The Third Day of Christmas: Go Tell It!

(Reposted from 12/28/2008)

Go Tell It On the Mountain --- in several genres!!
Jesus Christ is born!

Choral:

Aretha Franklin (Soul):

Dolly Parton (Country) -- Dolly's distractions aside, this is a joyous version. (You have to click the link to see this one.)
James Taylor (Folk/Rock):

Jessye Norman (Operatic):

PTSW - What Can I Give Him?

Jack invited me to his church to see him in their Christmas pageant. It isn't often that a fourth-grader so formally asks my presence at a weekend event. I asked if he had lines, yes, he admitted, several. He didn't mention a song. He seemed so serious, yet humble in his request, I thought I'd do it. As Sheila and I were waiting for our soup and sandwich lunches at Panera today Jack & his mom popped up to repeat his request and I decided to really make the effort. I'm so glad I did.

The large Baptist church is nearly filled this Sunday night. The center chancel area is stacked with three tall tiers for a choir of about thirty. An inn door is erected on stage left and the adjacent stable at stage right. The lighting, sound, costumes, and sets are elaborate.

The pastor talks with a small group of children about the Christmas story as the lights reveal Isaiah for a monologue, then the desperate couple wander through the congregation seeking a room, finally having to settle for the stable. Gabriel startles everyone with sudden appearances. Between scenes the choir beautifully sings "Lo, How a Rose" and "Silent Night" and other carols. Then the shepherds are surprised by Gabriel and his host (the choir). Jack is the smallest shepherd. My quiet 9-year-old student delivers his lines with conviction and abandon! .. and even humor.

When the other shepherds visit the stable, someone must stay with the sheep. Jack's lack of seniority, I suppose, condemns him to that role. And that's when I get my surprise. He gets to imagine what he would present the newborn king with Christina Rosetti's words as he sings an excerpt (the last two stanzas I think) of the beautiful poem/carol "In the Bleak Mid-winter".

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

- Christina Rossetti

I would like to have found a solo version of the song for you, but I didn't care for those I could find on YouTube. Here is the Gloucester Cathedral Choir with a very nice bonus Sunday Concert in honor of Jack:

(First post 12-15-2008)

Sunday Concert - Fear Builds Walls Instead of Bridges

Good morning!
I have been sorely neglecting my blog and my Sunday Concert offerings!

This is one of my favorite tunes, and I also love the hymns to this tune: "This is my Song" for its message of brotherhood and "Be Still My Soul".

I've written a couple of times about "This is my Song" and "Finlandia"

A Sunday Seven
Finlandia

Now I can add another hymn that uses Sibelius' beautiful "Finlandia". This is sung as part of one of the Gaither Homecoming concerts and is new to me.

I then shall live.
As one who's been forgiven.
I'll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my father.
I am his child and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned I'll forgive my brother
The Law of love I gladly will obey

I then shall live
as one who's learned compassion.
I've been so loved
That I'll risk loving too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges
I'll dare to see another's point of view
And when relationships demand commitment
Then I'll be there to care and follow through.

Your kingdom come, around, and through, and in me
Your power and glory, let them shine through me
Your hallowed name, oh may I bear with honor
And may Your living kingdom come in me
The Bread of Life! Oh May I share with honor
And may you feed a hungry world through me

AMEN

Sunday Concert: For Gordon

Gordon Norton from Lillian W. Shaw's Wilkerson Family album

I first posted this song two years ago. Today I repost it in memory of Gordon Norton, who loved good church music and whose funeral I will attend today. Gordon was my Dad's first cousin and spent a part of his childhood living as a brother to the Shaw boys with my grandparents in Milstead, Georgia. Gordon had a nice tenor voice and often sang solos at church and in weddings and funerals. He fit in well with his boistrous cousins -- Charles (my Daddy), James, Grady, Bill, and Jack, as well as his "real" brother, Reubin. How even my tough grandmother (Mama Shaw) survived all those jokers I can't imagine. But what a lot of joy, hilarity, and love congregated when they did. Only Grady and Reubin are left.

Take a look at the pics while you listen to the music.

Gordon and Reubin Norton from Lillian W. Shaw's Wilkerson Family album

Lewis, Ruby, Gordon, and Reubin Norton from Lillian W. Shaw's Wilkerson Family album

-----

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
from A Thanksgiving of American Hymns
Brigham Young University Combined Choirs and Orchestra
Although Joseph Smith was crazy as a bessie bug his followers can make music. Sheila and I bought the CD and video of this wonderful concert years ago. It played on public TV year after year. I love all of the arrangements. We especially enjoy this one and "How Can I Keep From Singing".

