Tuesday, 28 August 2012

One day like this...

You know how you have those special songs that make you feel really good and as soon as you hear the very first few notes you have a distinct and happy memory of where you were and what you were doing the very first time you heard it? (It’s the same basic principle that I based my whole ‘Myriad of Music’ project on at Strathcarron...!) Well, we sang a song that does exactly that for me at choir last night and, aw man, did it make me feel good! 

About 3 years ago, I was out one lovely sunny morning for a walk. Even though it was a lovely sunny morning I was feeling rubbish. I was walking a route that I used to run regularly and I was feeling ridiculously sorry for myself that I had to walk instead of run. Regular readers of my wee blog will know that I quite often bemoan the fact that I had to give up running several years ago due to some health issues; moaning about the fact that I can’t run anymore is still something I feel guilty about as folk have to suffer much worse things in their lives! However, I think it’s just that every time I’m reminded that I can’t run anymore I’m reminded of all the years of stuff, gumph, and operations that are responsible for the fact that I can’t run anymore. It’s still a daft thing to feel rubbish about, but, ocht, I can’t help it! 

Enough of all that – let’s get back to the point! I was out for a walk round Watson House about 3 years ago and it was a lovely sunny morning but , as I said, I wasn’t feeling lovely and sunny. I’d just bought an ipod and didn’t have a clue how to load it up yet, so Gemma had piled on a selection of her own music to get me started. About 5 minutes into the walk, this song came on and it just completely lifted me up by the scruff of the neck, gave me a good shake, told me to get a grip of my knickers and appreciate what a beautiful day it was and appreciate the fact that I could go out for a walk at all. I’d never heard the song before and stupidly I didn’t look at the screen to catch the name of it. The ipod was on shuffle and I didn’t have a clue how to retrieve tracks that had just played! All I could remember, when I was telling the kids that night that I’d heard this amazing song that had made me feel so great, was that it was something about throwing open the curtains in the morning and shouting “Hullo world! It’s great to be alive!” The kids instantly knew which song I was talking about and sorted it out so that it was highlighted as a ‘favourite’ on my playlist.  

Three years later it’s still there on that list. So, to get the opportunity to sing Annie and Jane’s arrangement of the song last night was just brilliant! It was definitely a night to add to my long list of ‘favourite choir rehearsals’. The wee video below is our first attempt after a very short time of learning the harmonies – hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed standing next to my choir buddies and singing it! Yup, one day like this a year would see me right.....
 

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing that one! So great. I love how powerful music is - amazing how it can instantly shake you into a different mood, or take you back to a distant memory, making you feel as if you were living it over in that moment.

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    1. Absolutely Nicky! Music is definitely a powerful tool!

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  2. Music is magic isn't it? My youngest just came up to the computer and said, that's Elbow, Mom! (I thought it might be Coldplay)
    I'm lucky to still be running, but I see it as a gift to be able to do so and don't take it for granted...I may not be able to do it forever.

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  3. It really is magic - without a doubt! I hope you've had a chance to listen to Elbow singing the original version; it's just one of my favourite feel-good songs ever.
    I'm glad you enjoy running Rebecca - it definitely is a gift to be able to continue with it and I sincerely hope you can continue for many many years to come!

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