Before the Semester Closes.....A Pair of Posts (Pt 1)

"Fanfare For the Common Man" - Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Daniele Dugre-Martin sent this along for a number of reasons; 1) - she likes the song: 2) - she likes the group: 3) - she attended the concert that followed the recording of the video. Note the snow and just how cold it looks to be.  EL&P were one of the more popular of the "Progressive Rock" bands, not only for its innovative material but also because each member was a great musician.  Aaron Copland composed the famous piece of music in 1942 in response to a speech by then-Vice-President Henry Wallace in which the VP said that the 20th Century was "The Century of the Common Man."  Nothing common about this music!

"Come Along" - Cosmo Sheldrake - Cosmo Sheldrake is a London-based multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and producer. He is the son of parapsychologist Rupert Sheldrakeand voice teacher Jill Purce. He released his first single 'The Moss' in 2014, which was followed by the "Pelicans We" EP in 2015. This song was issued in 2017 and his first full-length album, "The Much Much How How and I" followed in April of 2018 -  Joe Gaffney.

"Eleanor" - Cricket Blue - I actually just got hired by these guys for an upcoming album release, and I had been previously unaware of them despite the fact that they’re right around the corner from me up in VT. I have so much respect for this kind of vocal duet approach - it’s so hard to do this well. And while you’re paying attention to their voices, you forget to notice just how skillful the guitar work is. It’s just gorgeous stuff all around - Dr. Kyle Saulnier.

"Comfortably Numb" - Pink Floyd - My husband is a Pink Floyd fan. He knows the lyrics to all of their songs and as a musician, often plays their songs. "Comfortably Numb" is his favorite. In honor or Michael I would like to suggest this song as my contribution to the blog. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. Listen to the lyrics.... and you may find yourself... comfortably numb....  - Betsy Rosenblum.

"High Five" - Sigrid - I found this song recently and like that it focuses on the idea that people seek approval too often and it can actually get in the way of life - Megan Winslow. Sigrid is a
Norwegian singer and songwriter. In 2017, Sigrid rose to fame with the release of her debut EP "Don't Kill My Vibe", and she later won the BBC Music Sound of 2018. Her single "Strangers" reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. On 8 March 2019, Sigrid released her debut studio album, "Sucker Punch",^[1] which debuted at number 1 on Norwegian charts and at number 4 on English, Irish, and Scottish charts (Wikipedia).

"Variations on a Shaker Melody" - Christina & Michelle Naughton - This lovely hymn (known as "Simple Gifts" when the song is sung) is part of Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" which he composed in 1944 for ballet choreographer and dancer Maria Graham.  It is one of my favorite melodies and its placement in the full composition is incredibly moving, dramatic, and stunning.  This version features the twin pianists, Christina and Michelle Naughton (twins as well) with the arrangement by Bennett Lerner, himself a performer of 20th Century American classical music - RBK