Thursday, March 08, 2018

Jack’s Winning Words 3/8/18
“Of all noises I think that music is the least disagreeable.”  (Samuel Johnson)  Last night I went to a string quartet concert.  The noises I liked were: Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Ode to Joy, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, Precious Lord Take My Hand…and some Bach.  A concert in June will feature a jazz band, with a singer named, Shuga.  “Eclectic” would describe the style of music I like…western & classical, rock & Gospel, piano & banjo.  How about you?    ;-)  Jack 

FROM LK IN OHIO:  I overdose on Mozart and Chopin.====JACK:  One of my favorite CDs is "Mozart for the Mind."  I sometimes play it when I'm researching for Winning Words.====LK:  Then there is Mozart for the morning commute/Mozart for morning coffee and Walter Matthau's good line. . Mozart for meatloaf!====JACK:  Have you ever heard music by Meat Loaf?  Meat Loaf is a musician, made famous for composing and singing rock opera. Meat Loaf (originally: Marvin Lee Aday) was born in Dallas, Texas. He wrote the hits "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" and "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and appeared in such films as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Fight Club.

FROM VOLUNTEER DM:  Mary's memorial concert was so very enjoyable.  Vivaldi IA my all time favorite and the quartet did a great job with each "noise."====JACK:  I've wondered why "noise" has synonyms of a negative nature.  Now, I see that it's from a French word, meaning, disturbance.  Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it leads me to learn  interesting things I didn't know.

FROM WALMART REV:  Southern Gospel, quartet harmony plays everyday at home or in my office...I even help the group out sometimes with my 5th part...it goes all over the song’s score!! ====JACK:  One of our upcoming concerts will feature a Gospel Quartet from a Baptist Church in Detroit.  Is the AG Church into old-time Gospel music, or does it feature New Age stuff?====REV:  No southern gospel here . . . but the more recent worship songs and choruses . . . When one of the older hymns is played, we older folks always join in with the volume and harmonies raised in such away that hardly a time goes by that several will make the comment how they enjoyed singing that old hymn.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  we have similar taste in tunes...====JACK: It's said that "music soothes the troubled soul."  Whatever "soothes" the soul, yours or mine, is good music.

FROM LBP:  I like a variety of things. Music is a good tool to complement, or adjust, my mood. ====JACK:  Sousa makes me want to get up and march around.====LBP:  Maybe I should put Sousa as my alarm in the morning. Here is one I’m enjoying now though. Not Sousa but gets me marching (and dancing) along   https://youtu.be/IFuFm0m2wj0   ====JACK:  I like your "marching story."  Our local classical station plays a Sousa march every weekday morning at 7:15.  It's called "the Sousalarm."

FROM RONDO STRINGS:  Last night did you see the cake in the shape of a violin?  That was really creative.  What a nice group of people.  Thank you for having us play. ====JACK:  Yes, that violin cake was a surprise.  A friend of Mary's made it for the event.  Thanks for making the evening special.

FROM DO:  Agree.  It was a wonderful concert.  So nice to have Mary's violin played.  It played and sounded beautiful.  The special treats at the reception were wonderful as well - her favorite cookies and a violin cake.  What a nice celebration of Mary.  Well done, good and faithful servant.  My style is eclectic also.====JACK:  I liked it when everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to "Mary."  I've read that the Birthday Song is the most played and sung piece of music worldwide.

FROM DR J IN OHIO:  Sorry I missed the string quartet… I’m working with a school district and we meet on Wednesdays. Yesterday, I didn’t finish my work with them until too late to attend. I TRULY hope I can make the next one!  I like the Hawaiin version of Over the Rainbow…
 Israel Kamakawiwo'ole    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z26BvHOD_sg
====JACK:  .  I suppose you’re familiar with the Pink version.
I still like Judy Garland’s best.  I thought you couldn’t attend because the Bolt wouldn’t have enough “juice” to make it from Maumee to West Bloomfield and back.====DR J:  LOVE it… I hadn’t heard Pink’s version.  Thanks for sharing!

