Stream of Consciousness #MusicMovesMe

It's the last Monday of November, and time for Music Moves Me! 

 

Who are the Music Moves Me bloggers? We are bloggers who blog about music each Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please!)   First, there is XmasDolly.  Her co-hosts are: Stacy of Stacy Uncorked, Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, and me. 

We'd love more music lovers to join us.  It's easy! All you have to do is join the linky above with a music post that contains at least one music video (there must be a music video).  And that's it!

Each month we have a guest conductor. Today, for the month of November, we once more welcome Driller from Driller's Place.  Thank you, Driller, for guest conducting our Monday musical group.

Driller's theme for today is "You Pick".  This will be the last "You Pick" for 2021 (where has the year gone?) as December will be all holiday music.   I'm going today with a little stream of consciousness.

My first selection is in honor of the late, great Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, who passed away on November 26 at the age of 91.  Even if you aren't a fan of musical theater you may be familiar with some of his songs.

Here is Dame Judi Dench singing "Send In the Clowns" from "A Little Night Music", a song that has been covered by many artists.

Stephen Sondheim also wrote the lyrics for  the musical West Side Story.  Going to see the movie adaptation was my father's gift to me when I graduated from elementary school.   West Side Story was based on Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.

From 1982, Toto's tribute to actress Rosanna Arquette.  A band member was dating her when this song was written.  "Rosanna" resulted.  Strange how some of this video reminds me of West Side Story...

Pat Benatar and her husband Neil Giraldo are planning to bring a show called "Invincible", based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, to Broadway next year.   This is one of my favorite Pat Benatar songs:  "We Belong".

Yesterday began the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, so why not start holiday music a week early?  For my last couple of selections I am going to pick Hanukkah related music. (In case you are wondering, Hanukkah is early this year.  Since the Hebrew calendar is a lunar calendar, the days do not mesh exactly with our secular calendar.  In the Hebrew calendar the days the holiday begins and ends are the same each year).

The story of Hanukkah is partially a story of invincibility; how a small army fighting for religious freedom (among other things) triumphed over a seemingly invincible larger force.

It's a shame that Sondheim did not live to see the release of the new adaptation of West Side Story that will be released in the movies in early December.  But we can enjoy Six13's adaptation of this classic story based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

And, one of their best, Bohemian Chanukah.

Thus ends today's stream of consciousness, an idea taken from our own John at the Sound of One Hand Typing.

And that's a wrap!  See you again next Monday, same time, same place.