Time for Musical Reflections

 

FATHER FRANCIS MAPLE

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Complaint

I have a complaint. I don't know who to complain to so I'll complain to you in the hope you can do something about it.

I am getting totally fed up with loud music in films or on TV plays, especially when people are talking and the music overcomes what they are saying making it difficult to understand. You cannot control it with the remote control because if you lower the volume it lowers the speech as well as the music. If you increase the volume the music drowns the actors talking.

It is totally stupid. Why not have films with no music at all?

I know ... you will say that if we had no music in films we would not have had such tunes like Gone with the wind, Dr Zhivago, Exodus and so on. Yes, I like this kind of music which is often associated with great films; but it is only appropriate when the actors are not talking, but watching cattle in the prairies, wildebeests travelling through the savannahs, or spaceships travelling through space whilst Captain Jean-Luc Picard is eating ice cream. Loud music is not appropriate when actors are saying something important relevant to the plot.

And another thing; I hate it when you have a love scene with a couple in bed and there's music in the background. I would certainly not want a whole orchestra in the bedroom when I'm having such a moment!

Or when there's a fight on; whether it is gladiators fighting with swords, or cowboys and indians, cops and robbers or whatever ... why is there stupid background music?

As for that shower scene from Psycho ... the crazy music would have made the whole cinema audience wet themselves in their seats. What's so clever about that?

So if any of you have any influence in the cinema or TV industry could you please tell them to keep music only in scenes where there is no dialogue. This will help me appreciate the music, or serve as a clue for me to get off the couch and make a cup of tea, or go to the toilet.

Ignorant I Am

I don't like ballet. I don't like opera either. If I can help it I avoid both.

You may say I am ignorant.
But I'm not the only one.
I hope some day you'll join us. 
And we will all fight plagiarism ... something else I don't like.

But in my ignorance, there's something else I don't understand.

Usually, when you have an orchestra in a theatre, or outdoors even with a band, there's a man up front with a little stick waving his hands about like a demented puppet with his strings gone awry.

What does he actually do?

I've examined him closely and he doesn't seem to be doing anything important. He is sometimes called a conductor, or a maestro, but the people in front of him playing their different musical instruments appear to be ignoring him and reading the notes on the piece of paper in front of them. Even the man at the back with a little triangular piece of metal seems intent on concentrating on his sheet of paper and at the right moment he makes it ding just the once. No one seems to care about the man with the little stick up front.

To test the theory I got the toilet plunger and took off the rubber suction bit at the top. I then played some of my CDs and waved my hands in the air with the plunger stick in hand. The music from the CD played OK and did not seem to match my hand waving one little bit.

I made a video of it. See what you think.

Just for you

IN CASE YOU NEED REMINDING
I PRAY FOR EVERYONE
WHO COMMENTS HERE

Here are two videos which I have made.
Enjoy!

Any Country folks out there?

THIS MUSIC IS FOR YOU...

Any Irish out there?

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY
THIS MUSIC IS FOR YOU ...

 

When I'm dead and gone

Father Ignatius was at the monthly Any Questions Meeting held at St Vincent Parish Hall, whereby parishioners and their guests asked any questions which he and Father Donald would attempt to answer and teach about the Catholic Faith.

The discussion centered about death and our achievements in life.

Father Ignatius said, “Imagine you are dead and resting in your open coffin. Your family and friends pass by to pay their last respects. What would you want them to say?”

Someone hesitantly said that she’d like people to say that she was a good wife and mother and that she always attended Mass on Sunday.

Another person added that he was a good doctor and did his best for his patients.

A third parishioner went on to say that she was a good teacher and cared for all the children in her care.

Father Ignatius noted that Theodore Luxton-Joyce, the eccentric millionaire and generous donor to the church, was scribbling away in his notepad and was somewhat un-interested. He’d only attended the Meeting to accompany his lovely wife Rose.

So the priest asked him, “How about you Theodore? What would you like people to say when they see you lying in your open coffin?”

“I’d like them to say ‘I’ve seen him move …’ ” came the swift reply as everyone laughed.

As the laughter died down Father Ignatius continued, “I’m sure they’ll say you had a great sense of humor too …

“But on a more serious note … how exactly will we be remembered?

“A parishioner once told me that it was hypocritical to always speak well of the dead. If a person had been nasty and bad in his life, the only difference is that he is now a dead nasty and bad person. And to pretend otherwise would be insincere.

“This is a little uncharitable perhaps; but that parishioner had a point.”

Father Ignatius stopped, as he often did, to punctuate the importance of what he had just said.

He then continued, “Now is the time to ensure that people will be honest when they speak about us.

“We do this by remembering Christ’s commandment to love one another. And to practice that commandment.

“The best gift we can offer each other is our presence. We all have a part to play in other people’s lives. Just think for a moment how many people rely on you … your spouse, your children, your elderly parents, your neighbors perhaps … if you’re a teacher or a doctor the children in your school rely on you, as well as your patients …

“I need not go on. But the point I’m making is that we should be generous with our time with these people. Our very presence on this earth can be a source of great joy and happiness to others.

“When Jesus was raised to Heaven, His disciples missed Him and were sad to see Him leave them. They were totally devastated and confused.

“Missing someone is a sure sign that their presence affected your life in a good way.

“So let us be remembered not for who we were but for what we have done; and how we made a real difference for the good in someone’s life.

“And even though we might not move in our open coffin, as Theodore hopes, at least our lives will have moved others".

Any Italians out there?

THIS MUSIC IS FOR YOU ...