First open mic in nearly two years. I debuted the following:
1. “The Answer” (1915), by Sara Teasdale
2. “Leaves” (1915), by Sara Teasdale
Sara Teasdale contributed three poems to Poetry, A Magazine of Verse, in 1915, including the two selections above and “Morning.” These were subsequently published in Rivers to the Sea, also published in 1915.
My 34th open mic appearance at The Ugly Mug.
New arrangements:
1. The Sparrow, by Paul Laurence Dunbar
2. The Dove, by Paul Laurence Dunbar
For MLK Day:
Both songs are featured on U2’s fourth studio album, The Unforgettable Fire, which was released in 1984.
From Three Stories and Ten Poems, some arrangements:
1. Corona (Mitraigliatrice), by Ernest Hemingway
2. Captives, by Ernest Hemingway
3. Old Soldiers Never Do Die Well (Champs D’Honneur), by Ernest Hemingway
4. Chapter Heading, by Ernest Hemingway
NB: Original titles in parenthesis.
1. “War Is Kind,” by Stephen Crane (arrangement)
2. Caesar’s Lament (original)
Set to the tune of Greensleeves, “The Old Year Now Away Is Fled” dates to as early as 1642. It was a common practice, then, to set new lyrics to familiar melodies, and Greensleeves, which dates to the 1500s, was a popular melody. The version I present retains the chord structure of the tune, but the melody is new.
It was recorded using GarageBand and its built-in instruments.
Here’s another version:
Most people think of Greensleeves as a Christmas carol, but originally it was a romance: “Alas, my love, you do me wrong, to cast me off discourteously.” (See my version at the bottom of the post.) In 1865, William Chatterton Dix wrote a poem called “The Manger Throne,” and shortly after its publication, someone set three stanzas of the poem to the tune of Greensleeves. “What Child Is This?” remains a popular carol to this day.
“The Old Year Now Away Is Fled” is both religious and festive. Some lines relate the story of Christ, others champion the right of friends to imbibe “good liquor.”
Debuted two new arrangements:
1. “An Old Story” (1919), by Edwin Arlington Robinson
2. “My Childhood Home I See Again” (1846), by Abraham Lincoln
My 33rd open mic performance at The Ugly Mug.
The full text of Lincoln’s poem can be found here.
1. Highways Heading Home
2. I’ll Press On
Original songs. My 32nd appearance at The Ugly Mug.
I performed an original song, inspired by the story of the prodigal son, after a sermon I preached on June 21, 2015. My text was Luke 15:1-32.
1. Highways Heading Home
The sermon and song were recorded, but the mix is fairly raw.
Performed with Katreen Fenton at her husband’s art showing at The Ugly Mug.
1. L.O.V.E. (Nat King Cole)
2. Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley)
3. All I Want is You (U2)
4. Every Breath You Take (Sting)
5. Scarborough Fair, traditional, new arrangement by Mark Adams
6. Make You Feel My Love (Adele)
7. Love Me Do (Beatles)
8. Ring of Fire (Cash)
9. With or Without You (U2)
10. I Need You
11. Brighter Than the Sun (Colbie C.)
12. Your Love Never Fails (Jesus Culture)
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