Monday, March 23, 2009
Poetry: The Twins 1st Birthday
I have the 2 most wonderful, beautiful, & amazing twin daughters. I wrote this for their 1st birthday.
The Twins 1st Birthday
Although we are two
We are only just one
That's quite a conundrum, for ones just begun!
Well, we each are just one,
And one & one are two.
Oh we're back where we started,
What are we to do!
To solve this confusion,
The way is just one,
Let's have a huge party,
And have double the fun!
The Twins 1st Birthday
Although we are two
We are only just one
That's quite a conundrum, for ones just begun!
Well, we each are just one,
And one & one are two.
Oh we're back where we started,
What are we to do!
To solve this confusion,
The way is just one,
Let's have a huge party,
And have double the fun!
Labels: poetry
Poetry: No Animal Died to Give Me Lunch
I turned Vegan in about 1995. This poem celebrates the Vegan philosophy.
No Animal Died to Give Me Lunch
No animal died to give me lunch
My conscience is clear, I can happily munch
I can look at the World, so bountiful & sunny
& know only the best has gone into my tummy
No animals’ flesh, no products of milk
No slaughterhouse remnants, none of that ilk
The fish can still swim the birds can still fly
For my belly to fill, no creature need die
But surely all this denial on my part
Must leave a terrible longing in my heart?
If sacrifice it is, then sacrifice I can!
Better than to sacrifice the sacrificial Lamb
In fact the truth, please let it be known
Is that my belly prefers the plant grown
But the real surprise, (well it was to me at least)
Is that once free of the yolk of eating a beast
My senses awoke to a fragrance that’s fresh
The pleasures were such, my tastes desired no flesh
With my mouth & digestion, joined in approval
& the Earth & inhabitants, saved from removal
My mind and my body are at peace & at one
Mother Nature can grow, even as I feed my tum.
So we now have a balance, of outer & inner
The one question remains - what’s for dinner!
No Animal Died to Give Me Lunch
No animal died to give me lunch
My conscience is clear, I can happily munch
I can look at the World, so bountiful & sunny
& know only the best has gone into my tummy
No animals’ flesh, no products of milk
No slaughterhouse remnants, none of that ilk
The fish can still swim the birds can still fly
For my belly to fill, no creature need die
But surely all this denial on my part
Must leave a terrible longing in my heart?
If sacrifice it is, then sacrifice I can!
Better than to sacrifice the sacrificial Lamb
In fact the truth, please let it be known
Is that my belly prefers the plant grown
But the real surprise, (well it was to me at least)
Is that once free of the yolk of eating a beast
My senses awoke to a fragrance that’s fresh
The pleasures were such, my tastes desired no flesh
With my mouth & digestion, joined in approval
& the Earth & inhabitants, saved from removal
My mind and my body are at peace & at one
Mother Nature can grow, even as I feed my tum.
So we now have a balance, of outer & inner
The one question remains - what’s for dinner!
Labels: poetry
Poetry: The Apocryphal Horse of the Apocalypse
This one's a bit heavy, but vents my shame & disgust at what we as a species have done to the Earth and the creatures we share it with.
The Apocryphal Horse of the Apocalypse
The Apocryphal Horse of the Apocalypse
Came forth from the Seas to whet its' lips
To sup on the Land, and gorge on the Oceans
And assuaged all the carnage with motions and potions
Hither and thither it criss-crossed the land
Casting spells & chicanery with a wave of its' hand
So it gathered and hunted, then hunted and gathered
Soil fecundity was blunted, not that that mattered
When each part was parched, on it would go
The Horse of the Apocalypse never would slow
Flora & fauna, crushed to the sod
When things got too bad, it created a God
'Go forth and multiply', down came the injunction
But multiply 5 billion, and little will function
Perhaps God would save it, even from itself
But even this great God has left it on the shelf
This specious species, guided by sophists
Mumbling and bumbling, engulfing the Earth with acrid mists
The seeds of destruction lodged deep in its' psyche
Ignoring all guidance to press the release key
And so we have now, the cusp of a wave
The not-so-Apocryphal Horse, and its' self imposed grave
The Apocryphal Horse of the Apocalypse
The Apocryphal Horse of the Apocalypse
Came forth from the Seas to whet its' lips
To sup on the Land, and gorge on the Oceans
And assuaged all the carnage with motions and potions
Hither and thither it criss-crossed the land
Casting spells & chicanery with a wave of its' hand
So it gathered and hunted, then hunted and gathered
Soil fecundity was blunted, not that that mattered
When each part was parched, on it would go
The Horse of the Apocalypse never would slow
Flora & fauna, crushed to the sod
When things got too bad, it created a God
'Go forth and multiply', down came the injunction
But multiply 5 billion, and little will function
Perhaps God would save it, even from itself
But even this great God has left it on the shelf
This specious species, guided by sophists
Mumbling and bumbling, engulfing the Earth with acrid mists
The seeds of destruction lodged deep in its' psyche
Ignoring all guidance to press the release key
And so we have now, the cusp of a wave
The not-so-Apocryphal Horse, and its' self imposed grave
Labels: poetry
Poetry: I Once went to Santa Domingo
I had such a wonderful holiday in Santa Domingo in February 1997, that I was inspired to write this poem.
