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28 Aug 11 - 06:44 PM (#3214199) Subject: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Songwronger Some people claim that a song by Gustav Mahler called "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen," is the most beautiful ever written. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBTnAmWkxC0 That's a link to a recording of it by Janet Baker, on Youtube. Not sure what the most "beautiful" song I've ever come across is, but this one's in the running. A link to the song's lyrics, with translation from German to English: http://glenngould.org/f_minor/msg04351.html Mahler was an interesting composer. He liked to work themes and melodies from his songs into his symphonies. What's the most beautiful song you've ever heard? |
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28 Aug 11 - 06:46 PM (#3214200) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: skipy Margarita, Harvey Andrew. Skipy |
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28 Aug 11 - 06:54 PM (#3214210) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,mg The Ash Grove is up there..as is Oleanna but words are too silly..I want to find the original fishing words. mg |
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28 Aug 11 - 07:12 PM (#3214223) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Georgiansilver Rose of Allendale must rank highly..... |
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28 Aug 11 - 07:31 PM (#3214234) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Steve Shaw If you mean a beautiful song beautifully sung, I'd have to go for "I Wish My Love Was a Red Red Rose" sung by Triona. |
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28 Aug 11 - 07:45 PM (#3214236) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Jon Subject to change but I'm in Banks and Braes of Bonnie Doon atm |
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28 Aug 11 - 08:17 PM (#3214249) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Bill D I love many of the Scottish melodies for sheer lovliness...but name ONE song as 'best'? I can barely imagine how people can ask anyone to choose. Why not just ask for 'favorite beautiful songs'? |
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28 Aug 11 - 08:20 PM (#3214250) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: DrugCrazed Feel Their Hearts, used in Riverdance. A very pretty song. Extra mentions: Circle Game (Joni Mitchell), When You Go (Jonathan Coulton) |
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28 Aug 11 - 08:24 PM (#3214252) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Paul Burke Edi beo thu hevene quene Folkes froure and angeles blisse Moder unwemed and maiden clene Sowich in worlde non other nisse I'm an atheist too. |
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28 Aug 11 - 08:26 PM (#3214253) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Jon U for this one then Bill? |
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28 Aug 11 - 08:30 PM (#3214255) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,BigDaddy "Song For Autumn" aka "Westlin' Winds," or "Song Composed in August" as recorded by the Old Blind Dogs. Words by Robert Burns. Tune was apparently originally known as "I had a horse, I had nae mair". |
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28 Aug 11 - 10:07 PM (#3214278) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Elmore Do you think that I do not Know? words Henry Lawson, Music Slim Dusty sung by Priscilla Herdman. |
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28 Aug 11 - 10:19 PM (#3214283) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Bill D *smile*....Jon, Jock O' Hazledean is a favorite. I saw Jean Redpath open the 2nd half of a concert with it as people were mumbling and settling in their seats... BOOM... she hit those first notes hard and the audience was stunned. The Corries do a 'gentle' version, which is nice...but.... |
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28 Aug 11 - 11:29 PM (#3214297) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: mg Raglan Road too of course. mg |
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28 Aug 11 - 11:30 PM (#3214300) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Louie Roy There are many but two of my favorite are let me call you sweetheart and Somewhere my love |
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28 Aug 11 - 11:38 PM (#3214302) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: PHJim My favourite performance (today) is Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding by Jesse Winchester. I love Blind Mary by Turlough O'Carolan -no words, but lovely tune. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry has some lovely lyrics The second half of When You And I Were Young Maggie really appeals to me (perhaps because I'm married to a Maggie) They say we are feeble with age, Maggie Our steps are less sprightly than then Your face is a well written page, Maggie But time alone was the pen. They say we are aged and grey, Maggie As spray by the white breakers flung But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie When you and I were young. |
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29 Aug 11 - 12:10 AM (#3214312) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Mysha Greenfields - The Brothers Four Mysha |
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29 Aug 11 - 12:43 AM (#3214324) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: MGM·Lion Searching For Lambs said to be Cecil Sharp's nomination for most beautiful tune he had ever heard {or was it Vaughan Williams'?}. ~Michael~ |
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29 Aug 11 - 02:08 AM (#3214333) Subject: Bokwritten? From: frogprince One single choice? Yah, right... : ) All Along the Colorado Trail Turning Toward the Morning, by Gordon Bok Guantanamera |
