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Uplifting Thoughts for the Isolated and Depressed in Times of Plague
- Thread starter Praefectus Praetorio
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Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
“I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.”
— Anne Frank
— Anne Frank
Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
Maltbie Davenport Babcock was born at Syracuse, New York, and graduated in 1879 from Syracuse University with the highest honors. He studied theology at the Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City, receiving his degree in 1882.
Upon receiving his degree in theology, Babcock became pastor of a church at Lockport, New York.
When Rev. Babcock lived in Lockport, he took frequent walks along the Niagara Escarpment to enjoy the overlook’s panoramic vista of upstate New York scenery and Lake Ontario, telling his wife he was “going out to see the Father’s world” After his death, his wife published a compilation of Babcock’s writings entitled Thoughts for Every-Day Living that contained the poem “My Father’s World”.
The poem was set to music in 1915 by Franklin L. Sheppard, a close friend of Babcock. The tune name, TERRA BEATA, means “blessed earth” in Latin. Sheppard adapted the music from a traditional English melody that he learned from his mother as a child.
For those with faith in God, this half-verse is most uplifting:
This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
For those unfamiliar with the Niagara Escarpment, it is a tectonic uplift (how appropriate!) starting in Western NY, passing through Ontario and Michigan before ending in Wisconsin, south of Green Bay
It is the uplift that Niagara Falls plunges over.
Upon receiving his degree in theology, Babcock became pastor of a church at Lockport, New York.
When Rev. Babcock lived in Lockport, he took frequent walks along the Niagara Escarpment to enjoy the overlook’s panoramic vista of upstate New York scenery and Lake Ontario, telling his wife he was “going out to see the Father’s world” After his death, his wife published a compilation of Babcock’s writings entitled Thoughts for Every-Day Living that contained the poem “My Father’s World”.
The poem was set to music in 1915 by Franklin L. Sheppard, a close friend of Babcock. The tune name, TERRA BEATA, means “blessed earth” in Latin. Sheppard adapted the music from a traditional English melody that he learned from his mother as a child.
For those with faith in God, this half-verse is most uplifting:
This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
For those unfamiliar with the Niagara Escarpment, it is a tectonic uplift (how appropriate!) starting in Western NY, passing through Ontario and Michigan before ending in Wisconsin, south of Green Bay
It is the uplift that Niagara Falls plunges over.
Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
The best Spirituals are always uplifting. "The Gospel Train (Get on Board)" is a traditional African-American spiritual first published in 1872 as one of the songs of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The tune and lyrics are thought to be influenced by old Scottish songs. In 1853, Scotsman John Lyon published a song in Liverpool titled "Be in Time", the last verse of which mentions that the Gospel train is at hand.
Here performed in a Jazz arrangement at the Oscar Fredriks kyrka, in Gothenberg, Sweden.
Here performed in a Jazz arrangement at the Oscar Fredriks kyrka, in Gothenberg, Sweden.
dommmu
Governor
When this aging rocker thinks of the title "Ohne dich", he doesn't think of 80s Euro-pop, but of Rammstein.
Sorry, no dirndl's, but the video is 'uplifting' in a strange way.
This is the first time I actually saw the whole video. I like how it is such a stark contrast against the song's dark lyrics.
The lyrics of Rammstein's "Ohne dich" are about being abandoned. But in the video, instead of abandoning their injured friend, the group takes the risk to rescue him and drag him along so he can share their moment of triumph when they finally reach the montain top.
The video is uplifting indeed!
Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
Three hours long. But even a few minutes is uplifting with incomparable music by Erik Satie and beautiful views of Paris by Édouard Cortès.
elephas
Senator
Thoughtful, melancholic autumn mood, but really uplifting!
Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
I've always loved that
The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958). He described it as a "pastoral romance for orchestra".
"a sustained lyric which never for a moment falls short of the effect aimed at, soars up and up with the song it imitates, and unites inspired spontaneity with a demonstration of effortless technical ingenuity... one has only to read the poem a few times to become aware of its perfection"
It is too long to quote in full here. The opening lines are enough to give a feeling for the whole:
He rises and begins to round,
He drops the silver chain of sound
Of many links without a break,
In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake,
All intervolv’d and spreading wide,
Like water-dimples down a tide
Where ripple ripple overcurls
And eddy into eddy whirls;
The Lark Ascending by George Meredith
Comments & analysis: He rises and begins to round, / He drops the silver chain of sound
allpoetry.com
Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
It has been too long since I've heard that. Thank you so much for posting, Barb! The writer's other popular hymn:
Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
For all, but especially the lovely, peace-loving Scottish slave @Eulalia. The Scottish Fantasy in E-flat major, Op. 46, by Max Bruch. It is a four-movement fantasy on Scottish folk melodies. The first theme is "Through the Wood Laddie." Makes you think of Linkie Hunting, doesn't it?
Don't you love the long red dress?
Don't you love the long red dress?
elephas
Senator
The Sound of the Proto Indo-European language
I hope this video will be not only informative, but also uplifting, at least for those who are interested in linguistics and languages. In Proto-Indo-European words, taken from the basic vocabulary, we see many similarities with Latin, Ancient Greek and other ancient languages, at the same time, some words retain a similar look in modern languages (English, German, Russian, etc.).
Here are examples with English.
wei / we
yu / you
nas / nose
muHs / mouse
Hster / star
werg / work
yeHr / year
etc.
I hope this video will be not only informative, but also uplifting, at least for those who are interested in linguistics and languages. In Proto-Indo-European words, taken from the basic vocabulary, we see many similarities with Latin, Ancient Greek and other ancient languages, at the same time, some words retain a similar look in modern languages (English, German, Russian, etc.).
Here are examples with English.
wei / we
yu / you
nas / nose
muHs / mouse
Hster / star
werg / work
yeHr / year
etc.
Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
While I did enjoy the video, it does stretch the definition of Uplifting Thoughts to the limit. Maybe next time it would be more appropriate in Odds and Ends or Coffee Shop.
Thanks PrPr, that's new to me. I don't much of Max Bruch's music, I've tended to shy away from what seemed rather heavy romanticism, but the more I listen to his work the more it grows on me, the melodic lines are haunting - in this work a blend of Hebrew and Scottish, but none the worse for tha.t.
I don't know, I've spent quite a lot of lockdown practising my laryngeals
