Whatever He Says

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a phone message from Brenda asking if I would like to go to a concert. Does spring follow winter? I mean really! "Yes!!!" I said. Not only a concert, but a "Musical Extravaganza," by the music department of St. Andrew's College, her beloved  SAC , where she works with "her boys."  The concert was at the  Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts ;  I could hardly wait.  Last Wednesday night I drove to Aurora to meet Brenda for supper in the college dining hall, where, with the kind permission of the head of the kitchen staff, we enjoyed a meal of succulent sliced pork loin in apple sauce with the faintest hint of cloves, followed by  profiteroles  with strawberry sauce. We could not have had a more delicious meal in the best restaurant in town. The hall was filled with teachers who live on campus and their families, students, and custodial staff, many of whom came by to say a warm "Hi!" to "Br...

You often hear people talking about "what they were doing when"...Man landed on the moon; President J.F. Kennedy was assassinated; John Lennon was murdered; 911 shocked the world--those moments that are frozen in memory.  There are times when music just hits me to powerfully that I remember the moment I first heard a voice, or a musician. It was like that the first time I heard the late brilliant Canadian pianist,  Glenn Gould , playing the  Bach Goldberg Variations  on CBC radio one day. I had just arrived in the parking lot of my dentist's office, and had not a moment to spare for my appointment, but I couldn't leave the car. I was spellbound by the magical liquidity of Gould's fingers on the keyboard. I had never heard anything like it, had to hear it all, and I had to know who was playing.  Another such moment was again in my car. I remember the intersection I was approaching; Davis and Yonge; when  Eva Cassidy's  rendition of  Somewhere O...

Far from a lazy summer month, this June promised to rock with the vibrancy of a Caribbean carnival packed with exciting events. My only challenge has been keeping up with everything. It was while brushing my teeth on Saturday morning, listening to the radio, that I was shocked out of my brief sense of weekend relaxation by the realization that it was June 22nd and the Toronto Jazz Festival  was  in full swing; ten days of music featuring 1,500 artists, including (please imagine a drum roll) Mavis Staples . Back in May, I wrote here  about discovering Mavis through a CD given to me by a friend, and about adding a live Mavis Staples concert to my bucket list. I imagined myself, sometime  in the future, tracking her down in the United States to realize that dream. But my friend Susan discovered online that she was coming to Toronto in June for the Toronto Jazz Festival and bought me tickets for my birthday. Fortunately Susan hadn't forgotten the date, so...

Just like stones in a farmers field things in my house work their way to the ground every now and then. An old CD that I hadn't played for while surfaced recently. At the time that I bought it I played it over and over again, but it has been seven years, so when I popped it into the CD player in my car, it came back as fresh and beautiful as when I first heard it.  It was Rob who asked me if I had heard the song  Nine Million Bicycles  by Katie Melua. I hadn't, but I bought the CD, Piece by Piece, after he described her voice, just to hear it. Playing the CD, I was struck again by how tied in certain memories are to music. I listen to that CD and I am in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The music takes me back to 2006. I have taken time out from a visit to Mum and Rob in Alvechurch, to spend a week in Holland with Dutch cousins whom I have not seen for forty years. After flying to Amsterdam from Birmingham, I am waiting for my cousin Deborah who is flying in f...

I booked this day off months ago and suddenly it was here, a day off which I had put on my calendar for today. I had plans. There are so many things when you work full time, that just don't fit into the time left at the end of the day, or squeeze into a Saturday, what with the laundry, shopping and cleaning (like I even really do cleaning as it should be done! :)) I'm not complaining though. I wrote a while back about the routine my mum had, without the help of a dishwasher, washing machine or dryer. And I love my job. No complaints. But gratitude? Oh yes!! For a day at home; "extra!" In a week that has been glorious; unseasonably warm and sunny--like a sudden outbreak of summer; today, Friday, dawned gray and cool and drizzly. It didn't matter! I woke up without a deadline for getting up, but got up because I didn't want to waste a precious minute.  Paul was away, on his way home from a conference in Ottawa, so I relished solitude and listened to the ...

