Judy Garland in stereo

 As one listens to the fruits of last weeks mauling behind the rack with where the stereo component system lies here's a disc with a difference read to load into the cd/sacd player.

One film remains a firm favourite over the years and that's The Wizard of Oz and the songs from it.

Recently a new cd came out by the young woman who stole the hearts of many with her performance of Over The Rainbow in it, Judy Garland.

All her great hits spanning four decades are one this new disc: "Over the Rainbow" (2 versions), “The Trolley Song,” “Get Happy,” “For Me and My Gal,” “By Myself,” “April Showers,” “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby,” “Ol’ Man River” and many more, including stereo duets with Barbra Streisand and Gene Kelly.

By using modern techniques of digital extraction it's now possible to create new stereo sound-stages from those old mono recordings we loved to hear.

 This truly fresh approach reinvents her studio tracks, as well as TV and film performances adding to our appreciation of her timeless performances.

Local Hero reserved.

 Late last week was exceptionally warm even this more temperate region of the UK hovering around twenty nine degrees c (this is a fahrenheit free zone) so a few things got put on the backburner as it rather messed my sleep up.

You didn't really feel like having lots of rings on cooking when you felt like eating.

Eventually an item I had ordered a while back arrived that I was pleased about.

I did mention way back around Christmas twenty nineteen about getting the first four Dire Straits albums on Super Audio cd.

Recently the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack to the Bill Forsyth film Local Hero by Mark Knopfler of that group with its pipes and Ceilidh Celtic highlands feel from 1983 was issued in that format in addition to lp.

The film is about an American oil company representative who is sent to the fictional village of Ferness on the west coast of Scotland to purchase the town and surrounding property for his company.

It features the composition Going Home which as used as a refrain in the Dire Streets double album concert release Alchemy in 1984 and the song The Way It All Goes is sung by Gerry Rafferty.

This is the very best the soundtrack has sounded being otherworldly at times.

A Saturday in June

It's a bright bit of a morning as get on with writing up this weeks blog when I have a bit less time to devote to it.

A fair chunk of that is really down to it being an Aunt's Birthday, well actually it was Thursday but they were away during that time so this occasion is going to be very much a party laid on in their honour.

That's down to it being their eightieth birthday which is significant and as they needed a lot of support with Covid as they got in the early days of the pandemic, it's a miracle we are here and of course many people couldn't have such a party in twenty twenty and twenty twenty-o ne.

It's going to be a sandwiches, salad and cake affair at cousins so we'll be going on foot as it's not far and at least the weather while windy, is warm and sunny which helps.

Just have to remember to leave space for my evening meal when we get back.

Thoughts around the Platinum Jubilee

This last four days have seen us mark the Platinum Jubilee of our Queen, Queen Elizabeth IInd with a number of events across the days nationally and, of course, events in your own immediate area.

Thursday saw the Trooping The Colour, which normally is held on a Saturday to which tens of thousands of people from the United Kingdom and beyond stood for hours to observe and in their own way play a part in.

The junior royals such as Prince George arrived with Duchess of Cornwall in their own carriage, looking well turned out before taking their place.

Sadly the Queen was not able to be at the event due to her difficulties with walking and associated discomfort, which can be well understood at the age of 96 years but she was at the balcony at Buckingham Palace, see here talking to Prince Michael of Kent.

Prince Charles stepped in with Prince William to take Her Majesties place at the actual trooping the colour on horseback, ably filling in, something that in the near future we will be most likely to see.

There was a big flypast of airplanes from those that saw service during WW2 such as the Lancaster Bomber to more modern ones.

A special formation was flown to create the magic number of 70 in the skies.

 

That was concluded by a great show by the RAF display team, the Red Arrows, showing the colours of our flag.

Friday saw a service of thanksgiving for her at Saint Paul's Cathedral paying tribute to her steadfast service both in our country, seeing out a good number of Prime Minsters which by convention she calls upon to serve the country and in international affairs, not least as the figurehead of the Commonwealth of Nations comprised in the main by former parts of our Empire and others who find its structure helpful.

In an age of much change and uncertainty, a constant who has great experience and knowledge of world affairs, its peoples and cultures but who has adapted to change has a great value in our constitutional settlement that people of differing political views here respect.

We have a Head of State beyond the tribalism of national politics who unifies us, provides leadership where needed and who belongs to all regardless of race, creed or gender.

That is something I for one am glad of.