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29 Aug 11 - 02:48 AM (#3214338) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Allen in Oz " T'was the Last Rose of Summer" must be up there somewhere AD |
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29 Aug 11 - 03:41 AM (#3214349) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Dave Hanson Sean O'Casey's Red Roses For Me, specialy when sung by Ronnie Drew. All the songs mentioned so far are better than the one which started this thread. Dave H |
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29 Aug 11 - 05:31 AM (#3214371) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Tunesmith Of course it's the marriage of a great melody with great lyrics that make a great song. For example, if we added an indifferent - or even just palin different - set of lyrics to "The Dawning of the Day" melody, I bet it wouldn't pop up on anyones most beautiful song list. Interestingly, "Derry Air" did have different lyrics added before the "Danny Boy" words really caught the imagination. |
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29 Aug 11 - 07:32 AM (#3214421) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: terrier I'd have to think more than a year and a day to sort out my favourite but one that always comes to mind is the duet from the Pearl Fishers. |
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29 Aug 11 - 08:30 AM (#3214445) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: MGM·Lion In operatic terms, I should nominate much of Verdi: from Rigoletto, Caro Nome and the Duke's theme in the Quartet, Bella Figlia dell'Amore (+ La Donn'e Mobile, I suppose!); from La Traviata, Libiamo ne' lieti calici ... And what about Die Lorelei? Muss-i Denn...? Or Tomorrow Belongs To Me from Cabaret? La Bella Ragazza Delle Trecchie Bionde? Sorrento? Santa Lucia? or·or·or·or............ ~M~ |
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29 Aug 11 - 09:14 AM (#3214457) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Lizzie Cornish 1 "Most beautiful song ever written?" 'I Can See You Now' by Bruce Murdoch |
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29 Aug 11 - 12:25 PM (#3214576) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,kendall Turning toward the morning. (G.Bok) Ava Maria (Schubert) Unchained melody Lara's theme from Dr. Zhivago Priscilla Herdman could sing the phone book and melt me! |
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29 Aug 11 - 03:32 PM (#3214694) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,weerover The Lark in the Clear Air |
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29 Aug 11 - 05:14 PM (#3214747) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Tinker from Chicago I do not usually like the works of Andrew Lloyd Weber. But when the Celtic Woman group does "Pie Jesu," I am transported. |
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29 Aug 11 - 06:01 PM (#3214772) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: foggers If by beautiful you mean something that has a transcendant quality and great emotional impact, then that is a very personal choice. For me, Jez Lowe's "The Last of the Widows" is the one; he waited to write a song about Easington's mine disaster in the 1950s until the last of the widows had passed away. It is a beautiful melody and deeply moving lyrics; just writing about it brings tears to my eyes! |
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29 Aug 11 - 06:03 PM (#3214776) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Peter Butler Silver Coin - Terry Hiscock |
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29 Aug 11 - 09:48 PM (#3214905) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Genie I hate it when someone asks me what my favorite song is. There are just way too many wonderful ones. And, of course, so much depends on your genre preferences. But among my favorites, especially on the melody side, are: Greensleeves Star Dust O Mio Bambino Caro Torna A Surriento Die Lorelei The Water Is Wide Yesterday (McCartney) Granada Lorena Over The Rainbow The Tennessee Waltz The First Time (Ever) -- the ORIGINAL Ewan McColl tune, not the 'refurbished' tune done by Roberta Flack and everyone since Blues In The Night Ode To Joy (Beethoven) OK, maybe a lot of that is based on familiarity, and I'm probably overlooking a lot of tunes that just don't pop into my mind readily, but I do think those are beautiful melodies. |
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29 Aug 11 - 10:21 PM (#3214917) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,999 Silent Night |
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29 Aug 11 - 10:21 PM (#3214919) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Azoic June Tabor singing "Lili Marlene". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWDYeao6D4 |
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29 Aug 11 - 10:28 PM (#3214924) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Bobert No dobt... Marc Cohen's "True Companions" Vince Gil's "I Believe in You" 2nd... 3rd goes to Martina McBride's version of "From the Ashes" (written by my friend Austin Cunningham... B~ |
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29 Aug 11 - 11:29 PM (#3214940) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Songwronger Today I was thinking of "Believe me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms." The first verse of that is perfect beauty, in my opinion. Music and lyrics perfectly blended. Franz Schubert wrote a song cycle called Winterreise. Some say it's the most perfect set of songs ever written, though others criticize the lyrics as weak. But the music is great throughout. I especially like the first song, "Gute Nacht." Link below to a good version of it, Youtube, about 6 minutes long. Somber and haunting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc_GCguYgHw&feature=related If that song sounds familiar, maybe you heard something like it in the soundtrack to Barry Lyndon. One of the pieces used in that score was the second movement of Schubert's Piano Trio #2. Has similarities to the first song in the Wintereisse cycle. Bunch of recordings of the Trio at the link below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xczdmh8elFs |
