Poem of songs

[vaneramos]

Tomorrow is the Rainbow Chorus's all-day rehearsal in preparation for our concert on April 23. It will mark the chorus's tenth anniversary. I joined for the first time in September 1996. Out of 50 voices currently in the choir, only about four have sung longer than me! I think this will be my favourite concert ever, partly because 10 of the 12 songs were picked from our previous repertoire.

To mark this occasion I have composed a poem using a phrase from each of the songs we're practicing, one line per song. Some are obscure, although my friends in the gay choral movement might recognize several. But at least half the songs come from popular repertoire. How many can you identify?

~~~~~~~~~~

many trees to make a forest.
if you cut it down you'll never know ("Colors of the Wind", gmjambear)
it doesn't matter what you wear ("Dancing in the Street", bigmacbear)
and this is why my eyes are closed

all the things I could do, if I had a little money (ABBA, "Money, Money, Money," stealthpup)
drink my cider from an old fruit jar ("Blue Suede Shoes", kwintt)
and call for help, alas! but none comes nigh me
my soul finds primal eloquence ("Sing Me To Heaven", bigmacbear)

a brave child calls out to the crowd ("The Great Peace March" by Holly Near, bigmacbear)
is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? ("The Rainbow Connection", bigmacbear)
help them to believe as they are praying
when your dreams sleep, learn to let go

as if a child could tell us why ("We Rise Again", bigmacbear)
ee go ee gannay
we share the sky, we share the sun
and a band of many colours is riding the sky ("Arise, My Love", bigmacbear)

Comments

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

LOL..it's so sad...I only recognize ONE of those, and I don't remember which song it comes from.

I guess I need to get myself back into chorus, eh?

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, Stephen. Even knowing these songs, I wouldn't have been able to guess half of them if someone had pulled out random lines like this. I never remember phrases from songs or movies. Some people are good at this, though. I guess their minds work differently.

[bigmacbear]

I just had to share this with our Music Committee. Dennis (whom you met in Montreal when we all had dinner at the Thai place in the Village) is also on the committee and between us we came up with the following:

if you cut it down you'll never know -- From Pocahontas, Dennis knew the title but I don't remember it

it doesn't matter what you wear -- "Dancing In The Street"

call for help, alas! but none comes nigh me -- Our director, Nick, got this one: "Sigh No More, Ladies" from As You Like It(?), Shakespeare

my soul finds primal eloquence -- "Sing Me To Heaven", which we did just prior to Montreal

a brave child calls out to the crowd -- "The Great Peace March" by Holly Near

is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? -- Dennis reminded me this is from "The Rainbow Connection", which we are having a soloist do in our upcoming concert, Tinseltown Tunes

as if a child could tell us why -- Dennis remembered this one: "We Rise Again" which got quite a bit of performance in Montreal

and a band of many colours is riding the sky -- "Arise, My Love", the closing anthem of GALA VIIe Montreal

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Very good, Mike!

Only one is wrong: "and call for help alas!" is not from Sigh No More, Ladies.

I'll wait to see whether anyone else comes up with the right song, or the name of the song from Pocahontas.

[kwintt.livejournal.com]

drink my cider ... blue suede shoes ..... Kwintt

Hey, where's da tea set. I don't find a link!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yay, another song identified!

I haven't drawn the tea set yet. Don't worry, I will.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[stealthpup.livejournal.com]

all the things I could do, if I had a little money -- ABBA, "Money Money Money"

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I wondered when someone was going to get that!