Prairie Love Song

music produced and arranged by Matthias Gohl

"The West" is one of a handful of documentaries that I vividly remember watching as a child and some of the music managed to stay in the crevices of my mind for several years (especially the main title which I will definitely be posting here soon). I was overjoyed when I found eMusic had the entire soundtrack. I present to you one of my favorites:

A tiny clip from the doc:

O Field, My Field / Polyushko Polye

performed by the Red Army Choir

In Russian mode... again... haha ^_^

I blame my Regional World Geography class. Last night we covered Russia and it finally hit me how MASSIVE Russia is, I mean I've always known it was big but I don't think I ever really absorbed Russia's size or how far north it is in relation to the continental U.S. until yesterday's class. Another thing I learned last night: Russia currently has one of the most rapidly decreasing populations in the world -_-* Isn't learning fun? Hopefully this knowledge will come to my aid while I'm on Jeopardy in the very distant future ^_~

Map of the World

by Sunny Day Sets Fire

I randomly started singing this song when I woke up yesterday morning and hummed it all through my refreshingly cool shower and later in the day I started humming it again while I totally bombed almost an entire geography category on Jeopardy. Time to pull out some maps ^_^

P.S. I was born in one of the places seen in the video, take a wild guess where ;-)

Totentanz

composed by Liszt

I'm a big fan of Liszt's compositions and until recently I hadn't heard this piece in it's entirety. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do! ^_^

Come Come Ye Saints

performed by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, lyrics by William Clayton (1814-1879)

I am currently in Provo, Utah, where temperature highs have been in the low 30s (fahrenheit) and lows are in the single digits. There is snow and ice EVERYWHERE. While I accompanied my sister to her classes at BYU and we trekked uphill a fairly short distance to one of the buildings on campus I complained about Jack Frost nipping at my entire face and the cold tickling my mitten covered fingertips but after a tiny bit of complaining my sister and I couldn't help thinking about the Mormon pioneers who traveled in all sorts of adverse conditions and persevered. The LDS Hymn "Come, Come, Ye Saints" is one of my favorites and one that I sang often in the past since my former stake president (the equivalent of a bishop who oversees a diocese in other Christian religions) is a descendent of the lyricist of this hymn . This hymn is also one of the few things I can play on the harmonica ^_^

Here are the lyrics of the hymn:

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.
Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
'Tis better far for us to strive
Our useless cares from us to drive;
Do this, and joy your hearts will swell-
All is well! all is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?
'Tis not so; all is right.
Why should we think to earn a great reward,
If we now shun the fight?
Gird up your loins; fresh courage take;
Our God will never us forsake;
And soon we'll have this tale to tell-
All is well! all is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared,
Far away in the West,
Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;
There the Saints will be blessed.
We'll make the air with music ring,
Shout praises to our God and King;
Above the rest these words we'll tell--
All is well! all is well!

And should we die before our journey's through,
Happy day! all is well!
We then are free from toil and sorrow, too;
With the just we shall dwell!
But if our lives are spared again
To see the Saints their rest obtain,
O how we'll make this chorus swell--
All is well! all is well!

Mary Mary

sung by Harry Belafonte

Here's a little reminder of why Christmas is celebrated sung with the dulcet tones of Mr. Belafonte...

Mary, Mary had a little baby

Oh, pretty little baby

Oh, pretty little baby

Glory be to the newborn king

Star a-shinin', shinin' on the manger

Oh, shinin' on the manger

Oh, welcoming a stranger

Glory be to the newborn king

Mary, Mary who was here, who knew him

Oh, did anybody know him

The ox and the donkey

They bowed right down before him

Glory be to the newborn king

Mary, what you gonna name your baby

Oh, pretty little baby

Mm, pretty little baby

Glory be to the newborn king

Some call him Emanuel

Think I'll call him Jesus

Mm, my pretty little Jesus

Glory to the newborn king

The Little Drummer Boy

performed by Burl Ives

Christmas is fast approaching so I've decided to share one of my favorite songs of the season. This song has always held a special place in my heart because when I was 7 my Uncle Ivan led our little "Choir of Cousins" in a rendition of The Little Drummer Boy in Spanish. I don't remember if we were any good but I do remember that I had a lot of fun singing with my cousins.

P.S. I also like this song because I'm a percussionist ^_~