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  You might want to Google “Only Boys Aloud” - Britain’s Got Talent on You Tube.====JACK:  That was good.  Thanks====RS:  Glad you liked it - Wales seems to come up with these good choirs (Cor Glaneathwy is another) 

FROM AP:  The recital was beautiful and elegant, I feel that it was a perfect tribute to Mary. And you never fail to impress with your calm and exactly right things to say. There was a lot of love in the sanctuary around you. You are a rich man.  However it is that Tracy came into your circle was a blessing. The perfect hymn to play on Mary's violin. I had to wipe away tears.   Such a great plan to have regular music concerts at Holy Spirit.====JACK:  The church's music program has your fingerprints on it, too.  I'll always remember the choir singing, "What a Fellowship."

FROM CS:  I like it when we ask Alexa to play Leonard Cohen; and others of course. Enjoyed the concert last night.====JACK:  Cohen's Hallelujah is one of my favorite pieces of new music.  Haunting!

FROM FM IN WISCONSIN:  Pipe organ music!====JACK:  Mary's mother was an accomplished musician...organint, choir director, and piano teacher.  Her father was a baritone soloist.  Music was a part of all family members, except the dog and cat.  Mary's mother headed the committee which chose the Moller pipe organ for the church.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  We are a musical family.  Grandson #1 plays guitar and drums, grandson #2 plays ukulele and drums, and the other 3 sing in choirs; grandpa plays trumpet and sings in the choir, grandma plays clarinet and sings in choir, daughter plays clarinet and sings in choir, and son-in-law in sings in choir.  The dogs even sing!  There isn’t too much we don’t listen too.  We love the classical...even the grandkids.  Christian music- especially the old hymns, country, rock, western anything really.  But I don’t care for jazz.  Listening right now to Christian Music.  Music brightens my day.====JACK:  When you get around to building your outhouse on the farm, make sure it has a battery-operated CD player.====JUDY:  It probably will have one and a speaker to blast over the barn.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  I like all sorts of music too. I do especially like George Symnoette from the Bahamas, Benny GOodman and Sachmo. I especially like Joy to the World.====JACK:  Which Joy to the World?  The Christmas carol, or Joy to the World by Three Dog Night?====SHIRL:  The Christmas carol I guess. It is the one the kids love to dance to. My very favorite is how great thou art!

FROM JE IN THE WLSD:  I thoroughly enjoyed the string quartet concert last night. It was music to my ears and heart. What a tribute to Mary, what a gift for each of the attendees and what a pleasure to hear Mary’s violin played so beautifully. It was like angels music. Thank you so much====JACK:  Usually crow size isn't that important to me, but last night's attendance was awesome....So many friends!

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  "Least disagreeable" is not much of a recommendation, but oh well!  I love the "old" pop songs and big band era music we grew up with, musicals  give us many delightful songs, and am  trained in classical, so enjoy that, and of course the sacred, if its not too ponderous! :-) Rap is probably the only genre I truly dislike (aside from Hamilton!) mostly because of the lewd lyrics, and am not a rock fan, but yes,, to me, music is a very desirable "noise" and I would hate to live without it, Bill loved country western, I think because it usually told a story, or had a moral to it; He once used Peggy Lee's song, "Is That All There Is" to lead into his sermon. Folks never forgot it!  He loved violin music, and many folk singers. Let's face it, 'Music soothes the Soul" is really true! ====JACK:  During the time when Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was popular, I began a sermon by playing the song.  Smiles came on the faces in the pews.  When you starred in musicals, what was your favorite character and song?====OAKS:  The most fun was Eulalie McKecknie Shinn (Mayor's wife: Pick a little, Talk a Little) The favorite song as Anna in the King and I, Hello Young Lovers. Ado Annie in Oklahoma was a great part too: loved "I Caint Say NO!" ====JACK:  In The Music Man, I like 76 Trombones and how the same tune with a slower tempo is used for Goodnight My someone.  I suppose you knew that.

FROM LH:   I enjoyed hearing it’s history of Mary's treasured violin. Very heartwarming. Her grandfather was a gifted man. I have so much respect for people who are craftsman. For a violin it has an incredibly mellow quality.====JACK:  We each heard it for the first time. I agree...the tone quality stunned me.

FROM JT IN ST JOE:  The ones you listed sound good to me.  I do have problems with the loud banging "music" my grandchildren prefer.  I like Beethoven a lot.====JACK:  It's amazing that Beethoven could compose such beautiful music while suffering deafness and depression.  To me, it's a miracle.

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