Songs from China

 Hello! Ni hao!

 As you may know I spent three weeks in Beijing over Christmas and the New Year as part of a project called Study China, which is managed by my university. I have a blog about all my adventures there, which I hope you will enjoy.

 However, I also wanted to write a post on this music blog about songs I encountered in China - songs from China and also from other parts of the world - which I now cannot listen to without amazing memories flooding back of those three weeks in Beijing.

♥

 Firstly, I had a long journey to get there - three flights, which took me nearly a whole day. I travelled from Manchester to Amsterdam, which was a relatively short flight, then Amsterdam to Moscow. I then had a huge, eight-hour flight from Moscow to Beijing.

 I have trouble sleeping on planes - or on any kind of transport for that matter. I kept falling asleep then waking up and not knowing where I was and that wasn't very pleasant. One time I fell asleep and in waking up managed to spill my drink on myself.

 The bottom line is that it wasn't the most comfortable journey I've ever undertaken, but it was certainly an interesting experience, and it has made me feel more prepared for if I ever want to go to Australia or Canada or somewhere else that involves a really long flight.

 I tried to pass time by listening to some music, and there is one song that I listened to almost by proxy, as it came on my mp3 player after a song I liked and I couldn't be bothered to move past it, and I realised I liked this song more than I remembered. It is Desert Moon by Dennis DeYoung.

 My main criticism of this song in the past has been that it is cheesy - however, there are some occasions when cheesy music can actually make you feel better, and on this tiring flight, this song brought me some comfort. 

 My mp3 player was being odd and kept restarting it in the middle, so I became very well-accustomed to the first few bars of this song! (By the way, am I the only one who thinks the beginning of this song sounds very like that of "You're in Love" by Wilson Phillips?)

 It is inevitable that I will never be able to hear this song without remembering my voyage to China; sometimes you can preserve memories in a song better than just about anywhere else.

♥

 When I finally got to China, I got a taxi to our apartments within Beijing Normal University, found my room, slept a lot, and gradually got used to my immediate surroundings - a few shops and a student canteen which has the best yoghurt drinks I've ever had.

 I arrived on Saturday, and on Monday we had our Opening Ceremony. This song was playing, which I really liked - Liekkas by Sofia Jannok.

 If you are wondering, as I was at first, what language this is, it appears to be Sami. I liked this song when I first heard it and it has grown on me even more as I have listened to it since getting home - maybe because of all the memories it brings back. Thank you to Sally for letting me know the name of this song ♥

♥

 We settled into the routine of Mandarin language lessons in the morning, economics lectures some afternoons and activities such as calligraphy and tai chi in others. One afternoon when we were free we decided to go to the Silk Market, a big shopping centre/mall.

 A song that played on their sound system was Sitting Down Here by Lene Marlin.

 Another song I'd liked but not been passionate about, but hearing something familiar in such an unfamiliar place was somewhat reassuring, and I like this song a lot more now. I have also learnt through writing this that Lene Marlin is Norwegian; I had thought she was American.

♥

 At the end of our first full week in Beijing, a group of us went to a karaoke bar, and we had a great night. Hai, one of the BNU student volunteers, looked after us well, so Hai, if you're reading this, xiexie ♥ (to the non-Mandarin speakers, that means thank you).

 There were memorable renditions of many songs, but one song was especially interesting for me as I had never heard it before and really liked it, and that was 1973 by James Blunt.

 I don't know who chose this for karaoke (everyone kind of sung along to everything rather than someone picking a song then singing it by themself), but whoever you are I am very grateful as you introduced me to a song that I now really love and which enters my head at odd times and reminds me of Beijing and that night at karaoke ♥

♥

 Another song that featured at karaoke is L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. by Noah and the Whale.

 I had known and liked this song before Study China, but now I love it, and it has so many memories attached to it of good times in Beijing. It got properly stuck in my head for the rest of the trip and I kept absent-mindedly singing it... It's a brilliant song.

♥

 We then had Christmas, which was wonderful, if a bit surreal. We went to a restaurant and then played pool, and it was a lovely night.

 Boxing night I went with some friends to a bar on campus called Laker's. The lads danced to Gangnam Style - about which I will talk more later on! - and another song that played was a Korean version of Maria by Blondie. 

 I was not keen on the Korean version - the key was changed which I felt affected the whole feel and dynamic of the song. However, it reminded me of how much I love the original, which I will share here.

 I talk more about this song in my blog post, "Four songs and a dragon" - feel free to check it out.