Sunday Concert - Debbie Drake

When Mrs. Knight sent me to the office I got a surprise. I was in sixth grade at Ellijay Elementary and we had just gotten our new educational TVs for the school. I was more than a little taken aback to find our principal leaned back in his office chair being educated by the shapely Ms. Drake by way of this new technology.

Here she is:

Sunday Concert: Matthew

Encore: Becoming Tevye

First Posted in June of 2007 as a Sunday Concert --


If I Were a Rich Man: Topol

One of my very favorite roles as a musical theater enthusiast came in 2000 when I became for a few weeks Tevye. I had played several other major roles in college and community theater but only one -- Charlie Anderson in Shenandoah -- that required the kind of concentration and dedication and, well, total immersion that this role required. As Charlie I had been cast in October for a play that opened the last week of February. What luxury to have such a long period of time to create a character. For the role of Tevye, in Rome Little Theater's production of Fiddler On the Roof, I had a much shorter prep time, and was now teaching fulltime -- I had been self-employed during my time as Charlie and had a more flexible, if just as stressful, schedule.

All of that to help you understand that I was terribly stressed and uncertain on opening night. Sure enough, my nerves got to me and I had my most miserable moment on stage. I went blank. I commited the unforgivable stage sin of actually repeating a section of dialogue, I was so lost!

I wanted to take a dive into the orchestra pit. It was opening night, there would be another opportunity to bomb the next night and the next. I was miserable.

Then epiphany.

23 hours later, still miserable, I stood center stage in the Desoto Theater, nose to the dark side of the curtain as the overture played, waiting for the curtains to part for my first monologue and the big opening number, "Tradition". And it struck me.

Here I am doing the thing that excites me more than any other. The thing I profess to love. Playing a role I have coveted more than any other save Jean Valjean. How wasteful of a grand moment to be so self centered and timid. This is an opportunity to grab. A moment to treasure. An experience to live. An unrecoverable time to harvest and possess.

As the "fiddler" played on the roof and the curtain opened I resolved to pluck the moment - Carpe Deim! Or as Tevye might shout: L'chai-im.

I would possess that stage. I would live that role. I would have fun. I would laugh and love, grieve and rage. I might fall on my face. I might lose a line. I might royally screw up. But my screw-ups would be as Tevye. They would be grand screw-ups not timid ones. I WAS where I wanted to be. I WOULD be fully there. L'chai-im!

That performance is seared in my memory as the most fun I could ever have on stage. What a joyful, loving, painful, redeeming night!

A lot of folks revere Zero Mostel as the quintessential Tevye, but I love the twinkle in the eye of Topol. To me his Tevye is flesh and blood... and as a father and husband I understand the depth of his love and anger and fear. So, though I like to think I found my own Tevye, there was a little of Topol's in mine.

Here, for your Sunday entertainment, is Topol with his interpretation of "If I Were a Rich Man":

Sunday Concert: Memorial

On this Memorial Day I pause to honor the Americans who have risked their lives or even lost them for their country since the early 1770s.

The angry protestors at Boston,
the young farmers at Lexington and Concord,
my ancestor, shot by Tories in front of his wife and baby,
the weary, cold crossers of the Delaware,
the jubilant victors at Yorktown,

the stalwart defenders of Fort McHenry,
the backwoods boys of Andy Jackson at New Orleans -- who didn't know the treaty had already been signed,

the valient, hopeless, occupants of the Alamo,

the heroes of Buena Vista and Vera Cruz,

the boys in blue and the boys in gray -- both convinced they were risking their lives for freedom my ancestors Lt. William Baird of the 53rd Georgia Infantry shot through the shoulder as he crossed a fence along a plank road at the Wilderness, and teenaged Private Nathan Wood riding far from home with the First Georgia Cavalry.

the doughboys of 1918 in muddy trenches,

the GIs of the fourties clawing their way up the boot of Italy,
sloshing ashore at Iwo Jima or Normandy under unyeiding fire,
marching at bayonet point before Japanese captors,
my father walking the beaches of the Ulithi atoll among dead Japanese, wondering if he'd be called upon to invade Japan,

the freezing American soldiers conducting the police action on the Korean peninsula,

Galen Foster and Butch Moreland and John Kerry and John McCain and all those other contemporaries of mine who found themselves in a jungle half a world away fighting for their lives while I and most of their fellow citizens went to class or work pretty much unaffected by the blood in Vietnam,

Sunday Concert -- iPhone Ocarina

I have gadget envy. I'd like to have an iPhone.

