Ramblings, Music and Moods

I suppose that this page is where I get to expand on things.  I'll be brief, though.

  I plan on making this page to be a "notepad" if you will, where I can jot down esoteric thoughts, post  some compressed music
and just generally babble away.

Well - Let's get started, shall we?

Compressed wav files:

            For a very long time I'd been wanting to make a series of recordings that would put a lump in one's throat.
             I recall that the idea became apparent when I found myself holding back the tears and finding
 it hard to swallow while I recorded, "Gunga-Din" for the web page back in 2000.  

Handicapped by a computer that was manufactured two months after early man invented the wheel, I found it 
             hard and time-consuming to accomplish my goal.  

Now that I have a monster computer system that works faster than a prostitute at a salesman convention in Vegas, 
I can do much more and make it more detailed too.  Over the years I dabbled with sound files, recording them in the early hours of the morning and during quiet periods.  

Being compressed, they sound "tinny" but the original MP3 files sound just fine and I've burnt them on to CD's to play in car stereos and such.  
This section of files are those "tear-jerkers" I mentioned earlier. 

 Here are a few patriotic compositions which I like.

"The Pledge Of Allegiance"



In this modern day, we tend to forget that since the birth of our great country, men and women have died ensuring our liberties and freedoms. Sadly, since recent court rulings, laws have been enacted preventing the Pledge from being done in public schools.  Decades ago, Red Skelton as a child, heard his teacher in school defining the Pledge.  I heard this version performed once at a large conference I'd attended while in the army.  It was complete with a slideshow and the narration was done by a female officer.  It made a deep and great impression on me hearing it and seeing the visuals on the screen.  A while back I tracked it down and found out why Red shared his version.  It speaks untold volumes of the things that we often overlook in our daily lives.  The music is The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

 "The Gettysburg Address" 

Gettysburg, November 19th, 1863.  President Lincoln delivered his immortal speech on the battlefield.  Wars never change.  Blood is shed for many different purposes.  Freedom carries with it a very high price and the ones whom have paid for it in full, can never tell the total cost. Our remembering these people is only the receipt of that price.  Let us not forget that. 

 This recording has the background music of The Boston Pops and Choir, which I also used on the "Trilogy" recording below.  Katherine L. Bates wrote "America The Beautiful," as a poem after visiting the western United States in 1893.  Two years after writing it, it was published on July 4th, 1895.  Shortly thereafter the poem was set to music that was written by Samuel A. Ward.  The song was very popular and there was even considerable talk of it replacing "The Star Spangled Banner," as the National Anthem.

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"America The Beautiful Trilogy"




September 11th, 2001.  The Day That We All Changed.  Nothing more has to be said.


I originally recorded this piece for a friend on Paltalk who liked the modified version of Sir Walter Scott's narrative poem, "The Lay Of The Last Minstrel."  The modern version was titled, "The Man Without A Country," I believe.  When I was in junior high school, I recall hearing a slightly different version of what I have now recorded.  It contained all three parts of the piece but some parts were sung rather than spoken.  The compilation in this song include Scott's poem, a verse by an author unknown and the inscription that is found on the base of the Statue of Liberty.  I feel this is a tribute to those innocents whom had perished on that sorrowful day...September 11th, 2001.

...and here are three non-patriotic ones that still may cause a lump in the throat: 

"Gunga-Din"

Gunga-Din is my favorite poem.  It's a soldiers poem.  It is Rudyard Kipling's classic  story of a Indian peasant who served the British soldiers water and took care of the wounded during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 rebellion.  Beaten, abused and jeered by the soldiers he served, in the end he sacrificed his life to save his oppressor.  The bagpipe rendition of  "Amazing Grace" is by the 48th Scot Dragoon Guards.

This was my first ever attempt at recording my voice to a music rendition.  I knew nothing about recording back then.  I now know more about sound recording but my voice still sounds lousy.  Gunga-Din was done using a trial-version of a small recorder program and I tried to sound like an elderly Scottish soldier recounting his glory days to young, new recruits.

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"Who Wants To Live Forever"

Sarah's Version                                             "Saga Version"

Sarah Brightman recorded this not often heard song on a little known CD "Timeless," back in 1997.  The song was written by the rock group, Queen.  The most famous use of a portion of this song was in the 80's movie, "Highlander."  I felt it could be used as a background setting for Jason West in the novel, speaking to Chauni about being immortal as she sings the song as her thoughts.  My voice-over was done in one take and although rusty, I think it expresses Jason's sadness.  The accompaniment orchestration is the London Symphony Orchestra.   Hauntingly moody and deep, I couldn't resist writing Jason's monologue for it.  
(By the way - I am deeply IN LUST with Sarah Brightman if you already didn't know.)

"Whiter Shade Of Pale"

At last.  Here I accompany Sarah in a duet singing the classic 1960's Procol Harum hit.  A beautiful song that sounds better without my vocals but, what can I say?  This song was released on Sarah Brightman's "La Luna" CD. ( I like the part about the "..sixteen Vestal Virgins," for some odd reason.)

More stuff to be added as time goes on.

Until then..."Peace - Through Superior Firepower."

JWS3

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