♥

 I was ill for a few days, and listened to a lot of songs on my mp3 player while I lay in bed wishing I was well and could join in the cool excursions the others had planned to the Temple of Heaven and Tianjin.

 New Year's Eve came, and found us in Laker's, which was by now a favourite haunt of many of the group. 

 I spent some time there and then headed back to our apartments, where some of the others were watching a film - Miss Congeniality - so I joined them and enjoyed a really lovely night.

♥

 In the next few days we climbed the Great Wall, went to a Korean restaurant, visited Olympic Park and the Bird's Nest and saw a Kung Fu show. 

 We finished our presentations for economics class, had one last meal out together, sat our mock HSK exam - I got 195 out of 200! - and then, suddenly, it was the Closing Ceremony. Time had flown so fast.

 Again, Liekkas was playing, which made for a nice full circle from the Opening Ceremony and the start of our adventure. We could reflect on all we'd achieved. Then each of the three Mandarin classes performed a song we had been practising. Here is each of our performances with the original song:

Beijing Huanying Ni

This is my group!

Dan Yuan Ren Chang Jiu

 There are various versions of this song, but the one above is by Chinese singer Faye Wong. The name she was born with, however, is Wang Fei, which is also the name of one of our brilliant Mandarin teachers!

Dui Mian De Nu Hai Kan Guo Lai

 After the formal ceremony, there was a lot of taking photos together, and then we set off for - where else? - Laker's! 

 We had a lovely last night, with lots of music and dancing, and two songs stuck out for me. 

 One was Lonely by Akon, which was played in the bar and which suited how I felt at the time - not that I was lonely; I was surrounded by friends. But it was the last night and I felt really sad that it was ending. I felt like my mixed feelings were reflected in the bittersweet song.

 The other song was, of course, Gangnam Style. Here is the original:

 Here is our, far superior, version.

 I have about four different Gangnam Styles recorded from our time in Beijing, and I think I will make a mash-up of them; should be fun!

♥

 The journey home was a lot more comfortable than the journey out, I am pleased to say. I watched American Beauty on the aeroplane's entertainment system, except the end was cut off because the plane landed before I could finish. So I will have to finish that film sometime.

 Then I was home, sweet home and I slept for a long time. I have so many wonderful memories of my three weeks in Beijing, and would encourage anyone who is thinking of applying for Study China to go for it as it really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience ♥

 Thanks for reading!

 Liz x

Songs: Desert Moon - Dennis DeYoung - 1984

Liekkas - Sofia Jannok - ????

Sitting Down Here - Lene Marlin - 1999

1973 - James Blunt - 2007

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. - Noah and the Whale - 2011

Maria - Blondie - 1998/9

Beijing Huanying Ni - various artists - 2008

Dan Yuan Ren Chang Jiu - Faye Wong - ????

Dui Mian De Nu Hai Kan Guo Lai - Richie Ren - ????

Lonely - Akon - 2005

Gangnam Style - PSY - 2012

Remembering Frank Christian

 Hello dear readers,

 It has been brought to my attention just today that Frank Christian died on Christmas Eve.

 He was a singer-songwriter and amazing guitarist about whom I'm sad to say I don't actually know that much, except that he wrote a song that is very special to me: Three Flights Up.

 The version with which I am familiar is the suberb live one below with Frank doing some terrific work on the guitar and Nanci Griffith's beautiful vocals.

 It is such a pretty song; simple yet so effective. I love the music and the story in the lyrics. I often wonder if it's a true story from Frank's life, that he once lived or stayed somewhere so special to him that he was inspired to write a song about it.

 It is an important song for me personally because I first discovered it just after returning from a brilliant college trip to Montpellier in the south of France in 2011. I had stayed in an apartment that may well have been three flights up, or it may have been two, I can't remember. But there were certainly a lot of stairs. 

 And far from being a chore, it was a pleasure to walk up those stairs every day because I knew I was going to the apartment which I came very quickly to love and see as a real home-from-home.

 In fact walking up those stone steps; the sounds echoing in the stairwell; the promise of my destination: that is one of the clearest and dearest memories I have from that trip, and in fact from Montpellier (which I have since been back to) generally. 

 When I replay this scene in my head I often get a little twinge inside and wish I could be back there. I feel that a part of me lives on in Montpellier; that this city will always be a part of my life. I love it so much.

 Three Flights Up never fails to make me think of Montpellier now; a city I love and the adventure of a lifetime that first time I visited. It is a beautiful song, one I can empathise with so much. Thank you, Frank Christian. May you rest in peace.