Did you ever think you'd hear a telephone concert? David Pogue calls it magic. Comes mighty close! Give a listen.


Here's a quartet:




Now read David Pogue's column about this iPhone app. Half a million folks have viewed this video already!

Sunday Concert -- Foolish Frog

Foolish Frog
by Pete Seeger

I learned this story from Pete, via an old LP. I've been telling it for thirty years or more. I like to think I've made my version mine, but it is definitely based on Pete's. It is a frequently requested part of my repertoire.

Here is a cartoon version with Pete's telling. Whoops! This has been removed for copyright infringement. Here is a wonderfully expressive foreign language (eastern European?) version! This guy may be better than Pete!

Sunday Concert: Across the Universe - Let it Be

My voice teacher, Angela Flanagan, suggested I check out this exerpt from the movie musical Across the Universe. ATU is a 2007 Academy Award nominated film that uses a bunch of Beatles music to tell a story of the '60s.

Sunday Concert: Riding Rails

Here's the classic Arlo Guthrie hit, The City of New Orleans. This is from a 1978 concert in Atlanta.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas: Joy to the World

I asked Mother to suggest our twelfth Christmas song. We agreed on this joyful standard. At youTube I discovered a number of nice versions and one awful one (Michael Bolton with an unenthusiastic Placido Domingo singing backup). I considered using a different Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance, but they sang "saints and nature sing" in place of "heaven and nature sing" -- what's with that?

For Epiphany, here is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Renee Fleming presenting musical gold, frankincense, and myrrh. What better way to close the Christmas season than with a rousing declaration of Joy to the World?

The Eleventh Day of Christmas: A' Soalin'

This song also on the "Moving" album by Peter Paul and Mary -- one of the dozen or so albums I obtained with my original membership in the Columbia Record Club. Here is a live performance.

The Tenth Day of Christmas: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

This is Sheila's favorite Christmas carol.

The Ninth Day of Christmas: O Holy Night

This is another song that I have sung many times. Here is Josh Groban's rendition from a 2006 performance at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting program.

The Eighth Day of Christmas: The Christmas Song

Another Christmas song written by a Jewish fellow. Mel Torme wrote this. Here Ricky Nelson sings it on the old Ozzie and Harriet show.

The Seventh Day of Christmas: The Friendly Beasts

Fifteen or more years ago the four of us, Brannon, Lillian, Sheila, and I performed "The Friendly Beasts" for our church Christmas Party program. It may have been the only public performance of the Shaw Family Singers.

I couldn't find video I liked of this song so just listen to Garth Brooks and friends. The donkey part is sung by Pat Alger. Pat wrote (or cowrote) several of Brooks most famous hits like "Unanswered Prayers" and "The Thunder Rolls". I like to brag that back in the sixties I cowrote a song with this famous songwriter. Pat was in the cabin with me, Cleve Burton, Greg Cordle, and other friends at good old Camp Glisson. Our counselor was "Big John", a Methodist preacher of great girth. At the Friday night talent show our group of audacious boys sang "Who Could Ask for More?" -- a song written mostly by Pat but with input from the whole cabin. I remember one verse alluded to the fact that even if "Big John"'s belly arrived on time, the rest of him might still be late.

Here is what Brooks writes about the performance:

"From the beginning I wanted the beasts of the stable to be separate, individual characters, so I asked some of my songwriting buddies to help out.

The donkey is played by PAT ALGER who wrote "The Thunder Rolls", "Unanswered Prayers" and "What She's Doing Now".

STEPHANIE DAVIS sings for the cow. She wrote "WOLVES" and "THE GIFT".

The sheep is presented by LARRY BASTIAN who wrote "I've Got A Good Thing Going", "Cowboy Bill", "Nobody Gets Off In This Town", "Unanswered Prayers", "Rodeo" and "The Old Man's Back In Town"

VICTORIA SHAW, who wrote "The River" sings for the dove.

And finally, TONY ARATA sings the camel's verse. Tony wrote "The Dance" and "Same Old Story".

Sunday Concert: For Auld Lang Syne

For your New Year's enjoyment a variety of takes on the traditional anthem:

Soulfully done.

Closest to Unique


Kenny G


The Alexandria Harmonizers

The Sixth Day of Christmas: Gesu Bambino

I have sung this several times (in English). It is one of the most beautiful Christmas Carols. I have no idea of the Italian jokes at the beginning