Something Wonderful: The 5 Secrets
Next post: Long Read of the Week: Suicide of the Liberals
Previous post: Strange Daze
Next post: Long Read of the Week: Suicide of the Liberals
Previous post: Strange Daze
Mailing Address for the Blue Planet
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Real World Address for Donations, Mash Notes and Hate Mail
Who Am I? by Carl Sandburg
My head knocks against the stars.
My feet are on the hilltops.
My finger-tips are in the valleys and shores of
universal life.
Down in the sounding foam of primal things I
reach my hands and play with pebbles of
destiny.
I have been to hell and back many times.
I know all about heaven, for I have talked with God.
I dabble in the blood and guts of the terrible.
I know the passionate seizure of beauty
And the marvelous rebellion of man at all signs
reading “Keep Off.”
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive
in the universe.
Duty, Beauty, Liberty, Country, Honor, Family, Faith — Plus a few simple easy to follow rules for guys
The Vault
Take It Where You Find It
Men saw the stars at the edge of the sea
They thought great thoughts about liberty
Poets wrote down words that did fit
Writers wrote books
Thinkers thought about it
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
Many’s the road I have walked upon
Many’s the hour between dusk and dawn
Many’s the time
Many’s the mile
I see it all now
Through the eyes of a child
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
And close your eyes
Leave it all for a while
Leave the world
And your worries behind
You will build on whatever is real
And wake up each day
To a new waking dream
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Change, change come over
Change come over
Talkin’ about a change
Change, change
Change come over, now
Change, change, change come over
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
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I just love that one.
Cancel culture is coming for Beethoven on the grounds that “Beethoven’s [Fifth] Symphony was transformed from a symbol of triumph and freedom into a symbol of exclusion, elitism, and gatekeeping.” Wonderful article by Daniel Lelchuk, a professional cellist, in Quillette on the ridiculousness of this charge of colonialism, classism, sexism, and heterosexism (which was made by two white males, go figure).
https://quillette.com/2020/09/19/then-they-came-for-beethoven/
Even if you don’t have time to read the entire article (it’s not that long), scroll down to the end for the clip of the Afghan Women’s Orchestra performing the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Proof that Beethoven’s appeal is timeless and universal.
I saw these guys perform in a small theater pre-COVID and it was quite a show. PA Cat is right about the cancel culture. The fabulous orchestra at our daughter’s college was disbanded after her second year there. She played viola and was on a musical scholarship. Why was it dissolved? They were told that westernized music was inherently misogynistic and racist. Students were offered a chance to take ethnomusicology courses, one of which involved listening to tribal drums and playing wood blocks and triangles—like little kindergartners. Gone was the experience of the students playing wonderful music, gone was the experience of locals from 75 miles around of attending performances in a beautiful brand new performing arts center which was always packed for their performances, and also hurt were the children from poor families in area schools who no longer were given free lessons by the college students along with musical instruments—a program aligned with the famous conductor, Dudamel’s, program for lifting children out of poverty through music that was started in Brazil. All of this destruction to erase the work of “old white men”. This is happening all over our country at universities.
I feel The Piano Guy’s Youtube notes on this performance are well worth posting here:
“Story behind the song:
The American Heritage Lyceum Philharmonic (Youth Orchestra) and its director, Kayson Brown, approached us with this idea. We loved it. It combined two of the things we are working to accomplish — inviting people to classical music and inspiring young musicians. Steven Sharp Nelson had soloed with the orchestra the previous year and loved the spirit and the talent that the orchestra showed at such young ages (ages 13-18!) Together we developed the concept of “Beethoven’s 5 Secrets,” combining OneRepublic’s tune “Secrets” with melodies and moments from all four movements of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
We used 5 different melodies from the 4 movements of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (not including the “bridge” the orchestra plays in the middle). Try to guess where they are and where they come from!
What are Beethoven’s secrets? He had many. His most prominent secret that he desperately tried to keep from the public and that caused him to be considered extremely eccentric, irritable, and hermit-like was his “weakness.” He was deaf during most of his life. Imagine that…one of the greatest composers that ever lived could hardly hear. And yet, he wrote his life’s greatest works after becoming deaf. He believed that art itself had “secrets” that had to be “forced into” in order to obtain art’s highest level. There is no doubt Beethoven discovered many of the “secrets” of art — people all over the world enjoy them every day. He was a true master of music, blessed by God. This piece and video are dedicated to him.”
Good addition. Thanks.
Equality has become more important than Beethoven. These Blamtifa idiots and their enablers are trying to force us into a “Harrison Bergeron” world in order to insure equality of outcome.