 Thank you for reading,

 Liz x

Song: Three Flights Up - Nanci Griffith - 1993

Starring on Steve Wright!

 Dear readers,

 On Tuesday I was made extremely happy by the fact that my Oldies were featured on Steve Wright's Non-Stop Oldies on BBC Radio 2 in the afternoon!

 Here is a link to the show - my Oldies start at about 1 hour 3 minutes into the broadcast.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pt4sg

 I thought I would talk you through my Oldies, why I chose them and what they mean to me.

 Firstly, First Time (very apt for the first song) by Robin Beck.

 I first heard this song on one of the music channels on TV, and I really liked it - it is very much the archetypical 80s love song: big-haired, big-voiced singer; moody video; strong beat and a really catchy tune. I love the lyrics and find them a lot deeper and more sensitive than many 80s love songs; I particularly like:

"Like a break in the clouds, in the first ray of sun, 

I can feel it inside; something new has begun."

 And, 

"It's an uncharted sea, it's an non-opened door, 

But you gotta reach out, and you gotta explore."

 I love this song; I had forgotten about it for a bit and then something recently reminded me of it and I fell in love with it a second time. Brilliant song. And I'm glad they put it on first out of the Oldies; whether it was an intentional pun or not, it amused me.

♫♪♫

 Secondly, we have the Rah Band and Clouds Across the Moon. 

I first heard this at the gym, on some mix-tape they had of old songs. I'd hear snippets and really liked the chorus, but with machines whirring it was hard to hear the rest of it properly, so I went home and looked it up. 

 I really liked the song when I heard it through; however this was on Spotify, so I remained blissfully unaware of the bizarre video until I finally thought of looking for it on YouTube.

 Though I do think the end of the video is really touching; you can see her despair at having to wait a whole year to hear her loved one's voice again.

 Some people may see this as some sort of novelty song - a woman calling her husband who is fighting a space war is certainly an interesting concept - but I think it stands on its own as a really good song, novelty or otherwise. Certainly, as Steve says, there "doesn't seem to be a hint of irony." 

 I like to think this song is a serious exploration of what a space war could mean for the people left on Earth. To be honest this song could be used as an exploration of war generally and its effect on civilians; before I heard this properly I did think it was about a woman talking to her soldier husband in a more conventional war.

 I also found out that the singer is called Liz! ♥

♪♫♪

 Next we have Maria Vidal with Body Rock.

 I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard this - doesn't that tend to be the way with songs that are special to us? I first heard Body Rock while on the way to badminton practice one night; we were driving past the DW Stadium except it was probably the JJB at the time; I remember the song reminded me of Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge at the time, though now I can't hear that much of a similarity.

 It was me and my Mam in the car and I think I remarked to her that I liked this song; it has since been played on many car journeys. It just makes me want to dance! Not easy in a car, I know, but when I listen to it at home I do confess that I usually end up dancing about to it.

 This seems to have been Maria Vidal's only big hit; I think it's a shame as she had a lot of potential. She was pretty in a way that seems far more natural than some other female pop singers of the era and she had a really nice and quite unusual voice. 

 I think she wrote this song, though I don't know for definite; if so she is a talented songwriter. I'm surprised she didn't achieve greater success in the 80s, as this is another song that epitomises the 80s for me!

♫♪♫

 The next of my Oldies is Crazy For You by Madonna.

 I included this in my choices partly for my Mam, as it is one of her favourite songs, and also for myself as I love it too, and as I like a lot of Madonna's music I was keen that she be represented in my Oldies. 

 I love her voice so much in this song, and she looks so beautiful in the video. The production of this record is also gorgeous; from the beginning it it just a real pleasure on the ears. 

 In fact, the beginning of this song is one of my favourite song-beginnings, and it is pretty unmistakeable, especially in the video where it starts with an alarm clock ringing!

 Whenever I see the video I ponder watching Vision Quest, the film featured, but never actually get around to it. If anybody has seen it and could let me know whether it is any good, that would be much appreciated.

 Regardless of the merits of the film, Crazy For you is a really beautiful song and one of my favourite Madonna songs, as well as one of my favourite love songs of the 80s.

♪♫♪

 My next Oldie is Ella Elle L'a (Ella, she has it) by the French chanteuse France Gall.

 As you may have guessed from the fact that she features in the video, this song is a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. It was written by France Gall's husband Michel Berger. I love how happy and carefree France looks in this video, dancing around and looking like she is having a really good time - in her early career she came across as rather shy and demure, but here she seems to be coming out of her shell.

