Destiny's Calling Backwards - Don't Miss this Video!

Yeah, this is a blog about literature and books from a Catholic perspective, but when you see something this cool you just have to share it: Hat tip to Adam Frucci of Gizmodo.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

My wife and I celebrated our seventeenth anniversary two nights ago by attending the Spokane Civic Theater's performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music. The show was fantastic--elaborate sets, wonderful singing--a real treat. There were even a couple of songs that we had never heard before. It was also very special to see one of my former students in the role of Louisa Von Trapp. My wife loves The Sound of Music, so one Christmas I bought her the movie, the soundtrack and the original book. Now I see that there's a cd of music by the Original Trapp Family Singers available, as well as a book about the making of The Sound of Music. The Sound of Music is great family entertainment, and for Catholic families there's the added bonus of being able to use the movie to talk about our faith. As much as I enjoyed the performance on Saturday, I was more excited by the news that the Spokane Civic Theater was going to be staging a performance of Man of La Mancha next year! If you're a regular reader of Literary Compass, you know how much I love Don Quixote, so this is great news for me. I've already put it on my calendar for May 2008. My wife and I are almost done listening to the audiobook of Don Quixote, and we plan to watch the film version of Man of La Mancha when we finish, even though we've been told it's a subpar movie. I've never seen it and I'm curious. Musical theater, The Sound of Music and Don Quixote: these are a few of my favorite things.

What if Tolkien Wrote Stairway to Heaven?

I was purging some computer files the other day when I ran across these song lyrics I wrote a few years ago after Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring had just been released. It was something I did just for fun to show to my eighth grade students when we were studying The Hobbit. I forgot about until I found it the other day. I thought some of you might find it amusing. The song is about Aragorn and his role in the Fellowship and Middle-earth. It's meant to be sung to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven," so you might want to listen to that song before you read these lyrics. Or, you can listen to this midi file (from Diamond-back.com) and sing along! On second thought, maybe you should just listen to "Stairway to Heaven" and call it good. Anyway, here it is, with my apologies to Led Zeppelin: He's Guiding a Hobbit to Mordor There's a ranger who knows All that glitters ain't gold And he's guiding a hobbit To Mordor When he gets there he knows If the Black Gate is closed With a sword he do what he came for. Ooh, ooh, and he's guiding a hobbit To Mordor. There's a sign on Khazad-dum But he wants to be sure 'Cause you know sometimes runes have two meanings. In a tree by the falls, there's an elf lass who sings; Sometimes all of her hopes are misgiven. Ooh, it makes him wander. Ooh, it makes him wander. There's a feeling she gets When she looks to the west And her spirit is crying for leaving. In her thoughts she has seen Rings of smoke through the trees And the ranger is fighting the goblins. Ooh, it makes him wander. Ooh, it really makes him wander. And it's whispered that soon Rohan riders will swoon For the worm tongue will lead them to treason. And the new day won't dawn For those who fight long, But the forests will echo with entmoot. If there's a traitor in the comp'ny Don't be alarmed now, It's just a vision by the elf queen. Yes, there are two paths you can go by But after Moria You must determine which road you're on. And it makes you wander. Your head is humming and it won't go In case you don't know. The ring is calling you to take it. Dear ranger can you hear the wind blow And did you know Your stairway lies through the paths of dead? And as you wind on down the road The Shadow taller than your soul There walks a hobbit we all know Who shines white light where cobwebs grow And always bears that band of gold. And if you listen very hard The reign will come to you at last Wherefore Arwen and Elessar Will tie the knot and be made whole.

Frodo and Sam Sing in Lord of the Rings Musical

I love this song from the new Lord of the Rings musical now playing on Drury Lane in London:

Music to Listen to While You Read, Part III - Lord of the Rings

As promised in part II, here are some CDs I like to listen to while I read The Lord of the Rings: The Tolkien Ensemble has done a beautiful job setting all of the songs in The Lord of the Rings to music. Their work is collected in four CDs: An Evening in Rivendell, A Night in Rivendell, At Dawn in Rivendell and Leaving Rivendell. The sound is more classical than I expected, but it really grew on me. Another album I listen to is Broceliande's Starlit Jewel. This is another interpretation of songs from Lord of the Rings, but with a more ethereal sound. The CD also includes songs from The Hobbit. Finally, there is Johan de Meij's Symphony No. 1, also known as The Lord of the Rings Symphony. Composed and recorded long before the movies, this symphony is a series of movements inspired by the books and titled Gandalf, Lothlorien, Gollum, Journey in the Dark, and The Hobbits.

Music to Listen to While You Read, Part II - Don Quixote

Yesterday I wrote about the music I like to listen to while reading Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series. I know that the reading group Tilting at Windmills is about to begin Don Quixote, so today I want to share the kind of music that helps set the atmosphere when I read this most excellent novel. (Sidenote: If you've never read Don Quixote you should join Tilting at Windmills and read it--it's my favorite book, hands down, and in my opinion the greatest novel ever written.) To achieve a Spanish ambience when I read it, I love listening to Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra. Its light and lively melodies remind me of the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, and it makes me feel like I'm in a Spanish villa. If you can't get a hold of Rodrigo's music, almost any CD of Baroque guitar concertos will provide a good substitute. I also enjoy Richard Strauss's tone poem Don Quixote, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Next time I'll talk about music I like to listen to while reading Tolkien.

Music to Listen to While You Read, Part I

Picture yourself curled up on the couch with a good book and your favorite drink. No interruptions. What music is playing in the background? Some people like to read in silence, but I'm not one of them. The right music helps me become more involved in my book by creating a kind of environmental blanket that envelops me and keeps the world out. I thought I'd share some of my favorite music to read by with you in the hopes that you might share yours with me. If you've ever read Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series then you know how important music is to the story. Both Captain Aubrey and Stephen Maturin play musical instruments and they try to play together in Aubrey's cabin whenever they can. ESS.A.Y Recordings has put together a trio of cds featuring music mentioned in the novels: Musical Evenings with the Captain, Musical Evenings with the Captain, Volume II, and Musical Evenings in the Captain's Cabin. They feature works by Locatelli, Handel, Mozart, Bach, and Haydn. I love listening to these cds while I'm reading not only the Patrick O'Brian books but any book set in England in the early to mid 1800s (Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, for instance). Another great cd to listen to while reading Patrick O'Brian is Roast Beef of Old England: Traditional Sailor Songs. This collection features songs that the men on board ship would have sung together: "Spanish Ladies", "Roast Beef of Old England", "Heart of Oak, " 24 songs in all. Confession: I love to sing along with this cd while I'm driving to work in the morning, especially "Heart of Oak." Of course, I wait until all the kids have been dropped off first, so I can really belt it out. Check back tomorrow for more music to read by.