Global connections through music this Christmas 2023 – some YouTube videos with a difference

On Thursday, December 21st, Chris shared video clips which reflect our shared humanity through music – sometimes in unexpected ways!

Carols with interesting origins

Gabriel’s Message” or “The angel Gabriel from heaven came”
How many people realise that this popular carol, “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came” originated in Spain? Birjina gaztetto bat zegoen is a Basque Christmas folk carol based on Angelus Ad Virginem, a 13th or 14th Century Latin carol. It is about the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by the archangel Gabriel that she would become the mother of Jesus Christ, Son of God. It was translated into English and Notable modern interpretations include Sting (1985). This version by Zuberoa Aznárez is the original text sung in the ancient Basque dialect with hurdy gurdy (zanfona) accompaniment

Carol of the Bells
The popularity of this song is probably down to an arrangement by John Williams written for the 1990 Christmas movie  Home Alone. However, the original is Ukrainian. Here Katie Melua and the Gori Women’s Choir sing the original 1914 version, composed by Mykola Leontovych with lyrics by Peter J. Wilhousky. The song is based on a Ukrainian folk chant called “Shchedryk”. ‘The Little Swallow’.

Overcoming disability to create beautiful music

Lucy Illingworth playing”Arabesque No. 1″ by Claude Debussy in the Royal Festival Hall
Lucy won the first season of the Channel 4 talent competition in March 2023, when she was just 13 years old. She was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer called bilateral retinoblastoma when she was nine months old, resulting in total blindness. She also has a chromosome 16 duplication, which is carried by her mother, Candice. It is a rare condition which affects mental health, autism traits, and overall communication. Lucy is taught by Daniel Bath, a teacher whom she first met when she was three years old. The musical duo met through the charity, The Amber Trust. Founded in 1995, the charity provides musical opportunities for blind and partially-sighted children.

Felix Klieser playing Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Felix Kleiser, (born 3 January 1991) is a German professional player of the French horn. He was born without arms and began playing the horn at the age of 4. He plays the horn by using the toes of his left foot to operate the valves. The horn is held on a tripod. In contrast to the way the instrument is traditionally played, by placing a hand inside the bell to modify the sound, he changes its tone with his mouth. He concluded his two-year residency with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with a stunning debut at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in the summer of 2023.

(https://felixklieser.de/en/bio-en)

Lorelai Mosneguțu performs “A Million Stars” with her feet and receives a golden buzzer in Romania’s Got Talent.
Lorelai Alberta Moșneguțu is a Romanian singer and pianist without hands, due to a birth defect. She plays the piano with her feet. At the age of 14, Lorelai won the 7th season of “Romania’s Got Talent” obtaining the prize of €120,000. She bought a house in Bucharest with her winnings and pursued both studies in communications and public relations and her music career.

Dancing to make everyone amazed and happy

… and for a complete change of tone we went to the 2023 “America’s got Talent” show to meet the whacky, wonderful female Japanese dance group Avantgardey.

( Information about them is scattered over the internet – here’s a summary!)
This group is the brainchild of choreographer Akane Kikaku who worked with the Tomioka High School Dance Club in Osaka, Japan – she wanted to create a “Bubbly” dance reflecting Japan’s Bubble economy of the 1980’s. They won the Japanese National competition in 2015 and 16. Here’s a video of the Dance Club in action in 2018: https://youtu.be/DEdHqXCQ6jY?si=8Snf6b7bj0DJPmfZ Some of those school club dancers are now members of Avantgardey which was formed in 2022. It is composed of 19 females aged between 18 and 27. Well known for their synchronized dance moves and funny expressions, the group gained worldwide popularity after performing with renowned DJ Steve Aoki at one of his concerts in January 2023. “They have gained worldwide popularity on TikTok and Instagram as the “Mysterious school uniformed and bobbed hair group” https://akanekikaku.com/avantgardey/ When they are not dancing together, they are reported as having day jobs (e.g. Working in a noodle bar, a barista etc.)

Avantgardey at “America’s Got Talent” 2023
Although Avantgardey didn’t win the top prize at “America’s Got Talent” they received an enthusiastic response and wide recognition. Even the usually unmoved British judge, Simon Cowell, said their first dance was “genius” and gave them a standing ovation for “Mama Mia”. They are performing in Taiwan this Christmas and at various events in Japan. This video clip shows the three dance routines they performed for the American competition and at a gala show at the end with all the contestants.

Suggestions from the Audience:

Finally, we asked the audience to suggest their favourite clips to share. These seemed to focus on…The two Ronnies whose brilliant play on words never fails to make you laugh!

My Blackberry’s not working :

Four Candles:

Your Nuts:

… and purely by chance came across this Christmas video involving a dachshund and a Christmas tree:

Christine Betteterton-Jones – Knowledge Junkie