I once went to Santa Domingo
I once went to Santa Domingo
Looking for that golden flamingo
Like the Conquistadors long before me
I was taken aback by the beauty
With foliage so lush & women to make one blush
I soon forgot what I came for
When gold is the Sun, and diamonds are smiles
The currency of life is laughter without guile
It’s remarkable how little we actually need
When we swallow our vanity and sacrifice our greed
A swim, a smile, a coconut stew
A Piňa Colada, a breeze, and that view
What more can you ask for, a little diving, perhaps
Family & friends, good company attracts
That sense of well being, like a glass of fresh juice
This free life and culture, oh England - vamoose!
The people say ‘Hola’, with a nod and a wink
And they paint all their houses pastel blue, lime, and pink
The language is Spanish, the diphthongs are sweet
Even while they ‘Hola’, at each person they greet
Las Terrenas is simple, from another time
Have fresh fruit for breakfast, add a sharp splash of lime
When they dance the hot Meringue, passion grips the dancing floor
Looking like Olympic gymnasts, they dance and sway until it’s four
Walking home engulfed in blackness, like being drenched in a black velvet chemise
Yet the stars shine iridescent, from a billion billion galaxies
With long enticing beaches, the surf protected by a reef
You can walk along for miles, and never come to grief
The land rises high, then swoops down to deep valleys
These crenelated undulations, self-air-condition by the breeze
All covered with a greenness, the like of which I’d never seen
The Jungle as a homeland, could this be a dream?
The Dominican Republic, Hispaniola of the past
I surrender to your magic, my logic is aghast
That we could have come so far, from this idyllic Eden
In our search for the sybaritic, we’ve descended into greed and
Lost the simpler pleasures, that can and should be ours
True it helps to have your island, carpeted with flowers
And so I bid sweet farewell, to this Caribbean Isle
But while I think about you, my face shall always smile
And when I return to Santa Domingo
As I most surely must
I hope you charms still shine redolent
In that, I place my trust
I once went to Santa Domingo
I once went to Santa Domingo
Looking for that golden flamingo
Like the Conquistadors long before me
I was taken aback by the beauty
With foliage so lush & women to make one blush
I soon forgot what I came for
When gold is the Sun, and diamonds are smiles
The currency of life is laughter without guile
It’s remarkable how little we actually need
When we swallow our vanity and sacrifice our greed
A swim, a smile, a coconut stew
A Piňa Colada, a breeze, and that view
What more can you ask for, a little diving, perhaps
Family & friends, good company attracts
That sense of well being, like a glass of fresh juice
This free life and culture, oh England - vamoose!
The people say ‘Hola’, with a nod and a wink
And they paint all their houses pastel blue, lime, and pink
The language is Spanish, the diphthongs are sweet
Even while they ‘Hola’, at each person they greet
Las Terrenas is simple, from another time
Have fresh fruit for breakfast, add a sharp splash of lime
When they dance the hot Meringue, passion grips the dancing floor
Looking like Olympic gymnasts, they dance and sway until it’s four
Walking home engulfed in blackness, like being drenched in a black velvet chemise
Yet the stars shine iridescent, from a billion billion galaxies
With long enticing beaches, the surf protected by a reef
You can walk along for miles, and never come to grief
The land rises high, then swoops down to deep valleys
These crenelated undulations, self-air-condition by the breeze
All covered with a greenness, the like of which I’d never seen
The Jungle as a homeland, could this be a dream?
