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Sing-along Café 2025-02-27

It was so good to be back together! We sang and listened and talked and nibbled and sipped happily in good company again. There were heavy moments, but we were mostly very positive and hopeful. Our theme was Black History Month. We first talked about Sunday’s Affirming and Inclusivity Service. We all agreed that it was uplifting and fun. I pointed out that although I did aim for uplifting and hopeful, I also wanted it to be powerful, and I was proud of my team and Celena for making it strong and meaningful too. We watched a bit of the video and listened to Celena’s poem. We were all impressed by her powerful words and effective delivery, and we were all touched and heavy-hearted. We listened to the choir and praise team sing God Weeps and Put a Little Love in Your Heart. Thank God for uplifting music that reminds us that there are good people, and music that inspires us to be better as individuals and in our communities! I’m proud of my church that is a place where I feel that we can m...
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Sorry! Sing-along Café Cancelled again Feb. 20th, 2025

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Sing-along Café 2025-02-13 Playlist

So, we're not meeting because of all that snow and the wind blowing it around, but we can still share some songs. Robin says she's thinking of watching Moana. Great idea! Watch a movie with lots of good music, some nice Disney animation with singable tunes and palm trees beaches and ocean. Wonderful escapism for a snow day! Our theme is Black History Month, and we were planning to continue with that for the rest of February, and for today we wanted to be sure to sing some love songs too, since tomorrow is Valentine's Day. We already mentioned last week that some of the heavy, serious music was made by artists we know by their love songs. So, we can stay in our theme.  Here's some suggestions for songs you can listen to. Love songs are in bold : Marvin Gaye: What's Goin' On and Mercy Mercy Me, and Ain't No Mountain High Enough and How Sweet it is to be Loved by You Beyoncé: If I Were a Boy, and Halo Temptations: Ball of Confusion, and Get Ready and Just My I...
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Thursday, February 13th, 2025 SNOW DAY!

 
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Sing-along Café 2025-02-06

We always talk a lot about the songs we sing, about the lyrics, the artists, the eras and genres, ideas, beliefs, our families and life, everything. I think that this Black History Month playlist generated the most discussion of all my playlists.  Part of the inspiration for the discussion was our current need for more connection, some sympathy/commiseration as we deal with all the scary news. And, we all agreed that we needed to sing more,  "okay, we need to sing now", for the release and escape and joy we feel. I am thankful for this opportunity to hear other people express the thougths in my head, the people sitting in the fellowship room with me, and the people who created the songs we're singing. Here's a list of some of the songs we listened to and sang: Sometimes When We Touch by Dan Hill (local black artist, and brother of Lawrence Hill) Blinding Lights by the Weeknd and by Tebey (both local black artists) Wake Me Up by Tebey What's Going On by Marvin G...
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Sing-along Café 2025-01-30

It's February?!!! This post is about Thursday's Sing-along Café, last month, 2 days ago. Time is a funny thing. We taked about how Disney movie music has changed over time, and how it hasn't. One thing we were happy to notice is that there are still songs that have long instrumental sections that allow us to eat our muffins (apple this time, and similar to the blueberry recipe) and talk about the songs. We spent the whole time on Disney musicals, really the animated movies. We remember movies from when we were kids, when our kids were little, and even watching with grandkids. Some of us are happy to have grandkids to go and see the Disney animated movies with while others are happy to go without kids too. Because, there's so much in the movies that's easier to appreciate as an adult, not just the music. Now we are making lists of movies to watch or re-watch.  So many of the themes of the movies, the songs too obviously, are really important now. Community, family, r...
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Sing-along Café 2025-01-23

Our café last night was so nice! I baked the most wonderful blueberry muffins, with a nice crunchy golden-brown top and juicy blueberries. Everyone wanted the recipe, so I'll include it at the end. Nibbling our muffins was easy, as a few of the songs we sang had very long instrumental interludes.  Our theme was Disney movie music. It was interesting to hear how different eras sounded different, from the 1940's to the present. It was partly the technology developing, but also the styles of music and the kinds of bands and orchestras that were popular. We don't hear a lot of twittering birds in the more recent Disney musicals, or coloratura singing with lots of tremolo. There were a few princesses whose singing we couldn't match.  Listening to and singing all those movie songs, we remembered times we watched them in the theatre or at home on our televisions when we were small and when our children were small. I had a memory from when I was 6 years old, and lots of stories...
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