By Belinda A wonderful Christmas Flash Mob that was shared by my friend Brave Raven on Facebook and which I had to share here. I know many will have seen it but it is so uplifting and wonderful that in case even one person hasn't, they won't miss it ! :)

By Belinda This beautiful Dutch carol was shared today by a friend of Dutch ancestry, on Facebook. I had never heard it before but absolutely loved it. It moved me deeply, especially at the end after the crowd leaves the church and then breaks into spontaneous singing again around a brazier, with the sound of chiming church bells in the background. Listen to it with headphones or a good speaker to get the full effect of the harmonies. And happy first Sunday in Advent!

By Belinda In honour of the late Rich Mullins, whose music and heart I love, I share this recording of his song, "Creed," by  Third Day  and Brandon Heath.

By Belinda I'm not sure where the page popped up from in my office today, but there it was with the words to the beautiful song by Greg Ferguson that we heard at a Willow Creek Summit , several years ago. I brought home the piece of paper intending to look up the song on You Tube and share it here. The song is really a prayer, but its words will also minister to the hungry soul. Be blessed.

By Belinda It was July 26, just over two weeks ago, when Paul and I, along with Paul's cousins, Stephen and Sam, and two friends, Arthur and Liz, drove high into the Malvern Hills, a place of immense beauty, to scatter  Uncle John's ashes . (A quick aside: I found a link here  to some breathtaking photographs that capture the dramatic and glorious landscape.) I've wanted to tell this brief story ever since. I had met Arthur and Liz, Uncle John's friends, in the past, but I only knew them slightly and knew nothing about them. I just knew that they respected and loved Uncle John.  The weather on the hills changed every few minutes. While we   prayed and scattered the ashes, the rain held off, but before the storm clouds shadowed the fields below us I took advantage of what sun I could, and ran around taking photographs.  As I returned to the group I heard Arthur discussing something with Paul. What grabbed my attention were the words, "I am the onl...

By Belinda Susan recommended this song to our worship team as one to learn. I listened and loved it. I also was struck by the words, especially about the fact that we are so prone to look at others rather than ourselves--and judge. God forgive us for the judgement we have directed towards others, when each of us is so in need of the grace of God for how far we fall short of God's standard daily. 

By Belinda  My friend Janet Sketchley posted this song on her blog  God With Us:Finding Joy , last week. I LOVE Peter Furler and love this song, which I hadn't heard before.  Th e lyrics say it all--and they are on the video clip, written so that you will not miss them.

My cousin Deb, who lives in Spain, recommended the Josh Groban and Sarah MacLachlan version of this. I'm not sure if this is the exact version she meant but I am sharing it for its beauty. I love the raw talent/voice of the previous version I posted too.

I just checked out Afsoon and Shapour's blog http://creation-to-eternity.blogspot.com (they had left a comment on my last post) and they had posted this amazing song on their blog. I just had to share it. Belinda

Hi Friends, My friend Mary Anne Swagerman, sent this link to me. I love the original Leonard Cohen version but this is beautiful!

Wow, my friend Janet  over at God With Us: Finding Joy  left a comment on Monday's post saying that it reminded her of Todd Agnew's song: My Jesus. I hadn't heard the song but I always love Janet's choice of music on her blog, so I listened to it. Now I know what she meant. Yes, this is exactly what God was saying to my heart. I echo Todd's words at the end of the song: "My Jesus, I want to be like my Jesus."

This morning we sang this song as a worship team in church, led by Frances with her beautiful voice. It's not a new song but it was new to us and I just love it. Had to share it here.

By Belinda I found this video clip referenced on Kevin Boa’s Blog and looked it up. Oh, my goodness. It is the best gift to share today. I cried as I watched it, full screen. Kevin Boa starts his comment on the piece: On Saturday, April 24th, 2010, over thirty members of the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus and principal cast members from the upcoming production of La Traviata converged on the Reading Terminal Market Italian Festival. Wearing street clothes and blending in with the crowd, the artists swung into action... The reaction of the crowd as they gradually realize what is happening is priceless. If you love people watching you will enjoy this. I thought of how the extraordinary is hidden all around us so often...if only we have eyes and ears to see. And this would not be Canada Day without recommending some amazing Canadian artists. Please check out this link Colleen and Dara “Minus 40 Tour" to listen to some beautiful Canadian voices. I have this CD and I l...