The Dominican Republic, Hispaniola of the past
I surrender to your magic, my logic is aghast
That we could have come so far, from this idyllic Eden
In our search for the sybaritic, we’ve descended into greed and
Lost the simpler pleasures, that can and should be ours
True it helps to have your island, carpeted with flowers
And so I bid sweet farewell, to this Caribbean Isle
But while I think about you, my face shall always smile
And when I return to Santa Domingo
As I most surely must
I hope you charms still shine redolent
In that, I place my trust
Labels: poetry
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
So just what is it about Mahler that’s so special?
I don’t know that this can be easily summarised, but to me there is just something deeply profound and sublime about much of his music.
Mahler’s music is not without its’ challenges.
For one thing, his works are long – and not every bar is sublime, and/or profound. But perhaps, after decades of being subsumed in our ever shrinking time-frame society, I had reached the point where there is something wondrous, luxurious, about letting a work of art take its time to unfold, letting yourself get lost in the process. When I allow myself to do this, I find my whole body breathing in rhythm with his music, in a completely enveloping way.
There are section that on the surface can seem a bit weak, even ‘twee’. How could this be, from such a great composer? There are several theories here, which I won’t get into now. The thing is, for me, even when the music seems a little ‘trite’, I have still found it absolutely compelling. Why? What’s going on here? I have two suggestions. Firstly, that his work as a master conductor, led to his becoming a master orchestrator, and even the simplest of melody & harmony in his hands can sound fresh and invigorating through the incredibly original and creative orchestration. He really was a ‘weaver of sound’, which is of course much more than just notes. Secondly, you can’t have black without white, happy without sad – Mahler, more than any composer I can think of, attempted to put all of life into his work, and to do that, he needed to cover all aspects of human emotion and existence. I think he does that in his music.
Actually, I’ll add a third idea: as I’ve alluded to above, Mahler had the most incredible talent for representing humanity in music. And in his life, for all his undoubted genius, there was an aspect of naivety. A simplistic view of artistic endeavour, of love, of beauty in nature. I have no doubt that it is elements of this simplicity, this naivety, that underpin the profoundly sublime nature of so much of his music. And yes, sometimes that naivety rises to the surface of the music itself, and the unprepared, or unresponsive, perhaps just see the surface simplicity, but if understood in the context of the larger work, and of Mahler’s life, the poignancy comes through.
Well, that’s what I think anyway!
Mahler’s music is not without its’ challenges.
For one thing, his works are long – and not every bar is sublime, and/or profound. But perhaps, after decades of being subsumed in our ever shrinking time-frame society, I had reached the point where there is something wondrous, luxurious, about letting a work of art take its time to unfold, letting yourself get lost in the process. When I allow myself to do this, I find my whole body breathing in rhythm with his music, in a completely enveloping way.
There are section that on the surface can seem a bit weak, even ‘twee’. How could this be, from such a great composer? There are several theories here, which I won’t get into now. The thing is, for me, even when the music seems a little ‘trite’, I have still found it absolutely compelling. Why? What’s going on here? I have two suggestions. Firstly, that his work as a master conductor, led to his becoming a master orchestrator, and even the simplest of melody & harmony in his hands can sound fresh and invigorating through the incredibly original and creative orchestration. He really was a ‘weaver of sound’, which is of course much more than just notes. Secondly, you can’t have black without white, happy without sad – Mahler, more than any composer I can think of, attempted to put all of life into his work, and to do that, he needed to cover all aspects of human emotion and existence. I think he does that in his music.
Actually, I’ll add a third idea: as I’ve alluded to above, Mahler had the most incredible talent for representing humanity in music. And in his life, for all his undoubted genius, there was an aspect of naivety. A simplistic view of artistic endeavour, of love, of beauty in nature. I have no doubt that it is elements of this simplicity, this naivety, that underpin the profoundly sublime nature of so much of his music. And yes, sometimes that naivety rises to the surface of the music itself, and the unprepared, or unresponsive, perhaps just see the surface simplicity, but if understood in the context of the larger work, and of Mahler’s life, the poignancy comes through.
