Choral music isn’t for everybody.  I realize that.  I happen to have a soft spot for it because of my years spent in school and church choir.  I also fondly remember the nights at summer camp, when all the girls would sneak out of their bunks and sing a choral rendition of praise songs to the boys.  Moonlight serenades were so dreamy and one of my favorite things about summer camp.    Scala reminds me of those happy times – albeit they don’t sing praise songs they sing covers of rock songs and ballads.    As their website describes them:

“The Scala Story is a dream come true. The  classically trained  Kalacny Brothers, Steven (piano) and  Stign (conducting) have turned this Belgian girls choir into an international phenomenon, performing imaginatively reworked covers of Radiohead, U2, Rammstein, and Nirvana songs – just to name a few. As well as their equally successful original compositions before sold out audiences through out the world.”

The 200 member choir  is made up of young women ages 16-26.    According to their website,  ”Scala Live”  will begin airing on PBS late this year, a DVD and CD  ”Circle” will be released Fall 2010, and a US tour is scheduled for 2011.     Some of my favorite covers include  U2′s “With or Without You”,  ”Every Breath You Take” by the Police, and “The Blower’s Daughter” by  Damien Rice.   If these songs don’t move you emotionally,  you may want to get your ol ticker checked out. ( just sayin)

Until their tour and release of their next album, you can bet these songs and others will definitely be on iPod “repeat” from time to time.   I’ll be singing along  adding a 201st voice to their mix.     After you take a listen you may want to be 202.

The summer of ’84,  while American athletes like Mary Lou Retton and Greg Louganis were racking up gold medals in the Olympics, I was honing my “Star Spangled Banner”  pipes.    It was my shower song (or should I say anthem?).  The bathroom acoustics made me sure I was going to sing it for a packed house someday.  This was also the summer that Memorex cassette tapes had an ad campaign which said,  ”Is it live or is it memorex?”.  In the commercial, they would play a tape of a woman singing, the sound pouring out of a speaker next to a wine glass.  The glass would shatter from the intensity  of her voice.    One day,  after quite the patriotic shower performance in my parents’ master bath,  I heard a crack against their french doors.  I pulled back the curtain to see the entire glass had shattered.  WOW!   Who knew achieving the pinnacle note of our national anthem held such power.  I was scared to death to tell my parents my amazing voice had destroyed their bathroom windows.   I kept it to myself.  I wasn’t ready for the world tour.  I wasn’t even a teenager, yet.  I wanted to stay a kid, you know.   Years later,  I found out it was the scorching heat or my brother’s football – not my amazing voice – that cracked that glass.  (Not to mention, reality set in that my singing voice isn’t that amazing, at all.) At the age of eleven,  I picked up a baton for the first time.  Which means,  John Phillips Sousa was often the sound coming from my little jambox in the backyard.  I spent years twirling that baton to the sound of 2/2 time.   Stars and Stripes Forever.  The Marine Corp March.  The Liberty Bell March.  The Battle Hymn Republic.   To this day,  I stand a little taller when I hear a Sousa march.    And I can still do my twirling competition routine.

Time passes and years later the songs above remain dear to me.  I am in awe  of the poetic lyrics of “America the Beautiful”.  My heart SWELLS with pride as I sing the final words “MY home –  sweet home” of God Bless America.    Today,  we celebrate the freedom this country affords us.   The freedom to attend the church of our  choice.  The freedom  to write or read a blog.   The freedom to be friends with whom we choose and the freedom to spend time with our families.    There will be fireworks, hot dogs, apple pie and many patriotic tunes.    May we all take time to stop and remember the sacrifices which inpsired the composition of these lyrics and melodies which will make up our playlists today.  May our playlists not only be  tagged “songs for The Fourth of July”, but may we remember they are songs for us every. single. day.    The beautiful songs of freedom.

God Bless Y’all

and

God Bless America!

Nothing is better than when poetry meets a melody.   Royal Wood is a Canadian singer -songwriter who  knows exactly how to make that happen.   A fellow thirty-something whose life has taken a few unexpected turns, he has set his experiences in life, love, and loss to song.   His music is soothing and thought provoking.  His sound has been likened to Ron Sexsmith and Rufus Wainwright.   iTunes hailed him as one of the best new songwriters.   I think you’ll agree.  His “Lost & Found” EP available on iTunes is a steal under $7.   A bargain when you consider, he is often in a repeat loop  on my iPod.     “Don’t  fall Apart”  is one of my faves.   Not mention  ”Sway” from his Tall Trees EP which can be heard by hitting the play button above.   For more of his amazing work take a listen at his mySpace page.    (His new album “the waiting” is not yet available in the US, but can be purchased through his website)

Of course, his Don Draper looks aren’t too shabby either.

if i had my life to live over, i would start barefoot earlier in the spring, and stay that way later in the fall.

i would go to more dances.

i would ride more merry-go-rounds.

i would pick more daises.

~ nadine stair

This weekend tornadoes blew across the state and continued their destructive dance across the south. Many were hurt.  Many lost their lives.  Even more lost all their worldy belongings. My prayers are with them.