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30 Aug 11 - 01:14 AM (#3214969) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Genie Just realized I typed "O Mio Bambino Caro" instead of "O Mio Babbino Caro." My bad. |
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30 Aug 11 - 01:20 AM (#3214971) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,999 I trust you won't let it happen again. |
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30 Aug 11 - 03:29 AM (#3214993) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Banjiman Annachie Gordon (Child 239). (If Trad songs count as "written"!) Very, beautiful, very sad and very disturbing in parts and just the most amazing melody. |
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30 Aug 11 - 11:46 AM (#3215208) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: PHJim My mom thought that Here's That Rainy Day was the most beautiful song she'd ever heard. I agree that it's a lovely song. |
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30 Aug 11 - 12:06 PM (#3215219) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Stringsinger I like Genie's list. Here's some more. "All The Things You Are" by Jerome Kern. "Stella by Starlight" by Johnny Mandel "Over the Rainbow" Yip Harburg and Harold Arlen I like "Lagan Love" and "Lark in the Clear Air" Almost any tune by George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Hard to say most beautiful here. "There's a Place for Us", "Tonight" and "Maria" from Westside Story are right up there. I'm biased but i wrote a beautiful tune set to Yip Harburg's poem which I hope that someone, some day will hear. |
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30 Aug 11 - 12:13 PM (#3215225) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Bert I'll go along with Songwronger "Believe me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms." although 'cailin mo ruinsa' is up there. |
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30 Aug 11 - 12:18 PM (#3215228) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Bill D Go find someone singing "Country Lassie" by Robert Burns. (Jean Redpath's version is probably the easiest to find) There are threads on it. |
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30 Aug 11 - 12:59 PM (#3215251) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: RoyH (Burl) MGM mentions 'Searching for Lambs' and I agree, a truly beautiful tune. For a heartfelt love lyric 'I Live Not Where I Love' takes some beating. When one reaches the stage in life my wife and I are at Kurt Weill's 'September Song' become very poignant. |
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30 Aug 11 - 01:21 PM (#3215267) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Gda Music What, no calypso mention yet? http://mightysparrowaz.blogspot.com/2008/08/lord-kitchener-with-his-ode-to-tobago.html Graham |
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30 Aug 11 - 01:43 PM (#3215289) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Seonaid "Nancy My Thousand Loves" as recorded (both with and without Gaelic lyrics) by harper Barbary Grant. Check it out. |
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30 Aug 11 - 02:40 PM (#3215339) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Bluesman Gaye, Clifford T. Ward. |
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30 Aug 11 - 05:37 PM (#3215468) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: DrugCrazed And now I've remembered Isara by Eluveitie (See! Death Metal bands can write nice songs!) and The Islander by Nightwish (See above). There's also a lot written by Faure (Cantique de Jean Racine springs to mind, as does pretty much all of the Requiem) where I would die happy. |
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30 Aug 11 - 07:41 PM (#3215542) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: kendall Juanita ..Nita, Jauanita, ask thy soul if we should part Nita Juanita, lean thou on my heart. Soft o'er the fountain, lingering falls the southern moon, Far o'er the mountain breaks the day too soon. In your dark eyes splendor where the warm light loves to dwell, Weary looks yet tender, speak their fond farewell... sorry, I get carried away by soppy love songs. |
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30 Aug 11 - 07:46 PM (#3215545) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Steve Shaw Nic Jones singing Ten Thousand Miles. I'd love to have that on CD. |
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31 Aug 11 - 02:58 AM (#3215701) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,BigDaddy kendall...I'll assume you are not referring to the version sung by Don Knotts as Barney Fife? |
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31 Aug 11 - 07:44 AM (#3215809) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: kendall Don't know. Never heard him sing it. |
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31 Aug 11 - 08:04 AM (#3215818) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,HughM An Ataireachd Ard Cearcall a'Chuain Fear a'Bha\ta Coshieville (and I'm not even Scottish!) |
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31 Aug 11 - 08:28 PM (#3216235) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Nick E Fear a'Bha\ta is a heart breaker, I relay love Stan Rogers 45 Years, not so much the tune but the genuine sentiment. |
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18 Dec 11 - 06:31 PM (#3276231) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Songwronger Been hearing some beautiful songs lately (Christmas carols). I forget from year to year how beautiful some of them are. Amazing pieces of work. |
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18 Dec 11 - 08:56 PM (#3276278) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: kendall Barney Fife couldn't carry a note with a co signer. |