 I love this song; I discovered it when looking for French music to listen to sometime when I was at sixth-form college and a combination of my really inspiring French teacher and a wonderful college trip to Montpellier in the south of France made me really love French culture, music included. As well as France Gall I love Jean-Jacques Goldman, Lio, Niagara and many other French or Quebecois musicians and bands.

 Steve Wright commented on how high he finds France Gall's voice to be; I don't find it particularly high but maybe that is just because I am used to it as I have listened to this song so many times. Anyway, high or low I really love her voice and this remains one of my favourite songs in any language.

♫♪♫

 Next is R.E.M. with Bad Day.

 I have already done a blog post discussing this among other R.E.M. songs, which can be found by clicking above; however to re-iterate, I really like this song; it was one I heard and loved years ago, then lost, then rediscovered and now love as much as ever. And the video is really original and quirky; clearly a lot of effort went into the making of it. I love this song and always end up singing along to it!

♪♫♪

 My penultimate Oldie is Don Henley with The Boys of Summer, which was my favourite song for a while when I was in early high school, maybe 12 or 13 years old.

 We were doing some sort of project in our Music lessons about DJs, and I did DJ Sammy, and through doing so found his version of this song, which brought me right back to finishing primary school, when people were singing it on karaoke - either that or we were just listening to the song, I can't remember - but it was certainly popular at the time and I really liked it. 

 I then heard it in a bowling alley on one of our high school bowling trips, and wondered who sung it. I found out through doing my DJ project, and I re-listened to it and enjoyed it. Seeing that it was a remix of an older song by Don Henley, I listened to the original, convinced I couldn't like it more than the remix. I was wrong. It became my favourite song and I listened to it endlessly.

 The fact that the original is sung by a man makes the sentiment a lot nicer, I feel - the DJ Sammy one seems to be a woman declaring without much shame that she is cheating on her lover but still expects him to be there for her "when the boys of summer have gone," whereas the Don Henley version seems to be a man bitterly acknowledging that his lover is cheating on him but saying he'll always love her and will still be there for her at the end of it all.

 I still love this song and it was lovely to hear it on the radio and to share it with the listeners of Radio 2.

♫♪♫

 My final Oldie is Is This Love? by Alison Moyet, which, again, was my favourite song for a bit - it may still be my favourite song. I have trouble deciding on a favourite at the minute, but this is certainly in contention.

 I have a blog post all about my love for Alison Moyet in which I discuss this song and video, so feel free to check that out. For now I'll just say that I absolutely adore this woman and her music, and this song is so happy and upbeat, and the video just puts a smile on your face; they are all having so much fun on the beach. 

 And the dance they do at the beginning and end is contagious - I find myself doing the actions whenever I hear the song!

 I love Alison Moyet ♥ And I love that my selection of Oldies ends on such a happy note with this jolly little song.

♪♫♪

 I am really chuffed at my Oldies being chosen, and cannot stop listening to that half-hour of all my favourite music ♥ And I have a badge saying, "I chose the Non-Stop Oldies on Steve Wright in the Afternoon." I am very happy.

 I hope you have enjoyed listening to my Oldies as well - please feel free to add any comments below. 

 Thank you so much for reading my blog and letting me share with you the music I love.

 Liz x

Songs: First Time - Robin Beck - 1988

Clouds Across the Moon - Rah Band - 1985

Body Rock - Maria Vidal - 1984

Crazy For You - Madonna - 1985

Ella Elle L'a - France Gall - 1987

Bad Day - R.E.M. - 2003

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley - 1984

Is This Love? - Alison Moyet - 1986

 Lots of 80s songs - I clearly love 80s music! ♥

 Thanks for reading x

Angels

 Hello everyone!

 It is Friday - it often seems to be a Friday when I write on this blog - and I am home from University for the weekend. It's nice to be home ♥

 I love Uni but there is nothing like being with your family and your cat and sleeping in your own bed and watching Christmas songs on the telly together.

 I have been planning for a while to do a post about angel songs - in fact, the seeds of this idea were first sown in my mind as I finished my last blog post about Eurythmics as I remembered their song "There Must Be an Angel," and it reminded me of other angel songs that I like.

 I here present to you three angel songs which happen to be from three different decades. They are all very special to me.

♥

 Firstly; There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart). I had heard it before but sort of rediscovered it when it was featured on Dancing On Ice (a British TV show in which celebrities compete in the art of figure skating. I watch it on occasion). Here it is:

 I hadn't thought I had seen the video; however watching it it seems very familiar, so I must have done. Or maybe I saw it in a previous life.

