Mark Pentleton » b-maj

208/365 Songs: From this moment – Shania Twain

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:25:23 +0000

Today’s song is Shania Twain’s From this moment from 1997. It’s especially for our friends Julie and David who celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary today. Ten years ago I accompanied the Mearns Castle Senior Choir who sang this song at Julie and David’s wedding. Happy anniversary, Julie and David!

121/365 Songs: Here comes the sun – The Beatles

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 11:17:07 +0000

In Scotland it always seems that we get our best weather in May, so I thought this would be an appropriate song to begin a new month with. It was written by George Harrison one afternoon in 1969 as he walked around Eric Clapton’s garden, playing one of his acoustic guitars!

118/365 Songs: Last Night of the World – Miss Saigon

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:46:28 +0000

I’m making better time today! This song is one of the big ballads from the musical Miss Saigon. Perhaps I should have got my friend and Apple colleague Joe Moretti to provide the “solo saxophone” bit, but it wasn’t possible this time round. I hope you enjoy today’s performance.

90/365 Songs: Don’t cry for me, Argentina – Evita

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 08:25:08 +0000

Today’s song is the most famous song from the 1978 musical Evita, performed by the Eva Perón character, traditionally from the Casa Rosada, the seat of the government in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It has been covered by many artists, perhaps most famously by Madonna in the 1996 film version of the musical.

365 Songs: Another suitcase in another hall – Evita

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:14:22 +0000

Today’s song comes from the musical Evita. In the stage version of the show, it’s sung by Juan Perón’s mistress as she is pushed out by his future wife Eva Perón. In the film version it was sung by Eva herself and focused on the end of her relationship with Agustín Magaldi. I guess Madonna didn’t want any other female soloist stealing her spotlight…

365 Songs – Ae Fond Kiss – Robert Burns

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:36:57 +0000

On this, our national poet’s day, I’ve decided to play my favourite Burns song, Ae Fond Kiss. When Burns settled down to married life with Jean Armour, he still had a strong affection for the woman he called Clarinda, Agnes M’Lehose. As she was about to set sail for Jamaica, Burns sent her this song. Sir Walter Scott thought that this song contained the ‘essence of a thousand love tales’.

Musically it’s a very simple song. In the Scottish tradition it sticks to the pentatonic scale (you could play it only on the black notes on the piano) and I’ve done my own interpretation of it – I hope you like it.

If you’re in the mood to sing along today, here are the words:

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.
Who shall say that Fortune grieves him,
While the star of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerful twinkle lights me;
Dark despair around benights me.

I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy:
But to see her was to love her;
Love but her, and love for ever.
Had we never lov’d sae kindly,
Had we never lov’d sae blindly,
Never met-or never parted,
We had ne’er been broken-hearted.

Fare-thee-weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare-thee-weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, Enjoyment, Love and Pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.