Well, that’s what I think anyway!
Labels: classical music, Mahler, symphonies, symphony
So – what are my favourite bits of Mahler then?
Symphony No 1 – Lento Trascinante
Symphony No 1 – Allegro non Troppo
Symphony No 3 – 2nd, 4th, & 6th movements
Symphony No 4 – 3rd movement
Symphony No 5 – 2nd, 3rd (Adagietto), & 4th movements)
Symphony No 6 – 3rd & 4th movements
Symphony No 9 – 1st, 2nd, & 4th movements
Symphony No 10 – 1st movement (Adagio)
Symphony No 1 – Allegro non Troppo
Symphony No 3 – 2nd, 4th, & 6th movements
Symphony No 4 – 3rd movement
Symphony No 5 – 2nd, 3rd (Adagietto), & 4th movements)
Symphony No 6 – 3rd & 4th movements
Symphony No 9 – 1st, 2nd, & 4th movements
Symphony No 10 – 1st movement (Adagio)
Labels: classical music, Mahler, symphonies, symphony
Mahler & Me
I came late to Mahler. Despite learning to play an instrument from the age of 9, and pursuing my interest in music through to a degree in Music Theory & Composition, with even a few years as a professional musician (before cowardly deciding to earn my living through other means), I didn’t really discover Mahler until I was 45 (in 2008).
I think this due to some intimidation regarding what I’d heard about the length of his symphonies, and some idea that they would just be heavy, Germanic, bombastic, and not particularly harmonically interesting. I don’t know where I got this idea from – but I was wrong! (Well, right about the length, but not the other points).
The revelation came to me when listening one day to the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Desert Island Discs’, where a person of note gets to select the 8 tracks they’d like to have with them if they were shipwrecked indefinitely on a desert island.
One day last year they had a film composer on (sorry, I can’t remember who) and his playlist sounded like it could have come from me! There was an eclectic mix of jazz & classical, Miles & Bach, just my sort of stuff – and then he played the Adagietto from Mahler’s 5th symphony: one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard.
And from that, my curiosity was peaked, and I’ve spent the time since then gathering recordings of all his symphonies, as well as several study/full scores to read & follow, and most of the acclaimed biographies and books about him (eg: The Mahler Companion, Adorno’s work, etc.). So now I feel I have a pretty good overview of the man & his music.
I think this due to some intimidation regarding what I’d heard about the length of his symphonies, and some idea that they would just be heavy, Germanic, bombastic, and not particularly harmonically interesting. I don’t know where I got this idea from – but I was wrong! (Well, right about the length, but not the other points).
The revelation came to me when listening one day to the BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Desert Island Discs’, where a person of note gets to select the 8 tracks they’d like to have with them if they were shipwrecked indefinitely on a desert island.
One day last year they had a film composer on (sorry, I can’t remember who) and his playlist sounded like it could have come from me! There was an eclectic mix of jazz & classical, Miles & Bach, just my sort of stuff – and then he played the Adagietto from Mahler’s 5th symphony: one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard.
And from that, my curiosity was peaked, and I’ve spent the time since then gathering recordings of all his symphonies, as well as several study/full scores to read & follow, and most of the acclaimed biographies and books about him (eg: The Mahler Companion, Adorno’s work, etc.). So now I feel I have a pretty good overview of the man & his music.
Labels: classical music, Mahler, symphonies, symphony
Friday, September 16, 2005
To Blog, or not to Blog, that is the question
Just started my Blog site. It seems the thing to do. Not that I have much time to update it. We'll have to see how it goes.
Not even sure what I'll put in it. A diary of what I've been doing? Surely this would be too boring for the world.
A diary of what I'm thinking? Not sure I'm ready to go public on much of that!
I guess I'll peruse a few others Blogs to see what they do.
Not even sure what I'll put in it. A diary of what I've been doing? Surely this would be too boring for the world.
A diary of what I'm thinking? Not sure I'm ready to go public on much of that!
I guess I'll peruse a few others Blogs to see what they do.
