We've been good, but we can't last

A friend saw yesterday’s post about the birds, and he asked about the squirrel that appeared in one of the videos. Because it seemed to be getting along with the birds in the frame.

Well, as you know, I have issues with squirrels. They’re cute, furry little landsharks who wreak havoc on my potted plants and vacuum up all the birdseed on the ground. But yesterday I gave the squirrel a pass.

(Fortunately, it was just the one. Some days I’ve had as many as five of them out on my patio, acting decidedly squirrely, and that is just not on.)

Anyhow, this squirrel appeared fairly early on in the storm, and he actually had a hedgehog appearance with the snow on his tail curled on his back.

Here he is in action

Well, tying this to Advent, I looked for a “Carol of the Squirrels”, which I did not find. However, there is this song about chipmunks, so here you go.

 

They sweetly did rejoice

On Wednesday we got snow here in the District They Call Columbia. It started around 0900 and by late afternoon it was replaced by rain. I am so glad I didn’t have to commute in it.

But throughout the day, my patio was visited by dozens of birds, so every hour I tossed out a couple more fistfuls of seed to make their stop worthwhile. Sparrows, cardinals, juncos, wrens, bluebirds. 

(Yes, bluebirds.)

It was just lovely to see them all out there hopping about and no squabbling. Yesterday, even the blue jays got along with everyone else.

So today’s Advent music is “The Carol of the Birds”, which is from Catalonia. Throughout his self-imposed exile from Franco’s Spain, cellist Pablo Casals closed his concerts with this piece; he believed it to be the most beautiful tune ever created, and its theme of peace—of all the birds getting along—seems particularly relevant right now.

I first heard “The Carol of the Birds” from a Joan Baez recording, so that’s what I’m giving you.

 

 

A thrill of hope

Apparently there was a TV show called “Studio 60”. And it ran, well, I don’t know, at least in 2005. I suspect it’s no longer on air, although I don’t know, and don’t really care.

But this year, while searching for new takes on Advent music, I came across this video of New Orleans brass musicians playing “O Holy Night”, and I was poleaxed. Clearly it’s having an effect on the characters, although I don’t know who they are and don’t much care. Because this rendition is stunning.

Also, I think the “All I want for Christmas is my city back” slide (3:01) resonates with us all. All we want is our nation, our democracy and our decency back.

Here’s hoping.

The righteous rejoice

We’re headed to the Sixteenth Century for today’s Advent music. Specifically to The Netherlands for a motet by Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck. Sweelinck was the organist at the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam and composed a whole lot of organ and harpsicord music.

Today’s selection, “Hodie Christus Natus Est” might more reasonably be for Christmas day; I mean, it flat out says “Today Christ is born”. But I came across this particular performance and thought it was time we had a virtual presentation. This being the pandemic year, it seems like a major oversight not to have something that reflects the virtual concerts musical groups all over the world are putting on.

Basically, the text is from the liturgy of the vesper service for Christmas Day. It proclaims:

Today Christ is born
Today the Savior has appeared
Today the Angels sing
The Archangels rejoice
today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest
Alleluia!

I don’t know what to tell you about the singers, except that they seem to be based in the UK and their bass edited the video. Beautifully

 

A swell time

Let’s ratchet it up from yesterday’s Master of the Baroque to mid-Century Americana. I mean, let’s have Jerry Helms singing his 1957 “Jingle Bell Rock”. It’s hard to get too much different here, eh?

Yeah, not exactly Advent, but definitely seasonal.

Let me frame this by saying that “Jingle Bell Rock” will be forever associated for me with the opening of that iconic 1987 film Lethal Weapon. So that’s what I’m giving you:

It’s been probably a decade or two since I last watched the movie, but I was instantly struck by how absolutely 80s’ the woman is—hair, makeup and nails. Talk about yer blast from the past…

 

Gratitude Monday: a light show

We’ve had rather temperate weather the past couple of days. We’re supposed to be in for a storm on Wednesday with the dreaded “wintery mix”, but at the weekend it was really pleasant.

Saturday late afternoon I was fixing to close the drapes when I noticed that the pre-dusk light was in that magical stage, and I stood watching it for some time before I picked up the camera and shot these. Everywhere I looked there was something else gorgeous.

 

Including the golden light hitting some of the branches.

It was absolutely mesmerizing, and I am so grateful for light displays like these.

 

 

High the song of triumph

Well, here we are, more than halfway through Advent and no Bach. How did that happen? Gotta go to DEFCON 3, so we’ll have a cantata. Specifically, “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland”. (Literal translation: “Now the savior of the heathens comes”.)

“Nun komm” was written by our pal Martin Luther; when it comes to hymnody, Marty was right up there with the Wesley boys. Luther based it on an older plainsong, “Veni, redemptor gentium”—"O come, redeemer of the world”. The English version is a staple of the Lutheran hymnal as “Savior of the Nations, Come”.

Frankly, it’s not one of my favorites, because it’s so mournful-sounding. I mean—give me “Comfort, Comfort Ye, My People” or “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates” (both translated by Catherine Winkworth) any day. But “Savior of the Nations, Come”? Meh.

Now, Bach’s cantata is a different matter altogether. So here we have a performance by the J.S. Bach Stifftung in a time-appropriate setting.

(Check out Mr. Big Seal-Clapper at around 17:20.)

 

 

 

Christmas time

Today is the third Sunday in Advent—Gaudete Sunday. We light the rose-colored candle and remind ourselves of the joy that arrives on Christmas Day.

It’s also Saint Lucia Day, which is widely celebrated in Nordic countries. (Saint Lucia was a Third Century virgin martyr during the Diocletian persecutions. I’ve written about her here.)

In honor of our Northern brothers and sisters, let’s have a joyful song from their culture. “Nu det jul igen” is typically sung by family members dancing a Conga line around the Christmas tree. It’s not what you might call profound, but it certainly is happy. Here are the lyrics in English:

Now it’s Christmas time
And now it’s Christmas time
And holidays will last ‘til Easter.
No, it’s not true
No, it’s not true
For in between is Lent.

And here we have a family singing as they dance around the tree. Props for having actual candles.