Monday, 22 December 2008

May I wish everyone a very happy, healthy, peaceful and above all, loving Christmas...



Please excuse me because this is for me a total indulgence. The musical equivalent of chocolate or cheesecake, it's The Shepherd’s Farewell by Berlioz. It's not only my favorite carol but my favorite choral work of all time, I sang it often as a choir member and love it dearly.

6 comments:

Margaret's Ramblings said...

That was beautiful Peter, Merry Christmas to you and your family,
Margaret

homebrewlibrarian said...

Okay, this is my new favorite Christmas piece. I think I listened it to pretty continuously yesterday.

My other favorite song is Gesu Bambino sung by the Icelandic tenor Egil Palsson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VepZUBUzkSE

I'll be playing the vocal line on tenor recorder at my church's Christmas Eve service. It will be a duet with the organist. There's a bit of anxiety going on about my performance but the good news is that the congregation will be very appreciative. It's all for God anyway and I suspect he'll be even less critical!

May your holidays be filled with joy and love!

Kerri in AK

Val Grainger said...

This is my favourite bit of choral work too and its by Berlioz who is French....my adopted home (of one day)and called 'the shepherds farewell'.....so i'm having it at my funeral party....can't have it at my funeral very well as i want a woodland burial!!!
Very apt and fitting!

Rev. Peter Doodes said...

Margaret, Kerri and Val, thank you all for visiting through '08 and your comments. I hope you all have healthy, happy and peaceful new years.

Blessings...

Anonymous said...

I love this carol too - doen hear it often enough.
CHarlotte

Anonymous said...

I love this carol too - doen hear it often enough.
CHarlotte