MERRY CHRISTMAS ...

This beautiful carol, imagining the Nativity in a snowy Northern landscape, was originally written by Christina Rossetti as a Christmas poem in 1872.
Few carols express the quiet heart of Christmas more movingly. It was set to music by Gustav Holst in 1906, the poignant and simple tune is known as ‘Cranham’. I'm not religious but this is my favourite carol.


Another equally lovely tune was composed by the organist Harold Darke in 1909. It has the unusual distinction of varying the melody from verse to verse. You can find this version here.

Wherever you are 

I wish you all a very

happy

and 

peaceful Christmas.

Monday music .......... my virtual jukebox, a day early .....

My virtual jukebox has been posted a day early, on Sunday September 11^th 2011, ten years on from a man made tragedy which devastated the lives of so many people, and directly, or indirectly, is still doing so today.

The unimaginable happened, and wherever we were we looked on in disbelief. We can all remember where we were, and what we were doing when the first plane crashed into the North tower of the World Trade Centre. I was at home (I didn’t work full time in those days) with the TV on and I remember ringing Tim at work.

I've chosen a couple of songs played by James Taylor and recorded at the concert for New York City in October 2001, which end with the uplifting 'Up On the Roof'.

Enough from me ........

Been there, done that and bought the t-shirt ...

Last Saturday was a really good day! The week at work had been busy, fraught and emotional, and I was in need of a relaxing day. Tim was at a conference so I decided to drive to Bridgemere garden centre in Cheshire, which is about 20 miles away.

I always have a good time there and bought a couple of plants. I am overrun with lavender in France but the hard winter in the UK devastated the ones in my garden. So I bought some French Stoechas (Anouk). 



  In the evening Tim, Tom and I went to the LG Arena at the NEC in Birmingham to see James Taylor in concert. More about the concert another day, but here is just a taster.

He was absolutely phenomenal - praise indeed! What do you think?

His band was made up of very accomplished musicians and singers, but for me the very best bits were when it was just James, his voice and his guitar.

The lady singing along with him is most definitely NOT me - a friend seemed to think that she sounded like me. Do you think she is trying to tell me something!!! 
I don't know who she is, but I wouldn't advise her to audition for Britain's Got Talent anytime soon. However she was obviously 'in the zone' and enjoying herself.

So, to go back to where I started... been there, done that and bought the t-shirt...