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19 Dec 11 - 03:24 PM (#3276700) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: fat B****rd The Flower Duet by Delibes Bess You Is My Woman, Now by Gershwin Just One More Day sung by Otis Redding |
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19 Dec 11 - 04:32 PM (#3276733) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Bonzo3legs 'Til the Following Night by Screaming Lord Sutch!! |
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19 Dec 11 - 04:41 PM (#3276739) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Arkie One thing I love about threads like this, is all the great suggestions and the material to build a list of music that I must hear. I do not think the following have been added yet: The Song of the Wandering Aengus Cornflower Blue Palace Grand Star of the County Down Loch Tay Boat Song Plasir d'Amour Si Bheag Si Mhor The Water is Wide |
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19 Dec 11 - 06:13 PM (#3276799) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Captain Swing The Land O' The Leal |
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19 Dec 11 - 07:50 PM (#3276854) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Bobert I'm going add another vote for Martina McBride's "From the Ashes" written by my buddy, Austin Cunningham... B~ |
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20 Dec 11 - 02:21 PM (#3277239) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,Peter Trout "God only knows" Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys Peter |
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20 Dec 11 - 08:07 PM (#3277475) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Commander Crabbe As beauty rests in the eye (or ears) of the beholder (listener), there must be many beautiful songs. I can go with Elmore on "Do you think that I do not Know" I can also suggest "Pe In Eirinn I" as sung by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh Pe in Eirinn I Merry Christmas |
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21 Dec 11 - 01:11 AM (#3277568) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: mrdux a few more for you: Joseph Canteloube's setting of "Baïlèro (Chant de bergers de Haute-Auvergne)" Au bord de l'eau, and Après un rêve -- Gabriel Fauré À Chloris -- Reynaldo Hahn My Ain Countrie -- Jean Redpath The Nearness of You -- Hoagy Carmichael |
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21 Dec 11 - 07:55 AM (#3277651) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: freda underhill Anything by Sean Keane and if I'm not mistaken, here's Alison introducing hi m in this one.. |
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21 Dec 11 - 08:29 AM (#3277659) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: freda underhill Here is an exquisite song by John Warner, Newell highway, sung by Nancy Kerr An Australian choir, Ecopella, singsa some very beautiful songs about the environment including All the wild wonders. Ecopella is conducted by Miguel Heatwole, an Australian singer and composer who is also a member of Triantan, a trio who sing Scottish and Irish songs in Gaelic and English. The most intensely beautiful version of "last Farewell to Stirling" is sung by Anthony Woolcott of triantan, you will never hear a more beautiful rendition. freda |
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21 Dec 11 - 08:38 AM (#3277662) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: glueman Is my team still ploughing? Butterworth Wood Street, Judy Hauff Spem in alium, Tallis |
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21 Dec 11 - 08:53 AM (#3277666) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: freda underhill Here's another John Warner one, Anderson's Coast and here's contender - James and Nancy singing jez lowe's the Bergen |
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21 Dec 11 - 11:58 PM (#3278137) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Neil D I don't know how to pick just one as the most beautiful. In the realms of classical and religious music there are hundreds of contenders. Even in the narrower field of Christmas music there are many beautiful melodies. I can't think of a more beautiful tune than "Gaudete". At the other end of the spectrum, and this may seem counterintuitive, I think Tom Waits has written some intensely beautiful songs. In spite of his ravished voice and reputation for gritty retrospectives on the seedier side of life, on repeated listening songs like "Innocent When You Dream", "Time" and "Jersey Girl" are just striking. Such a wide spectrum of beautiful songs is why I say it is impossible to chose just one. |
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22 Dec 11 - 12:14 AM (#3278140) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,solstice boy you lot intellectualise to much.. "Most beautiful song ever written" ??? it's the song that most affected your emotions when you were a raw inexperienced unspoilt by the horrible grown up world child.. in my case.. "Ring of Bright Water".. |
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22 Dec 11 - 03:44 AM (#3278204) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: Big Al Whittle In my case its 'Who can fart the loudest?' I intend to write the song next week. This mighty work will be an audience participation piece,geared to live performance and terrifically loud smelly farts - when evrybodys been eating sprouts over the Holy Festival. When I unleash beauty of this song on the world, the earth will probably split open, the four horsemen of the apocalypse gallop out, and then gallop back in - when the smell hits them. Just thought, I'd better warn you in advance..... |
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22 Dec 11 - 03:57 AM (#3278211) Subject: RE: Most beautiful song ever written? From: GUEST,solstice boy Big Al.. if you can fart "Ring of Bright Water"...????? [and there's over 40 years of childhood dreams loaded in that song..] |