Dave
Administrator
HWI Admin
Posts: 7,688
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Post by Dave on Dec 3, 2014 1:30:48 GMT
Well I kept out of the Black Friday week shops but I did pick up two very nice genuine bargains from Amazon, pro quality lenses for my SLR camera. They were "48% off" (which is meaningless as nobody sells at manufacturer's prices) but more importantly, 20% and 23% respectively below the previous lowest ever prices for them (something I had researched for myself). I could not resist!  But now, I have to try somehow to fund Christmas and *that* is the problem!  But this is drifting rapidly off topic, so I will post evidence of my bargain in the photography thread... Cheers (I think) Dave  |
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Post by Libby on Dec 3, 2014 2:06:51 GMT
Well, I saw Jillian asking what to make for a Thanksgiving meal, and she's in Australia, so why not?  Yes, Dave, we will try to keep this more on topic now.  |
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Martin
Global Moderator
HWI Management Team
Posts: 3,334
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Post by Martin on Dec 5, 2014 18:15:17 GMT
Just to be on topic ( ), I thought I would just mention that it is time to get "Winter Magic" out of the cupboard for its first play of 2014. Magic! Martin |
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Post by martindn on Dec 5, 2014 21:35:46 GMT
Yes, just did it. Both copies. Now which for the car and which for the house? I have the UK and Japanese versions. But just plated "Chistmas Presence" in the kitchen.
Martin D
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Post by Bamafan on Dec 5, 2014 22:19:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2014 2:18:51 GMT
Started listening the day after Thanksgiving myself. It was hard to wait that long lol. There's something so special about listening to it only one time of year. It's always remarkably fresh and it blows me away every time. "Peace Shall Come" still gives me chills
-Rory
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Post by martindn on Dec 6, 2014 20:54:18 GMT
Peace Shall Come is a wonderful song. I once quoted part of the lyric whilst leading Christmas Eve Communion in our church and nobody spotted where it came from. It was probably the right day, since we know Jesus was born in the evening (yes I know the verse of the famous carol we sing on only one day of the year says "Born this happy morning"). But which evening. When we celebrate Christmas, was it Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day we assume He was born. Actually there is strong doubt abuot that anyway, most of the evidence suggests he was born in August or September. At least "Peace Shall Come" suggests an evening birth.
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Dec 6, 2014 23:30:51 GMT
Peace Shall Come is a wonderful song. I once quoted part of the lyric whilst leading Christmas Eve Communion in our church and nobody spotted where it came from. It was probably the right day, since we know Jesus was born in the evening (yes I know the verse of the famous carol we sing on only one day of the year says "Born this happy morning"). But which evening. When we celebrate Christmas, was it Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day we assume He was born. Actually there is strong doubt abuot that anyway, most of the evidence suggests he was born in August or September. At least "Peace Shall Come" suggests an evening birth. Martin D I would say Christmas Eve is when he was born (whatever month it was), and Christmas day is first full day of his birth. But really, the logistics aren't that important, are they? The only reason we celebrate when we do is because of the Romans, as I'm sure you know. That's where the Christmas tree came from, too! Yuletide, I think? Same reason bunnies and chicks are so unfortunately involved in Easter, too, but don't get me started on that. LOL And now we're straying off-topic yet again. |
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Post by martindn on Dec 7, 2014 0:05:58 GMT
Yes we are Libby and I agree with you absolutely. I like to think of his birth being Christmas Eve. I have a thing about the conflict between tradition (Santa, Trees, Bunnies, Eggs etc.)and what is Biblical. It occurred to me recently that a lot of Islam and Judaism too are more about tradition that scriptural reality. Jesus railed against that distortion of the truth. Perhaps we should too, or perhaps we should just be thankful that the materialistic Western world celebrates the birth of Christ at all.
Martin D
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Post by susieverity on Dec 7, 2014 17:10:28 GMT
I started playing Winter Magic this morning. I have to agree with Martin that Peace Shall Come is a beautiful song and so is All With You (Although this is a sadder one). I think Winter Magic is the best Christmas album I own, especially as it has original songs.
Susie
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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2014 18:08:25 GMT
I started playing Winter Magic this morning. I have to agree with Martin that Peace Shall Come is a beautiful song and so is All With You (Although this is a sadder one). I think Winter Magic is the best Christmas album I own, especially as it has original songs. Susie Completely agree. And speaking of sad songs I'm always really moved by River. I love her take on it so much -Rory |
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Post by Sing on Dec 7, 2014 19:50:45 GMT
I started playing Winter Magic this morning. I have to agree with Martin that Peace Shall Come is a beautiful song and so is All With You (Although this is a sadder one). I think Winter Magic is the best Christmas album I own, especially as it has original songs. Susie Completely agree. And speaking of sad songs I'm always really moved by River. I love her take on it so much -Rory Me too Rory, |
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Post by susieverity on Dec 7, 2014 21:10:23 GMT
I love Hayley's version of River too, I have heard other people sing it, but Hayley's is the best (besides Joni's) because she has the perfect vocal quality for the song, I love the long high notes and the simple accompaniment.
Another thing that makes this album so good it that the songs are not all carols and so they all have a wintery sound without them being all about Christmas, I think this is especially true of Veni, Veni Emmanuel which is my favourite advent carol and so well orchestrated on the album and I love that Hayley sings it in Latin.
Susie
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Post by martindn on Dec 7, 2014 21:31:26 GMT
I posted Veni Veni Emmanuel from Youtube on my Church's Facebook page. I had some very positive responses. Such as
"Really beautiful, great using for reflection and prayer."
" Thanks for this: music and images are both beautiful."
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Dec 7, 2014 22:37:29 GMT
Another thing that makes this album so good it that the songs are not all carols and so they all have a wintery sound without them being all about Christmas, Susie And that's exactly my problem with it. It was supposed to be a winter album, of course, and when she was recording it, she even said she was recording a "wintry album", and never said "Christmas album" (I've been reading through the twitter thread just for fun). But I think most people want to hear their favorite singers sing the classics around Christmastime, and Hayley did very few. Josh Groban, however, had nearly ALL classics on his, sung by his flawless (IMPO In most people's opinion) voice. There was never any doubt that he still had his voice, but in songs like Chestnuts and Carol of the Bells, I, at least, was left in doubt about Hayley's... the BoB concerts had that effect, too. So, Josh's album Noel has to be my favorite Christmas album. I think Josh's voice was showed off better than most of his other music with these songs. I don't think a singer like Josh, with the huge following he has, including Oprah, could have gotten away with NOT singing the classics. It would have been even more disappointing than WM (sorry). And his album was the best-selling album of 2007, and that was all at the end of the year, too. I do love Hayley's original songs, though, and I really do like the album for what it is. Just not my idea of a Christmas album. And unfortunately others were disappointed, too. I'm still going to hold onto the hope that someday (several albums from now, I'm sure) she makes another one with more classics. Her Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, for example, is the best I've ever heard. I absolutely love her version, and yet, I'd never really liked the song at all before she sang it! Any Christmas song she's performed that did not appear on Winter Magic (for whatever reason, and yes, I know what those reasons, are, thank you  ) has sounded amazing, especially after 2010. So, actually, a "real" Christmas album from Hayley, post-Paradiso, is probably best, after all, if you know what I mean. |
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