As for my family, we spent the evening glued to the TV, the laptop, and Twitter for updates – ready for the moment we should seek shelter. The storms were brewing and we needed a place to hide. As we waited for the “take cover” warning to fall, I couldn’t help but think of the parallel to life.

I’ve been in a whirlwind the last few years. You may have found yourself in one, too.  Just like tornadoes,  these storms of life seem to form on the sunniest days- without warning.   For me in the midst of it, it was exhausting.  At times, I will admit…I was very very scared. Scared of failing and scared of the next steps in life.  Where does one find shelter in these times?   In a busy calendar?  In keeping up with the Jones family?  ( By the way – who are these infamous Jones people?)   In achievement at work?   In shopping?   In food?   In your children?

When I was in 5th grade, I went to summer camp for the first time.  I learned to sing songs to God that weren’t in a hymnal.  Beautiful love songs.  One – in particular – became my heart song. “You are my Hiding Place”. I never heard it anywhere except each summer at camp.  Throughout the year I would sing it to myself- whenever I was afraid – afraid of not fitting in, not being perfect, not being loved, and when the clouds began to roll in.  I must have sung it a million times in high school alone. I’ve spent my life finding refuge and strength in the words this song. (you can listen to Selah’s version by hitting the mini player above)

While the winds of my life have stilled for the moment, I know the storms will blow again.  I will seek shelter.  I will hide in the words of this song.  To be honest – I sometimes take the long winding road to this refuge. But when I  finally arrive, I always find God’s unfailing strength.   You will too.

You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance – Psalms 32:7

you don’t choose love

love chooses you

And now for the Phantom and Christine we do know more of their story. On March 19, 2010, Love Never Dies the sequel to the lauded Phantom of the Opera opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London. It has been playing on my ipod ever since. The story is brooding as expected. The Phantom secretly lures Christine to America to sing in his Coney Island Wonderland. The new setting allows Andrew Loyd Weber to explore new musical territory. The reunion of the lovers is hopeful, yet heart wrenching at best. I won’t spoil it for you.

The musical has had mixed reviews. Die hard Phantom “Phans” may be disappointed. A few Weber songs from other musicals get a makeover with new lyrics, but I find them just as endearing. I love a good musical and if there is at least one or two songs worth listening to over and over, I say it’s worth the watch/ listen. My three favorites are “Til I Hear You Sing”, “Beneath a Moonless Sky”, and the title song “Love Never Dies”

The musical will debut at the Neil Simon Theater on Broadway in New York City in Mid November. Some changes and updates from the current production are expected. In addition to the tree at Rockefeller Plaza, this will be another NYC must see on your holiday excursion. The entire soundtrack is available to purchase on iTunes if you- like me – can’t wait to see how it ends. For now, here is an excerpt sung by Ramin Karimloo. Even though they aren’t dressed in full Phantom regalia it will make you scream BRAVO and possibly shed a tear. (fair warning).

She released Live in Studio: Acoustic Trio in October 2009 and I have been smitten ever since. I honestly listen to this entire album start to finish (with many repeats during play) I get lost in the truthful saga of – “Middle”, the honesty of ” I Hurt Too”, the romance of “Wish You Well”, and the pure seduction of “Sumatra”. Her whimsy is found in her modern spin to the children’s tune “Say, Say oh playmate” in her song “Forevermore”.  Download  “Dance in a Straight line” – the instrumentation is incredibly intriguing with a sense of nostalgia hearkening back to dances held in the old high school gym. Take a high tech listen on her mySpace page and then go old school by actually buying the song  and supporting this incredibly talented artist.

Below is another fave that makes me swoon.

Cheers, Y’all!

KATIE HERZIG & MATTHEW PERRYMAN JONES “WHERE THE ROAD MEETS THE SUN” (LIVE) from SITUATION OPERATION on Vimeo.

Pink Martini is a 12 member group (sometimes more if accompanied by a string section or full orchestra) who has been bringing it’s vintage hollywood chic to the soundwaves since the late nineties. I recently discovered them and can’t get enough. It may be the perfect soundtrack for my peripatetic attention span.

The Toronto Star says their sound is “the type of delight that sometimes involves dressing up and carousing” – Did some one say dress up? Count me in!

Thomas Lauderdale the band’s leader describes their music as“ …a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure … if the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.”

I describe it as the kind of music that makes my work go faster. I’m more productive and happier when I have these tunes playing in the background. I samba from my desk to the kitchen. I merengue when I mop. ( ok, I don’t mop, but if I did I would listen to this to make it far more enjoyable). It’s perfect background music for cocktails and dinner with friends of all ages. And it makes me want to put on a tight waisted, full skirted knee length dress, Miss Cha Cha Louboutins and saunter the night away in a posh mid century nightclub. It spans classes, countries, ages. Slow ballads to fast tempo dances. My favorites include: the encouraging “My Little Tomato”, the hopeful “Over the Valley”, the romantic longing of “La Soledad”, the Italian lullaby Ninna Nonna, and the inspiring, “Lets Never Stop Falling in Love”

Once you take a listen to the group, you will fall in love and never stop listening.

Salud, Y’all!