Friday 16 June 2023

Pistis (re)ponders music (weekending June 17th 2023)

 


And repeat :II ‽istis (re)ponders music in the hope of light relief? (weekending June 17th 2023)

Somewhat spoilt for choice this weekending. Many topics jostled for attention and the top spot for this edition of ‽istis’ ‘weekly blog on contemporary topics - offered in good faith because just perhaps, possibly, maybe things could be different...’:

·        significant events in the UK’s parliament bursting across the media day after day… (though ‽istis is loath to give more air time to the former member[i] of parliament  for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, perhaps joining others who hope that in the future the no-longer-if-ever right honourable member’s words might only be available behind a paywall: events that we can choose never to attend, books that we need never pick up - and in newspapers that we don't need to buy!  For some that thought may release a mighty "Huzzah!"[ii])

·        what does ‘wilfully’ or ‘recklessly’ look like – and what does contempt sound like? 

·        can we all be bought? do we all have a price? money…, honours…, policies and principles altered for electoral success…?

·        The Labour Party’s apparent ‘retreat from… £28bn annual commitment on green investment’[iii]

·        the purpose of the House of Lords: an unelected over-bloated chamber, sprinkled lightly with clerics[iv]

·        whether protest including slow walking[v], is a right

·        safeguarding (again) - as we wait to see whether there will be a sole survivor of a particular church’s leadership team[vi] and whether a Chief Scout will be grylled (sic) on the issue of compensation in abuse cases[vii]  

·        finally, the start of the UK Covid 19 pandemic inquiry with key issues this week including: the voices and representation of the bereaved, national preparedness, the potential eye-off-the-ball impact of ‘Brexit’[viii]

·        the 6th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire and terrible, terrible tragedy[ix] 

·        the future of local radio[x]   

·        ‘synthetic’ human embryo created without sperm or egg?[xi]

·        social media and ‘t’interweb’ perusal and procrastination (nothing new there!)

And ‽istis notes that many of the above seem to be connected somehow…

Yet, in what may be a search in vain for something a little different ‽istis re-ponders music [xii] in the hope of a little light relief this weekending. This was partly prompted during one of those very social media distractions where someone asked a version of this question: If you can't listen to music ever again for $1,000,000 would you say yes or no?[xiii]

Well, for ‽istis, music in one form or other is pretty much a constant and vital:

·        remembering fondly a Grandad who seemed always to be humming and/or playing ‘air piano’ and for whom the first notes on an instrument borrowed from school were attempted during a last hospital visit many years’ ago

·        now being a grandad who probably seems always to be humming, singing or whistling

·        the ever-welcome new edition of ‘Songlines’ magazine[xiv] which dropped this week

·        a new earworm tune found, practised, recorded and shared with friends (with thanks to Helen Bell for ‘Leaving Whitby in a newly acquired folk book[xv])

·        waiting for a new album to be available[xvi]

·        John Lennon’s voice ‘AI-d’ to sing again with Paul McCartney[xvii]

·        learning a new community choir song: Brazilian, fado-esque (oh, it’s much sadder than that!), literally heart-breaking, if the words are to be believed

·        getting an air-play on local radio of a recently triumphant football team’s signature song and recalling a school detention for once singing that self-same song far too loudly in the changing room after PE; I thank you!

So for ‽istis, while the $1million would be fantastic for all sorts of reasons (including thinking how to benefit others with strategic substantial drops in various buckets), I think that the answer to the offer of ‘no music but a £1m’ would be a firm ‘no’ - though voiced in the style of a sad lament‽

©‽istis                                                                                                                    

NB: further reflections and comments linked to this week’s theme and past blog entries to be found on Twitter: replies, retweets (which don’t necessarily indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’: @Pistis_wonders. Twitter ‘follows’ and respectful comment and dialogue welcome...  


[ii] As ‽istis types this it is rumoured that the erstwhile PM may be a new columnist for the Daily Mail newspaper… as noted a newspaper now with a further reason that many may not buy it.

[ix] https://www.london.gov.uk/media-centre/mayors-press-release/mayors-statement-on-the-sixth-anniversary-of-the-grenfell-tower-fire The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The Grenfell Tower fire was a devastating tragedy and its impact was felt across our nation. On this sixth anniversary we pause to remember the 72 lives tragically cut short and pay tribute to the bereaved, survivors and community of North Kensington, standing in full solidarity with all those impacted. We owe it to them to do everything we can to secure justice and ensure the failings that led to this disaster can never be repeated.

 “Justice delayed is justice denied and, six years on we should be operating in a different world –one in which fire safety is prioritised and embedded, rules and regulations are ambitious and rigorous, guidance is clear and comprehensive, and the industry is responsible and highly-skilled.”


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