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From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Fri Aug 23, 2002  4:54 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Looking for birthday song

For something with a lovely sentiment, but not humourous, consider Hubert
Parry's lovely setting of Christina Rossetti's poem "My heart is like a
singing bird".

Another non-comic possibility is Elizabeth Scheidel-Austin's song cycle
for high voice and piano, "A Birthday Bouquet", which includes four
birthday-themed songs by different poets (e.e. cummings, Yeats, Christina
Rossetti), though musically this might not be "accessible" to everyone.


Some possibilities from among pop "standards":

Warren & Mercer: "You must have been a beautiful baby"

Rodgers & Hammerstein: "From cradle to altar" from ALLEGRO (for a
young man's birthday)

Rodgers & Hammerstein: "Now is the time" from SOUTH PACIFIC

Van Heusen & Burke: "Aren't you glad you're you?" from the film THE BELLS
OF ST. MARY'S



Now, for the humourous song:

A classic of black humour is Tom Lehrer's "When you are old and grey"
which pretty much sets the sentiments of Thomas Moore's "Believe me if all
those endearing young charms" on their ear (or, more accurately, their
arse). Not for the faint of heart, the easily offended, or the weak of
stomach.





Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
______________________________________
I will sing with the spirit, and I
will sing with the understanding also.
1 Corinthians 14:15





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