 I like this song: really nice beat as always with Eurythmics, and Annie Lennox's voice is as beautiful as ever, and I was pleasantly surprised at how high she is able to sing in parts of this song - she has an amazing range. Overall a lovely song, and one where you feel safe in the strong, steady beat. A great and classic number.

♥

 That song reminded me of "Heaven Must be Missing an Angel" by the Tavares. I was delighted when I found out that this song was by them - I have loved their song "More Than A Woman" for many years.

 Right from the opening chimes you know this will be a great song, and again, that beat... this is such a beautifully produced song, and they move so well too! I always want to get up and dance and sing along when I hear this.

 Although I have loved and appreciated their music for many years, I have never known much about the Tavares so I looked them up just now and discovered that: (1) they are brothers, (2) Tavares is their surname - somehow it never occurred to me this might be why they were called the Tavares, (3) they are still performing to this day and (4) More Than a Woman is originally a Bee Gees song from Saturday Night Fever. Now that's something I never knew.

 I've just listened to the Bee Gees' version of More Than A Woman and I like it but I think I prefer the Tavares one.

♥

 Now for a third angel song: Angels by Nanci Griffith. 

 This song was also sung by John Farnham and I was always curious as to who wrote it - it didn't sound to me like a Nanci-written song. Now Wikipedia is telling me that Angels was written by Tom Kimmel and Jennifer Kimball. If so,well done them - this is a beautiful song.

 And well done to whoever made this video; it is really pretty. Also, the angel at 1.35 reminds me of Aliona Vilani!

 I find this song quite different to other material of Nanci's, and I love hearing her voice interpreting someone else's song, and a more pop-based song than her usual country style. Don't get me wrong, I adore her country songs, but it's nice to hear her try something a bit different.

 It was probably a bit of a risk. But I think the risk paid off - this song is so beautiful and is one of my favourite Nanci songs. I am sad that I only discovered it maybe a year ago (considering it was released in 2004).

 The instrumental is particularly lovely. And the lyrics are gorgeous and rather reassuring, I think:

"We're lifted up by angels,

Higher than the world,

Strong enough to leave it, bound to learn the secret; angels never hurt."

 To me, "angels never hurt" can be interpreted as meaning that dying doesn't hurt; that leaving this world doesn't hurt, it isn't painful, and once we learn that, the angel's secret, we can stop being afraid of dying. And I find that idea quite reassuring. This is a gorgeous song, so thank you to the songwriters and thank you to Nanci.

♥

 I hope you enjoyed my selection of angel songs. I am aware that there are other songs about angels - Robbie Williams springs to mind - but I think I'll stick with these three as they are songs that mean something to me personally and which I wanted to share with you. 

 I think they explore - and celebrate - the concept of angels. The first song sees them as a divine presence that can make you fall in love; the second talks about a lover so amazing she must be an angel; the third describes angels as guardians who guide and look after you during life and death. 

 Personally I believe that everybody has it in them to be an angel and to do something special for someone else; to be there for them when they need an angel or a miracle.

 So be an angel! 

 Thanks for reading my blog, may the angels watch over you,

 Liz x

Songs: There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart) - Eurythmics - 1985
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel - Tavares - 1976
Angels - Nanci Griffith - 2004

Manchester, Glasgow and Eurythmics

 Hello!

 It is Friday and it has been a while since I last posted on this blog, so I apologise for that. There have been times when I have really wanted to write a post to share a song or memory but I have had to put university work first.

 However, I am planning on making myself a blog schedule so that I can fit blogging into my week and still get everything else done. I am aiming to write at least two posts a week on this blog from now on. That is the plan!

♥

 How am I? Okay, on the whole. Tired! But enjoying Uni so much. I keep meeting amazing people and making wonderful friends.

 I really love the seminars and the style of teaching and I really look forward to lectures and learn a lot.

♥

 I also love living in Uni accommodation - it is really nice living with so many of my friends and being able to see them every morning and evening at breakfast and dinner - one of the many joys of being in a catered Hall.

 We had a formal dinner on Tuesday - it was the Hall's second one this year but my first. It had a Harry Potter theme so there were a handful of wizards and other spooky characters, and cobwebs draped over the wine bottles. The food was lovely, as it always is in Halls, and we got to wear gowns, which was fun. I had a nice evening.

♥

 Manchester looks very beautiful right now, in that bit of time when autumn and winter overlap, with the trees all green and gold and yellow. There have been some truly gorgeous sunsets and I am so proud and happy to call this place my home.

