Tag: entertainment
John Williams – The Cowboys Overture
An evening pause: It is more than a decade since I last posted this magnificent piece of music from the 1972 John Wayne film, The Cowboys. Time to post it again, because I think it makes a great start to a new year. Rather than John Williams conducting, this time we have a 2018 performance by the Stanisław Moniuszko School of Music Orchestra in Bielsko Biała, Poland, Andrzej Kucybała, conductor.
Manualist John Twomey on The Tonight Show, New Year’s eve, 1986
A evening pause: This silliness is perfect as we head into the New Year’s eve weekend.
Note: He was anticipating a Michigan victory in the Rose Bowl, which wouldn’t happen until the next day. Unfortunately, Michigan lost.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Beth Hart – Jazz Man
An evening pause: The studio this was recorded in was once a church, and that apparently gave Hart some extra inspiration.
Hat tip John Jossy.
Anne-Sophie Mutter – J.S. Bach’s Partita in D minor
Sinéad O’Connor – All apologies
An evening pause: A truly talented singer who has sometimes been her own worst enemy.
Hat tip Wayne Devette.
Voces8: J.S Bach’s Jesus bleibet meine Freude
An evening pause: In English this is better known as “Jesu joy of man’s desiring.” Nick Deutsch is on the oboe and Alexander Hamilton is on the organ.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
The Monkees – Riu Chiu
An evening pause: From their 1967 Christmas show. More information here.
Anastasia Gladilina and Sretensky Monastery Choir – Kyrie Eleison
An evening pause: The performers are obviously Russian, but they provide no English version of their name.
Jars of Clay – Worlds Apart
Kelly Clarkson – Silent Night
An evening pause: Performed live on television 2013, with the help of Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.
Melinda Kathleen Reese – O Come O Come Emmanuel
An evening pause: This was first posted in February 2019. I think it bears repeating this Christmas season. 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.
Helene Fischer – Feliz Navidad
An evening pause: A Spanish Christmas song, with some English lyrics, sung in Germany. Makes for a good start to this Christmas week.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.
Big Rude Jake & The Jump City Diplomats – Song for Lilly Christine
Tom Jones & Helene Fischer – Sexbomb
An evening pause: Performed live 2020, probably early in the year before the Wuhan panic struck.
Hat tip Tom Wilson.
DiDuLa – Arabica
Third Coast Percussion – Madeira River
An evening pause: This music by Philip Glass, seems quite appropriate for December.
Hat tip Doug Johnson.
Lidija Bacic Lille – Stop
Sam Cox – The Doodle House
An evening pause: Apparently it took two years to make this video, painting the house along the way. More information here.
Hat tip Cotour.
Reitze Smits – J.S. Bach’s Passacaglia in C minor
An evening pause: Performed live November 29th 2013 at the Lutheran Church, The Hague. There is something hypnotic about this. Watch and try to distinguish the different melodic lines produced by his feet vs his fingers.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Sara Evans – No Place That Far
Allison Williams – Nature Boy
An evening pause: The producers of this video, VideosRecordedLive, describe this as music used as the theme for the television show, Mad Men, to which they added lyrics from a Nat King Cole song. However, Annie Haslam performed this song with these lyrics as far back as 1997.
No matter. They do a beautiful job.
Hat tip Wayne Devette.
Haley Reinhart – Creep
Alice In Wonderland – I’m Late
An evening pause: This pause is my apology for forgetting to schedule something tonight. Pauses shall resume as normal tomorrow.
Lucy Thomas – Hallelujah
An evening pause: A brilliant simple cover of the Leonard Cohen song. Seems right to start the holiday season, right after Thanksgiving.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
An evening pause: As Linus most correctly notes, “Ours is the first country in the world to make a national holiday to give thanks,” and then adds, in saying grace before the dinner:
In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of its brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this: “We thank God for our homes and our food, and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice.”
Accurate and well put. Keep Brewster’s prayer in mind the next time someone tries to slander the U.S.
Charo – Malagueña
An evening pause: For Americans, Charo is mostly known as a buxom crazy comic. Few know she is also considered a world class flamenco guitarist, having won awards.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Dick Cavett – Burt Lancaster in the circus
An evening pause: This interview of Burt Lancaster on the Dick Cavett Show took place on July 21, 1969 (the day after Neil Armstrong took that first step on the Moon).
I could not help noting how humble and gracious Lancaster seemed. He might have been one of the world’s most charismatic actors, but he surely did not appear full of himself. The second part of this interview can be watched here.
Hat tip Cotour.
Kathia Buniatishvili – Debussy’s Claire de Lune
An evening pause: Isn’t it amazing how one person’s fingers, making music, can hold an audience of thousands in utter silence.
Hat tip Dan Steele.
Clara Cernat & Thierry Huillet – Monti Csardas
An evening pause: Stay with it. If you don’t recognize the title you will definitely recognize the music.
Hat tip Judd Clark.