HNV Tuesday – Fired Up; Ready to Go! ( A Musical Interlude) 2/13/18

Sometimes a tweet is all you need to help you decide what to write. This tweet from Denise did it for me:


I’ve been sensing a great weariness in myself and others, and as I was thinking about that over the weekend, I realized that music had somehow become a neglected part of my routine. It was a startling revelation, since I have so often relied on music to help me access and embrace emotions that I generally hold inside. Music can make me feel vulnerable yet invincible; sad but determined; angry but joyous. Today I’m sharing some of the songs that have become part of the playlist of my life: sometimes to strengthen me for resistance; sometimes to calm me; sometimes for the sheer outpouring of joy. Please share some of your songs in the comments.
Milck: Quiet

Vienna Teng: Stray Italian Greyhound (written after attending an Obama rally in 2007)

Gabriel Fauré: “Les berceaux” (Cradles), Op. 23, No. 1 Souzay (I prefer this sung by a mezzo, but this version on YouTube, sung by the baritone Gerard Souzay, has the advantage of captions/translation; did I happen to mention that my taste in music is eclectic?)

Lin-Manual Miranda: Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down); (maybe not the song most people would pick from Hamilton, but it moves me every time)

Johnny Clegg: Asimbonanga, as performed by Soweto Gospel Choir (this “flash mob” performance was done two days after Tata Madiba (Nelson Mandela) died; lyric translation here: Asimbonanga. And if you ever get a chance to see them perform, do it. They’re even more amazing in person.)

The Corries: Flower of Scotland (now often referred to as the unofficial anthem of Scotland)

Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon: Ella’s Song as performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock (The lyrics are drawn from a speech by activist Ella Baker; I’ll be profiling her in a later post. Lyrics here: Ella’s Song)  Sweet Honey is another not-to-be-missed group.

Now it’s your turn…

About DoReMI 165 Articles
Now a Michigander, by way of Ohio, Illinois, Scotland, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. Gardener. Sewer. Democrat. Resister.

5 Comments

  1. {{{DoReMI}}} – I have music in my head all the time – problem is I seldom know what it’s called or how to find it. These days I tend towards instrumental stuff rather than vocal – which I also frequently don’t know what it is or how to find it. LOL. This one always works though:

    • If you know even a few words, google is pretty good at “Name that tune”. I use it a lot. Love that song, though. It works for me, too.

    • I love what Playing for Change does, and that is one of my favorites. Here’s another one they did:

  2. Good morning, everybody and thanks for posting, DoReMi. Music has been a part of my entire life. In school. At home. I literally don’t leave home without it. My tastes are all over the map but not quite as eclectic as yours. 🙃

    I’ve got some things to do today that won’t do themselves (like a needs diary to write). Jtg wrote a book and I need to clip out enough to showcase his humanness and his need. I’m still waiting on MM to get back to me.

    I leave you to your musings…{{{GroupHug}}}

    • Ha! And here I thought I kept my selection relatively mainstream! Really, about the only type of music I stay clear of is country music, although I do like a lot of bluegrass. There’s a bluegrass mass by Carol Barnett that I just adore; my daughter got to know her when she was still writing the mass and was part of a choir that performed sections of it before it was finished…and yep, there are parts of the finished mass on YouTube:

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