December 31 - PSY (Park Jae-sang); Odetta (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual cycle)

Previous posts for December 31st are here date is unknown: Donna Summer; John Denver (2019), Jule Styne (2020), and John Denver; Giulio Cesare Monteverdi (2021)

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

PSY (Park Jae-sang) (b.  31 December 1977) is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going Viral

Raise your voices in a paean

To Park Jae-sang, the South Korean!

No one knows exactly why

But YouTube fell in love with PSY,

And yet it’s true that “Gangnam Style”

Ruled that platform for a while.

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪ 

 

 

Odetta (31 December 1930 – 2 December 2008) was an American singer, actress, guitarist, lyricist, and a civil rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement"  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Variation on a Theme

In 2011 Time magazine included her recording of “Take this Hammer”  on its list of the 100 Greatest Popular Songs, stating that “Rosa Parks was her No. 1 fan, and Martin Luther King Jr. called her the queen of American folk music.” – WIkipedia

(1)

As “The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement”

You could hardly have found an improvement.

(2)

You could travel the land and not get a

Voice with the strength of Odetta.

(3)

Rosa Parks and Dr. King

Loved to hear Odetta sing.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]

 

 

December 30 - William Croft (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 30th are here: Paul Bowles (2019), (Mary) Frances Allitsen (2020), and David Willcocks (2021)

+++++++++++++++++ 

 

William Croft (bapt. 30 December 1678 – 14 August 1727) was an English composer and organist. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sable Situation

 

Croft's Funeral Sentences were sung at Handel's funeral,  and have been included in every British state funeral since their publication. -- Wikipedia 

O hold the doleful torch aloft

And sing the praise of William Croft,

Whose solemn anthems for the dead,

(His Sentences are sung, not said),

Are heard at solemn obsequies

For Kings and Queens and folks like these.

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]

 

December 29 - Peggy Glanville-Hicks (The Musical Birthday series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 29th are here: Pablo Casals (2019). 2020), and Peggy Glanville-Hicks (2021)

++++++++++++++++++++

 

Peggy Glanville-Hicks (29 December 1912 – 25 June 1990) was an Australian composer and music critic, much of whose career was spent in the U.S. and in Greece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Realism

The box office boldly predicts

That there’s bound to be plenty of tix

For next year’s recital

That goes by the title

“The Music of P. Glanville-Hicks”.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]

 

December 28 - Martha Wash (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 28th are here: Roger Sessions; Earl Hines (2019), Calixa Lavalée (2020), and Christian Cannabich; Roger Sessions (2021)

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Martha Wash (b. 28 December 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer, who as part of The Weather Girls had a huge hit with "It's Raining Men". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixed Forecast

From NYC to San Francisco,

Martha Wash, in every disco,

Spread the word, “It’s Raining Men”,

Which may be true, but then again,

There’s sometimes rain, and sometimes drought,

And sometimes singles do without.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]

 

December 27 - Oscar Levant (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 27th are here: Marlene Dietrich (2019), Anna Russell (2020), and Anna Russell (2021)

+++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Oscar Levant (27 December 1906 – 14 August 1972) was an American concert pianist, composer, conductor, author, radio game show panelist, television talk show host, comedian and actor.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything

The gods, when deciding to grant

His talents to Oscar Levant,

Were more than free-handed; –

I’d list all the man did,

But I gave it a try, and I can’t.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]