| Episode Nine: Ostara 2010 |
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| Written by Juniper |
| Wednesday, 24 March 2010 06:18 |
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Or listen via the website below:
This episode is rated PG
Show Notes:
Opening Segment
Brendan and Juniper are happy that Spring has arrived! We talk about global warming a bit and catch up since last episode.
The tea is Earl Grey, and the (cone) incense is vanilla cone.
Juniper hints at doing nefarious things with white ash
Standing Stone
Brendan takes a hard look at cultural appropriation this episode.
Rants, Raves & Reviews
Brendan does his best to continue his discussion on why classical music is the best, while Juni makes fun of him the whole time.
Juni’s discussion on the history of Pan in art will be saved for the next episode as Juni got really busy this week.
Music discussed in Bren's RantRaveReview:
Bardic Arts
We listen to “Wild Spring Apples” by Touching Grace from the album “Happenstance” http://new.music.yahoo.com/touching-grace/
Brendan reads William Blake’s “Spring” and Rumi’s “Spring” Jalalludin Mohammed Rumi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi
Juni recites a Pre-Raphaelite poem by Christina Rossetti called “Spring” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti
Bren reads “Pangur Ban” to us http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangur_B%C3%A1n
Garden Gate
Juniper rants and rambles about the Magickal Mundane for about 12 minutes.
Ask Dr. Expert
Juni makes Brendan do some research on the Vernal Equinox. We discuss the goddess Eostre, passage mounds, the great Sphinx, and more …
Goddess Eostre
Closing Segment
We announce some events, such as the Lower Mainland Beltaine Faire and things happening at Raven’s Knoll this summer, so check out our event page! Events: http://stonegatepodshow.net/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=eventlist&Itemid=47 Raven’s Knoll: http://ravensknoll.ca/ The Faire: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=387420804973&ref=ts
Bren misses his guitar “Maeve”: http://northwestpass.livejournal.com/102965.html
Juniper decides the podcast needs a proper ending catch phrase and asks listeners to send suggestions.
Music & Things:
Rant, Raves and Reviews: A selection from Peter and the Wolf by Tchaikovsky
Rant, Raves and Reviews: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons: Spring 1 Allegro performed by Canadian Laura St John (she’s on the cello)
Ask Dr. Expert: “Spring” by Solar Cycle from the album Silver Lights.
Closing: “Andante Minuet: Spring the Ranunculus' “from Airs for the Seasons by Da Camera
* Juni selected all the music for this episode because Bren thinks Pagan music sucks (well, she usually does the final sound editing and music picking anyways hehehe)
* All promos played are chosen at random because Juni is a Gemini.
Don't mind this stuff below: <a href="http://www.podcastalley.com/"> My Podcast Alley feed!</a> {pca-d8cb52d6d16d51774f4487bdd02fd00e}
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 March 2010 06:39 |
Comments
That being said, the only pagan musician I've found that I do like is Fritz Jung of Witchvox. His music is complex and strong and doesn't necessarily bonk you over the head with the pagan references. You can download his tracks for free at:
http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usfl&c=music&id=3094
Although Mike Scott isn't pagan per se, there are quite a few pagan-themed songs from The Waterboys (including Pagan Place and Song of Pan).
also i like how you end your podcast with the random banter between you two on a background of music, it makes me feel like i am actually in you lounge drinking tea. english breakfast of course. or turkish apple. nom nom. (not that i am stalking or anything..
*dances about*
Polly
Juni, I was curious if you'll be exploring the Pan poems of Crowley or Elizabeth Browning in your segment? They make an interesting opposition to each other (and loosely tie into the Pre-Raphaelite time period, esp. Browning).
Brendan, I know what you mean about having trouble listening to some Pagan music...much of it, I hate to say, bores me. And I'm an easy audience (I LOVE most folk music, and a girl with a guitar is like a magnet for me). I was surprised to find I like SJ Tucker as much as I do, and I really like the Tricky Pixie album, too. But otherwise, yes, I tend to be a bit put off by most Pagan songs.
I do want to offer some more suggestions in the classical/historic realm, though. I'm running out of space on this comment so I'll post them in another one.
Modest Mussorgksy, "Night on Bald Mountain" (this was featured as a diabolic Walpurgisnacht dance in Disney's Fantasia - lots of fun!)
Carl Orff, "O Fortuna" (from Carmina Burana, and definitely a nice Pagan-y bit of music)
Ralph Vaughn Williams, "The Lark Ascending" (I have no idea if this is Pagan or not, but I respond to it instantly as a nature piece)
Igor Stravinksy, "Firebird" (I primarily mention this b/c in Disney's Fantasia 2000, there's a VERY Pagan segment featuring this piece)
Bedrich Smetana, "Ma Vlast" (Particularly the pieces "Vltava" and "Bohemia's Woods & Fields," which while not explicitly Pagan are definitely Pagan-ish and all about connecting with local landscape)
I also would like to suggest that film scores, such as John Williams' score for "Harry Potter" or "Hook" would fall into the "fairy tale" realm of magical music...
In modern settings, if you've not heard her already, I'd suggest Zoe Keating, a phenomenal cellist with some very darkly magical sounds in her music. I also suggest modern folk artists like Dar Williams. She's best known for her song "The Christians and the Pagans," but has several other songs written less about overt religion and more about Pagan themes like community ("Blessings"), inherent personal divinity ("A God Descended"), and offering praise to the stars ("Singing to the Firmament").
And finally, I loved this episode, but I did want to point out that you mention Aquarius as a woman pouring water, but most depictions of the symbol from the classical world have it as either a young boy or a man pouring liquid. Just wanted to throw that out there
Thanks for a great show!
As to the topics in this particular 'cast:
In addition to the wonderful suggestions above, I would invite you to discover Leos Janacek's Sinfonietta, a gorgeous piece, both invigorating and bewitching (get it? bewitching...oh skip it)
Much like Ma Vlast, it is a tribute to his beautiful homeland, Czechoslovakia.
5 movements in all -- they go by quickly -- here are the first two, in one Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3p2XxjuV0Y
Wikipedia site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinfonietta_%28Jan%C3%A1%C4%8Dek%29
Noted from the wiki-site -- ELP used some of this piece in their concerts.
WOOT!
I also find a lot of pagan music hard to tollerate, but I've come to the conclusion that it really depends on what satisfies you musically. I could relate to Brendan's descriptions. I enjoy being teased and surprised as the music unravels. I find Wagner does this beautifully, especially with repeated listening. I'm almost aching for a theme to break through, even in places where I know it won't resolve itself till later. However, my mother finds Wagner "oppressive" (her words) and enjoys more soothing melodies. She loves Chopin and Satie.
As far as pagan themed music goes. I have yet to discover something which speaks to me, unless I include Type O Negatives "October Rust" album, which I adore. This is also very personal, I haven't found many others who can see the depths in that album as I do.
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