calon lan

The weather has been atrocious this morning. I am in the process of moving the teenage cockerels into their own run and setting up the Ghost hens into a new more robust hen house. I have come in for a coffee and a dry off before I go out again, and wanted to blog my top desert island discs!. It has been fun picking my favourites

Now I have picked this slightly "odd" overly dark video mainly because it underlines the power of impromptu singing...a thing I would love to be able to do properly if my lack of confidence could be overcome.

Calon Lan is the MOST uplifting of Welsh hymns, ( see this moving previous blog http://disasterfilm.blogspot.com/2008/08/calon-ln-pure-heart.html it has to be on my desert Island

Lord of the Dance (Christian Hymn)

I have blogged before that my Childhood was made fun and warm by my maternal grandparents and my elder sister Ann.....

However every sunday ( when I was around five or six) Ann would ritualistically "abuse me" by forcing me to "perform" for the family!

This performance would comprise of me skipping in a large circle singing "Lord Of the Dance" at the top of my lungs...........................................oh the shame!

Barry Manilow -

I was a melancholy and lonely teenager and didn't play much music in my bedroom when shut away with adolescent hormonal isolation!

I did however get brainwashed into enjoying my twin sister's record collection (David Soul and Barry Manilow----how gay was that?) and to this day I can almost tear up with this emotional romp of Weekend in New England.....get the hankies ready!

ABBA : Mamma Mia

Everyone my age has to have a little Abba on their desert Island......

Mamma Mia, reminds me of my friend filled, hard working, hard partying Spinal Injury, junior Nurse days up at Lodge Moor Hospital in Sheffield.

Thursday nights were Ledmill Night (http://www.leadmill.co.uk/), when a large group of nurses ( and often young rehabilitating patients in their wheelchairs) would party the night away to 1970 and 80 tunes!

Happy, Happy memories

The Big Country

Now I love some pieces of classical music (Georges Bizet: L'Arlésienne-Suite - Farandole is a case in point) but most of my love of classical music comes in the guise of the hidden classics, namely the big movie themes)

Gone With The Wind, The Magnificent Seven, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Out Of Africa...I could bang on for hours on the themes that put a tingle down your spine and that have the ability to lift your spirits within seconds of hearing them...

Jerone Moross theme from The Big Country was inspired by a walk in the New Mexico flatlands and has the ability to make your heart soar

A Chorus Line - Audition

The second piece of "movie tribute" music..is a bit more camp and rather less classical in nature......there are film scene that puncuate periods in your life.........the lobster waving waiters singing "Say a Little Prayer" in My Best Friends wedding....... The Gay Aborigine singing "I will survive" in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and of course this cracking musical audition from the movie A Chorus Line.....lifts my spirits everytime I see it

SUNRISE SUNSET

Live Theatre has always been an important part of my life. For many very happy years I was treated to free theatre tickets by my art critic friend Jonney, and experienced 1000's of very happy hours getting totally lost in ballet, plays and a whole array of musicals. It widened my limited expeiences of live productions and gave me an appreciation of the goo and the fine!

To me, plays have become synonymous with friendships! Les Miserables ( friends Judith, David and Cheryl) Phantom of the Opera (Nia), Bombay Dreams (Nu), I could go on and on and on.....

Of the hundreds of musicals I have enjoyed, It was the Sheffield Crucible production of Fiddler on the Roof that really lingers in my mind. I think I have never seen such an uplifting and moving production before and I remember me and John left the theatre literally on cloud nine after sitting through almost three hours of pure joy

This song is from the 1971 film version .

Moon River - Breakfast at Tiffanys

My last and most favourite piece of music has to be Mancini's Moon River...it has everything......a wonderful tune, a film link, romance, and of course, Audrey!!!! oh and it is mine and Chris' "tune".........