♥

 Over reading week, which happily coincided with my brother's half-term, I went with my family to Glasgow, another city I adore. The Clyde was as stunning as ever, especially at night with all the lights from the buildings and the bridges reflected in it.

 We visited the city centre at night, something we hadn't got around to doing before, and it was so scrumptious; all the lights and the beautiful buildings illuminated and the hustle and bustle of people doing their shopping and chattering and laughing.

 And somebody was playing an oboe in the street which was lovely and is a bit of a coincidence considering my last post on this blog was about an oboe piece!

♥

 We visited the Kelvingrove Museum and the Glasgow Science Centre; both were amazing as always and in the latter I watched a show in their planetarium which was really good. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I adore stargazing, and I learnt a few things that I hadn't known before. It was so soothing just sitting gazing up at the stars while gentle, relaxing music was played. A lovely experience.

 All of my trip to Glasgow was lovely and I was sad to leave, but it was nice returning first to my home in Wigan and then to Manchester. How lovely to have so many places you feel you can call home.

♥

 Music-wise I have been listening to a lot of The Cure, Nanci Griffith, Alison Moyet and Martika.

 "You've Placed a Chill in my Heart," by Eurythmics, got stuck in my head for a while for some reason, and at times I found it merging with with "Why" by Annie Lennox. Which is understandable in a way, because in my opinion the two songs are quite similar and of couse they both feature Annie Lennox's excellent vocals.

 I comment on Why in my post, "The Best of British," if you are interested in hearing my views on it.

 2.19 to 2.27: I love this bit! You go, girl! The above version of You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart is the original uptempo version, but for most of my life the only version I knew is the acoustic one below. 

 I love both versions but I think I slightly prefer the acoustic one because it feels, as acoustic performances often do, more raw and natural and honest, and straight from the heart. In fact, when I first discovered the faster version I wasn't keen on it, but have come to love it and see it as a great song in its own way.

♥

 I'll sign off here for now, but I will hopefully be back very soon! I still have some really good news to tell you, so watch this space!

 Thanks for reading!

 Liz x

Songs: Why - Annie Lennox - 1992

You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart - Eurythmics - 1987/8

You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart (Acoustic Version) - 1988

Morricone at midnight

*NB. It may seem confusing that this was posted on Saturday but I say it is Friday; this is because I started it on Friday night, finished on Saturday morning (midnight passed) and am posting this now on Saturday.*

 Hello everyone!

 Today is Friday and I am sitting in Halls writing this and listening to "Gabriel's Oboe," the theme from The Mission. It was composed by Ennio Morricone and is beautiful.

 I heard this for the first time in a long time in a lecture yesterday  in a Spanish culture lecture, about Bartolomé de las Casas and the New World, hence the link to this song; it incorporates European music and reaches out towards indigenous American music.

 Our Spanish culture lecturer, Esther, likes to play a piece of music at the start of every lecture, which is great for me because discovering new music that I like is one of my favourite things. And I am so, so glad that she played this. It sounded so familiar to me, and words started playing in my head to it, and I knew that I'd heard it before, as some kind of song.

 I also assumed the original piece of music was an old classical piece. However, it turns out it was written in 1985/6 for a film, The Mission. I genuinely cannot believe that something so beautiful, so pure, so uncontrived (Blogger is telling me "uncontrived" isn't a word; well, I'm inventing it) could have been written so recently.

 I would have thought all the rawest of melodies; the most original and simple and perfect, had been taken by some musician or another long before 1985. But Gabriel's Oboe is beautiful and magical and comes from some natural, faraway place, from which no other music comes. And I know this is getting sentimental, but that is how much this song moves me.

 As for me putting lyrics to it in my mind... I found out later that Sarah Brightman recorded an operatic version called "Nella Fantasia" (in the Fantsay)... but listening to it I don't think that is the version I somehow know and keep remembering pieces of. There is some other song within this song that is somehow a part of my memories and yet I can't quite reach it. Maybe one day I will.

 I must add that I have listened to the version with English lyrics by Hayley Westenra, and I like it but think someone could still write better lyrics than the English or Italian ones in either of the operatic versions.

 On the other hand, maybe adding lyrics to this song is not the right way forward... it was designed as an orchestral piece and it works best as one. An oboe or a piccolo or a French horn can have a voice and sing. Words would be crude and heavy and spoil the song. It is about feeling the meaning of the song, not having it dictated to you in words. Words tell you how you should interpret a song; without them you can make your own stories, have your own visions of what this music is about and what it represents and how we are supposed to feel listening to it.

