments

Xaver Varnus – Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor

6:01 pm

An evening pause: Played on the great Sauer Organ of the Berliner Dom.

At the time of its dedication in 1905, the great Sauer Organ of the Berliner Dom was the largest in Germany, with its 7269 pipes and 113 registers, distributed across four manuals and pedals.

While not directly related to Christmas or the holidays, I think this piece is still appropriate for the season.

Hat tip Judd Clark, who adds, “Though I had reservations because of its length and because it has been subject to innumerable transcriptions and performances on different organs by different organists it has become cliché. But, it is an exceptional performance on an exceptional organ in an exceptional hall.”

2 comments

Melinda Kathleen Reese – O Come O Come Emmanuel

6:01 pm

An evening pause: This was first posted in February 2019. As I noted then,

The video replays her singing the same thing three times. There is a good reason, as she almost appears to have begun singing as a lark, and the acoustics of the church astonish her. The repeats help bring out this amazing quality.

I always open the Christmas-Hannukah holiday season with this truly glorious piece of music, as it speaks to both religions. And it is one magnificent song, sung here magnificently.

May all my readers have a glorious weekend.

6 comments

Kamila Valieva – Avatar

6:01 pm

An evening pause: Performed live in 2022, which explains the stupidity of her putting on a mask at the very end of the video.

Hat tip Judd Clark, who notes her sad history: “A real tragedy, an exceptional skater, her coaches gave her trimetazidine, a medication used for heart problems, which apparently makes the heart more efficient at using oxygen. Failing a drug test at 15, most of her medals and records were rescinded.”

See this page for more details. She had finished first during this competition in 2022. All for naught.

Leave a comment

Tim McLaughlin – NYC&C Scale Model Railroad

6:01 pm

An evening pause: The view from the front cab during runs of four elevated & subway lines, filmed October 14, 2012.

Hypnotic, and epic in its own way. There are times where it looks and sounds exactly as I remember it, riding on the front car of a NYC subway train, looking out that front window. Nice way to start the weekend.

Hat tip Wayne DeVette.

10 comments

Aaron Copland – “The Promise of Living” from The Tender Land

6:01 pm

An evening pause: I posted this for Thanksgiving in 2012 and 2015. Time to post again. As I wrote in 2015:

The hope of America will always live on, even when America is gone. Ordinary people want freedom, love, family, and the right to live their lives as they wish, without harming others, so they can bring in “the blessings of harvest,” whatever that harvest might be. It must be our goal to allow that to happen, and to stop those that wish to prevent it.

The promise of living
With hope and thanksgiving,,,

Leave a comment
1 2 3 … 124