2007 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert

Hook your laptop up to your best speakers,
put another log on the fire,
grab a mug of hot chocolate,
and settle in for some wonderful music from the...

2007 Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah
Online Holiday Concert!

Despite having my annual "Christmas Crud" and the questionable events that transpired after last year's event, I decided to get my act together and submit a song to the 2nd annual Concert. I missed the deadline last year, (although Digital Father submitted a moving rendition of O Holy Night) but with much inspirational, technical and motivational support from MrMaple, I not only recorded a song, but composed a new work for the occasion: Vermont Snow.

You can listen to the audio here (mp3)

The text was inspired by the frosty view, out our front window, during the height of the snow storm last Monday morning.

Weary pine branches
laden with clouds of
fresh fallen silence.
Snow on the ground...

twirls in wind's whispering
breath, frosty sweet.
Tracks show the path
of a young deer's retreat.

Air thick with firelight's
woodsy perfume, and
nights linger long for
sun's warmth to resume...

its low golden arc
o'er green mountains, now white.
Hope dawns from eastern
skies at first light.

Traveling on snowflakes,
unique, as they fall
weaving white blankets
of Peace for us all.

In the spirit of the concert, I am performing all parts--voice(s), piano, and the midi flute--even if it is through the keyboard. Although the raspiness and large, frequent breaths are due to the crud, imagine my smoky voice comes from that "firelight's woodsy perfume."


I've additionally created the below music video for your viewing pleasure:



The photos were all taken on our six acres in Vermont early last week, with the exception of the following 5 images, from flickr, used through cc2.0 with attribution. I would like to thank these talented photographers for capturing some inspiring images.

Jan Tik | VTDarkStar | paulmoody (2) | jurek d.

Lastly, I need to send an
enormous shout-out to Neil Kramer
for his organization of this annual concert.
As bloggers, we share our words and thoughts on a daily basis,
but through this outpouring of talent and spirit, we are truly sharing ourselves.
Thank you, neilochka.

PS - Concert Participant button courtesy of Vanessa Lee Hamlen at The Butterfly Blog.