 I am speaking as someone who is a lover of popular music and country music, and who doesn't listen to as much orchestral music as maybe she should. This has enlightened me. Thank you, Esther.

 I hope you, my reader, have enjoyed this blog post and my thoughts on Gabriel's Oboe. Please give it a listen if you've never heard it (though the likelihood is that you've heard it without knowing exactly what it was. A song can have a presence in your mind before it has a title.)

 I don't usually implore people to listen to songs I like; I just comment on them and hope that maybe you consider listening to them yourself. But I strongly advise you to listen to this particular piece of music. It has had a profound impact on me, at least.

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x

Song: Gabriel's Oboe - Ennio Morricone - 1985/6

The Sun, Moon and Stars

 Hello my dear readers!

 It is Friday night and I have come home from Uni for the weekend. I have had a busy week - my first week of lectures and classes.

 There have been some problems, mainly getting lost around the huge university, but on the whole I have enjoyed this week. I have had the chance to meet people doing the same subjects as me, and I have made some new friends.

♫♥♪

 You never realise just how many people you will meet at university. People in your halls of residence, people in your classes, people in societies you have joined. It is amazing how many people you meet.

 And although I feel like I must have met all the students in Manchester, I know in reality I can only have met a tiny percentage. It's amazing to think how many more friends there are out there for me to make, if I only meet them somehow. Ah well, fate often brings people together who were meant to end up in each others' lives.

"I do believe, love came our way, and fate did arrange for us to meet."

 A line from Almost Unreal, one of my favourite songs by Roxette, who are one of my favourite bands. Actually, this song has been stuck in my head, not because I have been thinking of fate, but for reasons I can't quite put my finger on... it just floated into my head! Anyway, it is a brilliant song so I will share it with you.

 "Yeah, come on and do the hocus pocus to me; 

The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal."

 I love Marie Fredriksson's voice! She is so beautiful and has an air of wisdom about her. The song is so incredible; I think it is one of the mist underrated songs I have ever come across. It is up there with the best ballads of the 90s. 

 And the video is so ahead of its time; it is technically stunning and you could think that it had been made today, rather than back in 1993.

♪♥♫

 People are like songs; you can think you know all the ones worth knowing and then you discover one that is incredible and you wonder how you lived without it/them. That is my deep and meaningful observation for the day!

 An example of a song I discovered just yesterday, and which I love very much already, is The Sun, Moon and Stars. The version I know is sung by Nanci Griffith, but the song was written by Vince Bell.

 I love how she does a typical Nanci introduction to it - one of the things I love about Nanci Griffith is the way she introduces most of her live performances with a bit of information about the song, or an anecdote related to it.

 They are so endearing, and teach you things about the song you never knew or realised, which make the song so much more special and dear to you. 

 And I may not have understood the exact meaning behind this song had she not said what she said at the beginning. A few words made everything so clear. It is a song about the importance of friendship, something I am very aware of at the moment. I will probably always associate this song with my starting university now!

 Not that you would have found me, "drunken in a bar, with the fan turning," as I don't drink alcohol... But the message still stands that friends are one of the most amazing things we can have in our lives! Don't take your friends for granted. Never forget how amazing they are. Yes, I know I use the word amazing too much. It is my word. And here it is the right word; the only word that will do.

♫♥♪

 Watching this video and listening to the song, I realised what people mean when they say Nanci has an angel's voice. I had always thought her voice was beautiful and powerful, but it was her songwriting rather than her voice that endeared her to me. 

 Seeing the way she interprets this song, the way she uses her voice so cleverly, so carefully, so sincerely to tell a story, to convey every ounce of emotion in her, to make every word beautiful and significant... 

 I realised listening to this just what an amazing gift she has vocally, that she can sing other peoples' songs as if they were her own story - and with this song you get the idea that she understands and empathises with every word. She is amazing. Nobody deserves higher praise than Nanci Griffith. She really is an angel.

♪♥♫

 This song has also taught me not to be prejudiced and judge a song based on the first line - another life lesson that can be applied to people as well. I heard the beginning of the album version of The Sun, Moon and Stars once and I didn't think a lot of it, so I stopped listening.

 The live version changed my mind, and so I listened to the album version again (from Late Night Grande Hotel) and I really like it - maybe not as much as the live one posted above, but it is a very beautiful and special song in its own way.

 Nanci is one of those gifted few who can do an equally good job on a recorded and a live version of a song; making both incredible in their own right. I've said it before and I'll say it again: she is a genius.

