Peter Gabriel, Wallflower, lest we forget...

To view the song only, it is also on YouTube here: Peter Gabriel - Wallflower (piano version)

Peter Gabriel's December message in which he talks about a number of projects he has been involved such as Witness and also bigs up Emmanuel Jal's 'We want Peace' project. Towards the end of this video he performs an exclusive, informal version of his 1982 song 'Wallflower' which was inspired through seeing the work of Amnesty. This simply features PG accompanied beautifully by pianist Tom Cawley. 'Wallflower' is one of PG's songs selected for the 'New Blood' record featuring full orchestral arrangements. It is in support of Mary Robinson, one of the innovative peacemakers, The Elders.

My highlight of 2010 was experiencing PG's Scratch My Back concert which I reviewed extensively here, so inspiring, so moving and the most significant spiritual refreshment of the year...

You can still preview the whole Scratch My Back album here too

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That fifteen films meme...

 

Unfashionably late, as usual!

The rules: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen films you’ve seen that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen films you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

Not in order of preference.

• Chariots of Fire
• What's Up Doc?
• Let it be
• 2001
• Wayne's World
• Nativity!
• Bladerunner
• Something's Gotta Give
• Bucket List
• Star Wars
• You're a Big Boy Now
• War Child
• Animal House
• Africa United
• Die Große Stille

Do go tag thyself!

In the words of the rebel Jesus...

Re-post from last year - still listening and admiring Jackson Browne nailing it...

This amazing song from Jackson Browne is one of my fave Christmas pieces with so much truth and depth compared to other commercial stuff and what we sing in church. Verse two is really hard hitting linking 'Temple Trading' to both the church and environmental issues way back in the early nineties:

Ah, they call Him by the "Prince Of Peace"
And they call Him by "The Saviour"
And they pray to Him upon the seas
And in every bold endeavor
And they fill His churches with their pride and gold
As their faith in Him increases
But they've turned the nature that I worship in
From a temple to a robber's den
In the words of the rebel Jesus

In the last verse he apologises for appearing to be judgemental (which I wonder if that's another sideswipe at the established church!) before closing the song with the fantastic proclamation:

So I bid you pleasure and I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus

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We Might As Well Be Strangers...

Last night's episode of the BBC mini series Nativity where the tension betwixt Mary and Joseph is both at breaking point and breaking down as the awareness that Mary's innocence is true grows.

Despite the literary license used to flesh out the narrative, which Biblical purists find uncomfortable, I find it totally riveting, beautifully artistic, sensitively produced and, at times, intensely moving...

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Sitzprobe

 

On Friday evening there was an excellent BBC4 documentary following the vibrant soprano Danielle de Niese as she worked towards a performance in a leading role as Susanna in the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. Part of the ritual of staging an opera is having distinct rehearsal types in sequence:

1. Music
2. Staging
3. Technical
4. Sitzprobe
5. Orchestra staging
6. Full dress rehearsal

Yes, Sitzprobe also struck me as the most fascinating rehearsal, as well as the most unusual word, derived from the German: sitzen (to sit) and proben (to rehearse). The film showed the full cast sitting and listening to the orchestra as all the sections were played, both instrumental and accompaniment. And that's all the cast did, just listen...

In my early days as a musician I noticed more experienced players would stop and listen all the way through as a piece was introduced rather than start playing along as I was prone to do. This gave time to detect extra nuances and other important elements that I was missing by my 'keen to impress' musically immature participation.

Sitzprobe is an important and often overlooked discipline in many aspects of our hectic lives...

Stand up, stand up for Emmanuel Jal...

An Advent meditation from 'ethical rap' artist Emmanuel Jal, endorsed by the peacemaking initiative The Elders, in support of We Want Peace. Emmanuel has appeared at the Greenbelt Festival twice plus the stunning biographical film about his life 'War Child' was previewed there. That turned out to be one of those Greenbelt 'moments', as, when the film show became very delayed, a member of the audience, Shaz Brown, volunteered to perform some of her stunning and earthy urban poetry while we were waiting, everybody there will remember how amazing that was...

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me... he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners.

Isaiah 61:1

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