Daily Archive

Greetings loyal readers.  This is the time and space where I get to curate a musical experience for you (who knew “curate” had become a verb).  So, as an atheist finding good tunes during this particular time of year can be challenging; but not impossible.  So today I present to you two works, one choral and one piano choral piece.  Both are fine works, but I think you’ll find “White Wine In the Sun” Both humourous and touching at the same time.

But first, a choral work with the libretto taken from the collected works of Carl Sagan.

There are three movements:

Mvt. 1 is about discovery…

Somewhere, somewhere…
The sky calls to us.
If we do not destroy ourselves,
we will someday venture to the stars.

Somewhere, somewhere…
Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were,
but without it, we go nowhere.
We make our world significant by the courage of our questions
and the depth of our answers.

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known…
If we do not destroy ourselves,
we will someday venture to the stars.

Mvt. 2 is about beauty…

The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it,
but the way those atoms are put together.
The cosmos is also within us,
we are made of star stuff.
We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.

We are made of star stuff!

The beauty, the beauty…

Mvt. 3 is about space at large and our place in it…

If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch,
you must first create the universe.
[The universe is] neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent.
The universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.
We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and it’s [a lifetime]…

Somewhere, somewhere…

If you wish to make…

And of course the indomitable Tim Minchin.  I really want to sing this, it’s not hard technically, but keeping it together is where the problem lies, let me assure you.

I really like Christmas
It’s sentimental, I know, but I just really like it
I am hardly religious
I’d rather break bread with Dawkins than Desmond Tutu, to be honest

And yes, I have all of the usual objections
To consumerism, the commercialisation of an ancient religion
To the westernisation of a dead Palestinian
Press-ganged into selling Playstations and beer
But I still really like it

I’m looking forward to Christmas
Though I’m not expecting a visit from Jesus

I’ll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They’ll be drinking white wine in the sun
I’ll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They’ll be drinking white wine in the sun

I don’t go in for ancient wisdom
I don’t believe just ‘cos ideas are tenacious it means they’re worthy
I get freaked out by churches
Some of the hymns that they sing have nice chords but the lyrics are spooky

And yes I have all of the usual objections
To the mis-education of children who, in tax-exempt institutions,
Are taught to externalise blame
And to feel ashamed and to judge things as plain right and wrong
But I quite like the songs

I’m not expecting big presents
The old combination of socks, jocks and chocolate’s is just fine by me

Cos I’ll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They’ll be drinking white wine in the sun
I’ll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They’ll be drinking white wine in the sun

And you, my baby girl
My jetlagged infant daughter
You’ll be handed round the room
Like a puppy at a primary school
And you won’t understand
But you will learn someday
That wherever you are and whatever you face
These are the people who’ll make you feel safe in this world
My sweet blue-eyed girl

And if my baby girl
When you’re twenty-one or thirty-one
And Christmas comes around
And you find yourself nine thousand miles from home
You’ll know what ever comes

Your brothers and sisters and me and your Mum
Will be waiting for you in the sun
Whenever you come
Your brothers and sisters, your aunts and your uncles
Your grandparents, cousins and me and your mum
We’ll be waiting for you in the sun
Drinking white wine in the sun
Darling, when Christmas comes
We’ll be waiting for you in the sun
Drinking white wine in the sun
Waiting for you in the sun
Waiting for you…
Waiting…

I really like Christmas
It’s sentimental, I know…