Sunday, April 17, 2011

National Poetry Month, Part 1


"Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience" from Leave Your Sleep, Natalie Merchant.

Less than half a month to go, poetry lovers. I trust enough time remains to have more than one post acknowledging the month, the form and those among us whom we call by that magical name - poet.

In his 2010 talk at the Ted Conference, Sir Ken Robinson (see earlier post, April 4) mentioned the presentation a day earlier, given by Natalie Merchant about her 2-CD album, Leave Your Sleep, on which she brings music to the words of 19th and 20th Century British and American poets, emphasizing anonymous rhymes, children's lullabies and bits of nonsense verse. Among the writers represented are Robert Graves, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Edward Lear, Ogden Nash and Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Ted video includes a number of songs from the CD, as does the You Tube library. If you use the highlighted title link, above, to amazon.com, you will be able to sample each cut.

12 comments:

Sultan said...

one loves Natalie Merchant

susan t. landry said...

this is really lovely. thank you.

Robert the Skeptic said...

Those TED conference videos so suck me in, hours pass quickly.

Marylinn Kelly said...

Laoch - One does, indeed. I forgot her at your post about music. I played her "In My Tribe" cassette until it was transparent.

Marylinn Kelly said...

Susan - So glad you liked it. Her choices for the music I've heard seem so well matched with the verse...I loved the Celtic sense of this one.

Marylinn Kelly said...

Robert - Not only could one spend days, multiple days, watching the segments, but one comes away - at least I do - feeling more hopeful about us all.

Erin in Morro Bay said...

This is a wonderful album and beautifully packaged. And such a treat to find so many of these lovely pieces together on one album.
Erin

Marylinn Kelly said...

Erin - I agree completely. It is rich and pleasing, sitting and letting it play through, very mood-altering, I think.

Jayne said...

Just beautiful. I haven't done my poetry post yet (I'm working on that). I'm going to have to start watching TED. ;)

Marylinn Kelly said...

Jayne - It is beautiful, isn't it, and seems to me so inspired, as is everything TED. I hope to have a few more NaPoMo posts before April ends. xo

Anonymous said...

I've had Natalie's TIGER LILY in rotation for centuries. I have to say that the musicians in this beautifully quiet and magical clip should be applauded as well. What a brilliant trio. Thanks for this, MLK. You never disappoint.

Marylinn Kelly said...

Lisa - Thank you and you are so right about the musicians and I did not even do the research to obtain their names. I will be more mindful. Hope you are enjoying NaPoMo. xo