My dad was in a barbershop quartet called The Harmonics in the 1950s. I think they were probably inspired by The Ink Spots. My dad usually sang the bass line and all four members took turns in arranging the songs and sometimes wrote their own.
It makes me happy that his grandson took the name for the band he is playing with in Edinburgh this year. And his grandfather-in-heaven must surely be looking in with pride and pleasure, listening in to the lovely arrangements, the voices, the sheer talent.
We won't make Edinburgh this year, but there is to be an informal performance in Oxford on Friday and we'll be going to that.
Would you like to hear them? Go here and you will be able to. Son did the arrangement for Moon Dance and sings the tune on it.
***
In honour of this, I've banished the Word Verification Leprechauns as they have been a pain recently. This may need to be temporary if Mr. and Mrs. s p a m come calling. We'll see.
17 comments:
You must be very proud...and rightfully so :O)
Sure am, Cusp, and it's always good to have an excuse to celebrate.
Hello, Signs (and Cusp).
What a dismayingly talented young man. I liked his arrangement - although the music is not the sort of thing I would normally listen to. Nicely complex without ever disappearing up its own backside. And he has a lovely, listenable-to voice, as well. If they don't take the festival by storm, something is clearly wrong in the world.
Attractively yours,
TPE
tpe, I would say exactly the same, and would never have listened to this kind of music - but feel I'm beginning to get it more now.
So you have survived, and with your attractiveness clearly undiminished! Ever so well done, McTpe - Blogoslavians everywhere will be happy.
Went to the site and could not hear the music. The adverts on the site played well, so my speakers worked.
The Ink Spots! Really. Like in "If I Had My Way"... or am I remembering someone else.
If I Didn't Care... ?
I am tortured by the friendly past...
Montag, yes I reckon it was those Ink Spots.
Can't think why you couldn't hear the music - and there shouldn't be any adverts playing. You have to click on the particular song you want to hear.
Signs (and TPE, Cusp, Montag) - hello. I've been dithering around these parts for a good few days now, trying to formulate a comment. The fact is I'm unclever in the world of music - I cannot talk about arrangements and things, you see, for I don't really know about such stuff, I only know what I likes (and quite often, what I don't likes). However, I believe in these parts what one likes is a valid (enough) point to make, so I'll make mine: I likes. A lot.
(I must confess I do generally like to listen to this sort of stuff, too - I don't know why, k? I just do - and have been thinking, up until I came upon this here post and music, that it is a(nother) sure sign of my Old Fartdom. Imagine my delight when I've just realised it au contraire seems to indicate I dig stuff dug also by Hip Young Things (such as your son and his mates). Hurrah.)
So yes, many multi greetings and ample broken legs to the clever talented young thing (and his friends, too, why not). I particularly liked Moondance. If I was (lucky enough to be) in Edinburgh, I'd be digging their thing and boogeying on down (like an embarrasing Old Fart ought).
Many mwahs
x
Well snap, Anna or actually double snap: for firstly I'll wager that I can out-nothing the nothing that you claim to know about musical arrangements; and secondly I am an even older Fart than you (and of course dedicated to "boogeying on down" whenever the situation allows).
They were fabulous in rehearsal the other night. And tonite (being their first performance) apparently went well.
Hey, the gang's all here! How nice. You provide a good salon, Signs.
Ah, Montag - yes, the gang have been looking in. Welcome to the salon.
And I'll take this opportunity to say that The Harmonics got a five-star review in one of the festival presses and are, in their fashion taking the festival by storm.
I just knew I knew The Ink Spots from somewhere. This particular song not only resonates (with a drip and a drop) but also carries memories of the first time I felt my acting (as in theatre) really going somewhere.
My continued well-wishings go with absolutely everyone, and in particular, with The Harmonics....
x
This song makes me feel so deep down, sweetly sad and melancholy, Hildy.
You have had a chequered career and no mistake - acting, nunnery, mummery, and etc...
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Hello, Sweet St. Signs. Your reply had me tickled pink - for some reason, your wording was amusing in the extreme, bringing me associations like "to a mummery, go" and "bring me a nunnery" and such things (St.s have a peculiar sense of humour, right? Right).
However. Disaster struck when I actually went to google the word "mummery" (why not?). Do you know what The Free Dictionary says, Signs? Do you? Oh Signs, you wicked person. This is what it says:
mum·mer·y (mm-r)
n. pl. mum·mer·ies
1. A performance by mummers.
2. A pretentious or hypocritical show or ceremony.
[French mommerie, from Old French momer, to wear a mask, pantomime.]
A pretentious or hypocritical show or ceremony, Signs. Ah, how I curse the day I was born to suffer thuslike. Is this how thou seest me? Pretentious? Moi?
Hypocritical?
Oh, Signs, I am mortified. Mortified. It doesn't even help that the word verifications say "pillura", which is very infantiley funny for anyone who speaketh The Northern Tongue - normalweise, I would naturally laugh my Stly head off at such stuff, but my mummery research has gutted me.
Gutted.
Me.
Needless to say, though, St. Schwester Signs - I still love you. And the word ver is now "grads". So, you know.
Mwah. Remember to sing along now.
x
Anonymous, I can't do better than refer you to the words of lovely Oscar Wilde who said "give a man a mask and he will tell you the truth". And didn't he also say something about actually preferring people who wear masks? It might surprise you (or perhaps not) to know that I have one or two up my sleeve and in my drawers. Honi Soit, Sees, Honi Soit ...
And also - you are are Mum, innit.
I am singing along - singing!
Excuse me but I am currently a bit too blown away by having just become housemates with my very own House Gnome.
Life rules, sometimes. More often than is statistically probable, due to you, Sees. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Now excuse me while me and The Gnome go and do some psychedelic dancing.
Thank you again, though.
Mwah, mwah, mwah and mwah, and my best regards to Mr S as well.
x
aaahhh, ha ha ha seestah ♥ :)
- high time you had one of your own - good luck befall thee!
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