Monday Music Appreciation #31: A catchy dance tune

This week's music appreciation is actually a video from 2021's remake of West Side Story, a movie I completely missed (thanks, covid). It came to my attention through the Symphony for Kids at the Winspear last week, M is for Music, as (I Like to Be in) America was used as the piece to introduce all the different sections of the orchestra -- brass, woodwinds, strings and percussion. It's a wonderful, lively tune, and it made me wish I was up on stage dancing with the lead performer because she was clearly having a marvellous time! America was written by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

The original movie (1961) featured a feisty Rita Moreno as the lead singer/dancer in a dark back-street-like studio, all in one piece and faithful to the story, but I like Ariana DeBose's version from 2021 even better because of all the sunlit street dancing (which doesn't actually jive with the timeline for the Broadway play). I think I'm going to see if I can find and watch both movies, just because my life could use a musical right now. 

Enjoy!

A Mother's Day Prayer

Creator,

thank you

for the many gifts and blessings

you have given.

We praise you for the beauty 

of the universe,

and this planet

which holds us 

in existence,

goodness,

and steadfastness

though sometimes we don't deserve it.

We praise you for the gift of love

that gave each of us a mother

who gave us life with your help.

We pray for all mothers

who have birthed your children,

especially those 

who are struggling in any way.

We pray for heartbroken mothers

who don't know where their children are.

We pray for heartbroken children

who don't know where their mothers are.

We pray for children 

estranged from their mothers

or whose mothers have died.

We pray for mothers 

estranged from their children,

or whose children have died.

We pray for mothers and children 

caught in dangerous places, 

that they may find refuge and peace.

We pray for new mothers

and great grandmothers 

and all mothers in between.

We pray for all those 

who have mothering hearts,

for all good women 

who mother 

those who need 

extra special care.

And we give thanks,

Creator,

for your mothering heart,

who gives us mothers

who love us 

and are loved by us.

+Amen.

Happy May!

May is my favourite month of the year. It's always been special for me because of Mother's Day and my birthday, but those fade into the background when flowers bloom and trees put out leaves and Spring abounds!

It's also a busy time, made busier these days by wonderful educational concerts at work (if you know any young families who might be interested, M is for Music is a wonderful show written and performed by a former Edmontonian and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra this weekend), and planting starting in earnest. So far I've planted onions, Lee put in potatoes, and there's lettuce, arugula, spinach and garlic poking up. And today I moved my tomato and pepper plants outside into our covered garden box, where I hope they can stay until they are properly planted (though if the temperatures dip, I'll be sure to bring them back into the greenhouse -- I learned my lesson two years ago when I put things in before the May full moon and lost 40 tomato babies!) 

Here are the tomato plants... and other things in the yard just starting to bloom. Happy May!

Scilla, true blue

Tulipa

A few crocuses that the jackrabbit didn't eat...

and violas all over the place!

Happy Spring!

Monday Music Appreciation #30: The Unfinished Symphony

After getting my first university degree, I took a gap year to travel with an international, educational and cultural group of young people known as Up With People. My 100+ castmates and I toured through the US, Eastern Canada, and Western Europe performing a musical revue-type show known as Time for the Music, which featured a song called Unfinished World. It borrowed a musical motif from Schubert's Unfinished Symphony that still gives me goosebumps. 

Schubert's orchestral work was one that he wrote as an "audition" of sorts, and it was set aside for other compositions. He had no way of knowing that he would only live another 6 years. 

Then his score was forgotten in another musician's cupboard for 43 years before "premiering" in Vienna. It is far superior to the 80s rock-ballad that we were singing in Time for the Music. Still, it reminds me of a time of youthful exuberance, so I was delighted to hear it twice while ushering at the Winspear Centre for Music last week. 

The Unfinished (Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D759) has two parts, but I'll just leave the Allegro moderato here. The melody that starts at about a minute and a half into the piece and is thrown back and forth among the different stringed and wind instruments several times fills me with joy every time I hear it.

Who am I kidding -- the whole piece does!

Enjoy!