♫♥♪

 In other news, I have started the new term of my Mandarin Chinese course, and it was lovely seeing my friends from the course again. We meet once a week to learn Chinese, and I love it - the group is so friendly and we all get on really well.

 Also, for those who have been keeping track of my Cornerhouse antics, tomorrow is the day we compile our shortlist of artists for the exhibition we are planning. I am really looking forward to getting back to Cornerhouse, and seeing my fellow curators Alex and Neetu again.

 Our family friend Tommi is visiting, which is lovely. He lives in Germany and hopefully one day I will be able to converse with him in German - it is a language I have always wanted to learn and maybe now I am at Uni I will have the chance to.

♪♥♫

 The moon is very bright tonight in Wigan; we were all looking at it through binoculars. Kind of fitting that I have written about a song called The Sun, Moon and Stars!

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Songs: Almost Unreal - Roxette - 1993
The Sun, Moon and Stars - Nanci Griffith - album version 1991; live version here 1990

We Are One!

 Hello!

 Today is Sunday, and I have been here a week! And it has been, as promised, one of the most amazing weeks of my life! Mainly because of the brilliant friends I have made ♥

♥

 I went home on Friday night, and it felt so strange being back in Wigan. The main thing I noticed at once was the stars - you never really see that many stars in Manchester; there are too many lights. In Wigan - well, my bit of Wigan at least - the sky was sprinkled with silver.

 I saw all the familiar constellations, and, as always, searched for the Andromeda galaxy. I know where it is, but some nights you can see it and some nights you can't, depending on how clear the sky is.

 I have always loved stargazing; the world can move quickly around you but the stars never change. I can look up and find Cassiopeia, trace my way to Perseus and Andromeda and the square of Pegasus. The stars can be scary, yet they can be reassuring... they are a force so powerful, unbreakable, ancient... I suppose they are an example of what you call the numinous.

 I will have to find out if there is a stargazing society in Manchester; if there isn't I will have to set one up! Anyway, it was lovely to be home and to see everyone again.

♥

 The next day - yesterday - I dragged myself out of bed to get my train back into Manchester in time for bowling and Laser Quest.

 I was a bit disconcerted at first because I didn't seem to know anybody on the excursion; however I soon made some new friends.

 The Laser Quest wasn't the best one I've ever been in, but it was fun and got very competitive! But may I say, whoever invented the need to recharge your gun in Laser Quest... it is the most pointless and annoying thing ever! I have been to Laser Quest venues where you don't have to do that, and I feel it makes the game run a lot more smoothly, and you can relax and get on with it without having to worry about recharging!

 Still, we had fun. We also had a game of bowling, in which I think I ended up coming last. I started out really well, then had a couple of goes in a row where the ball went into the tramlines... Not good. However, I met some more people in my Halls which was nice.

♥

 We then had a barbeque back at the Hall; I hadn't been really excited about the BBQ because I don't usually like BBQ food... but this one was so lovely; the food was nice and we got huge tubs of ice cream! I had caramel flavour and it was delicious!

 The sun was setting as we sat around on the lawn chatting, and it was such a lovely end to Freshers' Week. It was amazing to be celebrating it with my wonderful new friends.

♥

 I then went to the open mic night in the Hall bar; there was a wide array of different musicians and groups; there was even someone who I think said he was from Wigan! I will have to talk to him some time!

 My favourite act of the evening was a jazz quartet; they were really smooth and professional and so talented. Well done to them, and thank you to everyone involved for a great night.

♥

 I am going to share We Are One from The Lion King II; I have not seen this film but I somehow discovered this song when I was at college, and it really captured my heart. It is so beautiful, both the music and the lyrics.

 I am not usually a huge Disney fan, but I love this song ♥

 And in looking for it on YouTube, I somehow ended up on the Portuguese version. I love the Portuguese language - I think it is one of the most beautiful in the world.



 Even if you don't understand Portuguese - and I don't understand all of this song in Portuguese - just the sound of the language is so gorgeous. I would give it a listen.

♥

 I stumbled upon the original version of this song yesterday when looking for songs by the French singer Lio on YouTube and general Lion King stuff came up in the search options, and I thought, I'll listen to We Are One. It perfectly sums up my first week at Uni and the wonderful people I've met and the friendships I've made ♥

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Songs: We Are One (English) - Cam Clarke and Charity Sanoy - 1998

We Are One (Portuguese)/Somos Um - I don't know who sings this; if anyone could tell me I would appreciate it! - 1998